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What we buy

Any age, any mileage, we will at least make an offer

Most local buyers have a long "we don't buy" list. We're closer to the opposite. If we cannot buy your car directly, we will try to help you sell it another way. All we ask is an honest description upfront.

Value your car free
What we quote on

Almost any car gets a quote

If it is legally yours to sell, we will at least make an offer. That covers:

If the car is genuinely scrap we route the quote through our scrap process so the number reflects weight, not retail.

Awkward jobs welcome

Stuck cars and difficult collections

Most of the awkward collections we do are not really about the car, they are about what has grown up around it.

One job last year was for an elderly lady whose husband had parked the family car in the garden ten years earlier. He died not long after. She never went into that part of the garden again. Over the decade, the neighbours' boundary walls had been rebuilt along the property line, and a sapling had taken root next to the car. By the time we got the call, the tree was mature, the walls were back up, and the car was boxed in.

We brought a winch, tipped and dragged the car around the corner inch by inch to keep the tree intact, paid her on the spot, drove away. Worst case on a job like that we charge for the recovery time and tell you upfront. There is no driveway-renegotiation game.

Plain English: if you can describe the situation honestly on the phone or in the wizard notes, we can usually price it accurately the first time. The cars we have to walk away from are the ones where the situation was not what we were told.
Specific situations

What we collect from on the day

The kit on the truck means most "the car won't move" calls are solvable on the driveway, no specialist call-out required.

Car stuck in park, gear lever will not move

Common cause is a flat 12-volt battery or a brake-light switch failure on automatics. We carry a 24-volt booster pack that brings most cars back to life, and a diagnostic kit that can release electronic parking brakes on the driveway. If that does not free the car we collect on the flatbed.

Brakes seized after long storage

Electronic parking brakes we can usually release on the driveway with our diagnostic kit. If they will not release, or if the mechanical brakes are properly seized, we winch onto the flatbed without rolling the car. No prep from your end.

Four flat tyres and will not roll

Common on cars that have not turned a wheel for a year or more. We carry a commercial-grade mobile tyre inflator that brings flats back up so the car can be loaded under its own weight. If a tyre is perished beyond reflating, we winch instead.

Dead battery, no keys, lost V5C

All solvable on the driveway. Dead battery, our 24-volt booster pack brings most cars back. Locked out, our auto-locksmith tools open the car safely. Lost V5C, we have a direct contact at DVLA and can handle the replacement paperwork on your behalf.

Car been in storage for years

We collect long-stored cars regardless of running condition. Bring the V5C if you have it. If the registered keeper has died or the keepership has lapsed, ring 01434 400 444 before booking and we will handle the paperwork on your behalf via our direct DVLA contact.

Classic car needs removing from a garage

Long-stored classic cars in domestic garages we collect like any other long-stored vehicle, with the kit on the truck. If the classic carries serious specialist value beyond what we can comfortably buy direct, see the underwriting route below.

Barn find ready to go

We have collected projects from barns and lock-ups. Photos in the wizard notes help us bring the right kit on the day.

Estate or property sale with a car included

We work alongside solicitors and estate agents handling probate and estate sales. If the car is part of a wider sale, we work to the family or solicitor's timeline, not ours.

Specialist cars

When we cannot buy direct, we underwrite

Some cars are too specialist for us to buy outright. Direct purchase does not suit either side because the right buyer is not on our pitch, it's at a marque-specialist or auction house.

In those cases we have helped underwrite deals on cars over £75,000 by introducing the seller to a trade buyer who fits the car. Maybe we will not direct-buy it ourselves, but we can try and help.

Honest about risk

Cars where direct buying is too risky to be fair

Most cars we buy outright. But where buying direct is too risky to price safely, we offer the car out to our trade network for a fee instead. The reason is simple: we do not want to overpay and lose money on resale, and we do not want to underpay on a car you might find is worth more than we could confirm.

Categories that usually go via the brokerage route:

  • Engine issues
  • DPF issues on diesels
  • Catalytic converter damage
  • Really poor bodywork
  • Very rare models
  • Super low mileage cars
In return

What we ask from you

Two things, both reasonable:

FAQ

Common questions about what we buy

What if my car is stuck in park and the gear lever will not move?

Usually a flat 12-volt battery or a brake-light switch failure on automatics. We carry a 24-volt booster pack that brings most cars back to life, and a diagnostic kit that can release electronic parking brakes on the driveway. If that does not free the car we collect on the flatbed.

What if the brakes have seized after long storage?

Electronic parking brakes we can usually release on the driveway with our diagnostic kit. If they will not release, or if the mechanical brakes are properly seized, we winch onto the flatbed without rolling the car. No prep from your end.

What if the car has four flat tyres and will not roll?

Common on cars that have not turned a wheel for a year or more. We carry a commercial-grade mobile tyre inflator that brings flats back up so the car can be loaded under its own weight. If a tyre is perished beyond reflating, we winch instead.

Can you collect a car with a dead battery, no keys, or a lost V5C?

All solvable on the driveway. Dead battery, our 24-volt booster pack brings most cars back. Locked out, our auto-locksmith tools open the car safely. Lost V5C, we have a direct contact at DVLA and can handle the replacement paperwork on your behalf.

What if the car has been in storage for years?

We collect long-stored cars regardless of running condition. Bring the V5C if you have it. If the registered keeper has died or the keepership has lapsed, ring 01434 400 444 before booking and we will handle the paperwork on your behalf via our direct DVLA contact.

Will you collect a classic car that needs removing from a garage?

Long-stored classic cars in domestic garages we collect like any other long-stored vehicle, with the kit on the truck. If the classic carries serious specialist value beyond what we can comfortably buy direct, see the underwriting route on the page.

Do you collect barn finds?

Yes. We have collected projects from barns and lock-ups. Photos in the wizard notes help us bring the right kit on the day.

Do you handle estate or property sales with a car included?

Yes. We work alongside solicitors and estate agents handling probate and estate sales. If the car is part of a wider sale, we work to the family or solicitor's timeline, not ours.

The short version

If your car has wheels and a registration, ring us. If we can buy it directly we will. If we cannot, we will try to find someone who can.

Page last updated 27 May 2026 by John James, founder of We Buy Cars Hexham.
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