Option 1: Selling your car privately
A private sale is the top-dollar route if you have the time, the patience and a safe place to meet buyers. You set the price, you handle the viewings, you keep the margin that a dealer would otherwise take.
The tradeoff is your time. Expect phone calls, tyre-kickers, lowball offers and the odd no-show. Most private sales in Hexham take two to six weeks to complete.
What you gain
- Highest price: Typically 10-20% more than a trade offer on a clean car with full service history.
- Control: You choose who you sell to and on what terms.
What it costs you
- Time: Listing, photos, messages, viewings and paperwork.
- Security risk: Only accept cleared bank transfer, never a banker's draft or personal cheque. Meet at home, never at a remote car park.
- Paperwork: V5C/2 section to the buyer, notify DVLA the same day. Keep a signed receipt with both names, the price, date and "sold as seen, tried and approved".
- History checks: Buyers will expect you to share a free MOT history printout and will often run a paid vehicle history check before handing over cash.
According to Auto Trader, the UK used-car market turns over around seven million private and trade transactions a year, so demand is there. The question is how much of your weekend you want to give up to reach it.
Option 2: Selling to a car buying service
A car buying service like We Buy Cars Hexham trades convenience for a slightly lower headline price. You get a valuation within minutes, a firm offer on inspection, and payment by bank transfer on the same day you agree.
Unlike a franchise dealer, a local buying service will take almost anything: MOT failures, high-mileage diesels, non-runners, cars with outstanding finance, even cars with partial or no service history.
What you gain
- Speed: Sale completed in hours, not weeks.
- Zero admin: We handle the V5C, the DVLA notification and the paperwork.
- Finance settled directly: If there is outstanding finance, we pay the lender and you pocket the equity.
- Local collection: Free collection across Hexham, Corbridge, Prudhoe and the Tyne Valley.
What it costs you
A trade buyer cannot pay private-sale money because they need margin to recondition and resell. Expect 85-95% of private-sale value on clean cars, less on cars with issues. The gap narrows significantly on older, higher-mileage and non-standard cars where private buyers get nervous.
Want a free valuation in 60 seconds?
Start our Sell Car Wizard for an honest local number, or browse our sold page to see what we have actually paid on recent Hexham cars.
Option 3: Part-exchanging at a dealership
A dealership part-exchange only makes sense if you are buying another car at the same time. The dealer bundles your old car into the deal, often softening the headline price on the new one rather than paying true retail value for your trade-in.
Stand-alone trade-ins at a franchise dealer are usually the weakest offer on the table. Dealers prefer stock that fits their forecourt profile, typically under 70,000 miles with a full main-dealer history. Anything outside that box gets trade-book money and goes straight to auction.
Always split the negotiation. Agree the new car price first with no mention of trade-in, then negotiate the part-exchange separately. That way you can see exactly what the dealer is paying for your car and compare it against buying-service offers.
How to choose between the three routes
- Private sale: best price, most time and admin, caveat emptor rules.
- Buying service: near-market price, same-day completion, no admin.
- Dealer part-exchange: only worth considering when buying a replacement from the same dealer.
Whichever you choose, line up your paperwork first: V5C logbook, service history, all spare keys, locking wheel nut and any finance settlement letter. Missing documents pull value off every route. Our guide on keeping proper records shows what buyers and dealers look for.
If you want a quick benchmark, use our Sell Car Wizard and compare that number against the best private offer you can find on Auto Trader. Then decide whether the extra money is worth the extra effort.
About the author
John James is a car dealer based in Hexham who has helped hundreds of customers sell their vehicles through various channels, from private sales to dealership trade-ins.