Starting to lose hope trying to sell my car...

[Deluded]

I know it's a bad market at the moment, esspecially with cars like my own. "Big" petrol engined 4x4, and with petrol prices as they are, it's not the most indemand car out there.

Car in question is a Honda CRV. 1999 ES model. 116k on the clocks. 7 months mot, 6 months tax. Nothing mechanically wrong. Only downsides would be the exterior which is just general ware. Few scratches here and the odd dink etc. Nothing major at all. Not rust either.

Had a fair bit of money spent on it in the last few months on new tyres (not cheap crap) all round, new exhaust system, new window regulator and a number of suspension parts, bushes, joints etc.

I paid £1200 for it in October last year, listed as needing a bit of work. It wasn't the cheapest on sale but certinately wasn't the most expensive. Not by a long shot. Even now, there are rougher, higher milage examples with no service history listed at £2k plus.

I originally stuck the car on ebay at £1700 with best offer. No offers. Nothing. Fair enough, maybe being a bit optimistic so listed on here for £1500 ono. Had one chap from Brazil email me. So no joy on that then. Relisted again on ebay for starting price of £1300. Ended this morning with no bids, no viewings, no questions etc. Meanwhile, the car is still listed on here for £1300. Had one question asking for my phone number as they would like to buy it. Gave them my number saying that any questions would be best asked over email as I can't answer at work and rarely get a signal at home. No reply or call.

I don't understand how a car can devalue so much after 6 months of ownership, 4k miles but with a new 6 months tax and a number of new and expensive parts. What still gets me is that this is the cheapest CRV on Pistonheads. Next up is a good few hundred more. It isn't the cheapest on ebay but anything cheaper is a wreck being described as ***MINT***...

Any advice on shifting this car?

[s_zigmond]

You paid 1200 for it in October, but want more for it now? The parts you fitted wont make a huge difference to what people are prepared to pay. Its still a high mileage 4x4.

[Haggleburyfinius]

Deluded said:

I paid £1200 for it in October last year.

Meanwhile, the car is still listed on here for £1300.

I don't understand how a car can devalue so much after 6 months of ownership, 4k miles but with a new 6 months tax and a number of new and expensive parts.

eh??

You're just going to have to accept that it isn't worth as much as you think it is.

You bought at peak 4x4 price time and are trying to sell at the trough.

Drop the price or hang on to it...can't really see another option.

[Vocal Minority]

Have you tried the local rag?

[Snowboy]

Deluded said:

Any advice on shifting this car?

Post the details of the car on a well known motoring forum and hope that someone sees the post and buys the car.

[Deluded]

Well yes, obviously.

I buy a car riddled with faults and needing work. Spend a fortune on it, have a change of circumstances and try to sell. Why would I expect to sell it for less than cars which need loads of work?

[Flock'd]

Reduce the price.... or wait until winter when people are looking for 4x4s

Alternatively, if you are handy with a spanner you could get an LPG kit and fit that. You may not make any more money by adding this, but you could sell at a higher price, and it would make it noteably more desirable.

Just a couple of ideas

[GC8]

Devalued? Am I missing an important fact here?

[Justin Cyder]

Big old high miler - I'd want 12 months ticket on it. Plus drop the price, it's a savage market out there for bangers.

[Stoatman]

If I paid 1200 a while ago I'd be happy with a grand to be honest . Anyway seems like you can either keep it , spend nothing on it and wait for it to die or wait the whole summer and wait for a bad winter when prices will probably be higher

[Stoatman]

high mileage , low mpg . Unfortunately the fact you have spent a bit on fixing bits or ongoing repairs makes little difference with resale value, especially if it comes to trading it in.

[Amateurish]

On Ebay, completed listings show that 1999 CRVs are selling for between £750 and £1000 depending on condition.

This is the £1k example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-HONDA-CR-V-LS-BLUE-...

[mercfunder]

Deluded said:

I buy a car riddled with faults and needing work. Spend a fortune on it, have a change of circumstances and try to sell. Why would I expect to sell it for less than cars which need loads of work?

But that is only your opinion, how do you know the other cars need loads of work.
You've invested in the car, but did you really think you would get that back when you sell it, 2 choices take the market price or sit it out.
Replacing consumables is part and parcel of running a car, it don't add to their value.

[BarnatosGhost]

The money you've spent is nearly irrelevant.

You haven't built a conservatory or converted the loft, you've just kept the thing going.

If it was worth £1200 in October, it's worth £800 now. The sun is shining.

Keep it and sell it at the first frost in the autumn. For £1200.

[Chrisw666]

It's an old, leggy, 100k + mile, petrol powered 4x4 soft roader.

Not attractive to off road enthusiasts, not attractive to those who fancy a big engine, or those who want a workhorse.

Not attractive to some downsizing to a cheaper car as it is pricey to run.

Not attractive to young people due to image and running costs, not attractive to people wanting a cheap family car.

Basically you're marketing a car that is unloved by the majority of people, that you paid £1200 for when 4x4s were more saleable (i.e. in the run up to winter). To add to that not offering 12 months MOT suggests that you have little faith in it passing.

[rswift]

In the last month I've helped to sell 4 cars, 2 for a mate who emigrated, one of my own, and helped a mate who'd never sold a car before with his Wife's car.

In all 4 case Autotrader came up trumps with genuine callers, and in the end buyers ! It is a bit more expensive, think it was £36 web only for 2 weeks.

One car went on Ebay, twice .... only got time wasters, unhelpful offers or offers to px/swap.

My Mate stuck his Wife's Honda Civic on a 6pm on a Friday, sold by 10am on Saturday.

Obviously your 4x4 might be a bit more specialist, but a good family holiday car, not OTT in the 4x4 dept. Has it got a tow bar ? Seems to be people buy Caravan towing cars this time of year. Have you put in your ad it doesn't attract the high road tax, etc.

[fizz47]

I would advertise it on Autotrader - much wider audience. Also if its not budging then I would reduce the price.

I has a similar issue last week while selling a 1998 E46 318.

Initially put it on here and on Gumtree at 1200. I had a total of 3 calls. As soon as I put it on autotrader my phone didnt stop ringing. I did drop the price to £999. I told everyone who wanted to view that while the car is in good condition that:

It requires a service
It requires new brakepads.
The car would idle errataically when it felt like it - Some days not at all and some days all the time.
It had an oil leak.


Despite this everyone still wanted to view it. I sold it for £925 within 24hrs of putting the advert up.

[longblackcoat]

+1 for 12m MOT, plus try selling elsewhere - you only mention eBay.

[BoostMonkey]

Deluded said:

Had one question asking for my phone number as they would like to buy it. Gave them my number saying that any questions would be best asked over email as I can't answer at work and rarely get a signal at home. No reply or call.

You need to be able to take calls if you want to sell it.

[MrTickle]

A friend of mine bought a nice little convertible in the height of spring, just as the sun came out. He only used it for 4 months over the summer and then decided to sell as we approached winter. Strangely he couldn't get more than he paid for it either..... it is a weird old market out there!