If you’re ready to sell your van and want to put it on the market, it’s important to have a good idea of what your van is worth so that you can ask for a reasonable price that reflects its value well and that ensures that people are going to want to buy it.
The value of your van will fluctuate and be dictated by many factors. Here’s a look at how to best find out the value of your van and the main things that influence how much it’s worth.
How to find out the value of your van
The best way to find out the current value of your van is to use an online valuation tool like the one found here on Value My Car. These tools are easy to use and only require you to input your van’s registration plate and mileage to generate a rough guide price.
The value these tools give you is determined based on market data that, in our case, is analysed by powerful AI, going through what similar models are selling for in real time to provide an accurate valuation.
When getting one of these general valuations, be aware that these tools will use assumptions about your van’s condition to generate a value. You can input more information about your van to get a much more realistic price, as many van valuation tools will allow you to adjust the service history, and condition of the van, and detail many modifications, just to name a few.
By using these tools, you’ll better understand the price you can command for your van, although when you do, it’s still worthwhile being aware of what makes a van valuable and invaluable in the first place.
Things that increase your vans value
If you’re looking to sell your van, the good news is that many factors can increase its value and help you command a great price for the vehicle. Here’s a look at some of the best things that can boost the value of your van:
Neutral Colour
When buying a van, people will be more favourable to vans with traditional, neutral colours. Few people will be inclined to buy a van with a flashy green or vibrant yellow paint job, so make sure that your van sticks to classic colours of white, grey, and black.
Although it feels a bit like a superficial reason, a car with a neutral colour can be valued at £500 more than a van with a weird, unpopular colour scheme.
Low Mileage
If your van has driven fewer miles than expected for its age, then you’ll be able to command a better price. This is because it’s considered less likely to break down and will drive as if it’s newer than it is.
If you know that you want to sell the car in the future, try to drive it less than the yearly average of 12,000 miles, as this will ensure that the value remains high.
Security Features
Vans are the most common type of vehicle to be broken into, not because of the van’s worth, but because many contain high-value worker’s equipment. If your van comes with good security features, such as a steering wheel lock and other devices that can put thieves off, it will be able to command a high price.
If they also come with additional safety features that can make it better to drive, such as extra airbags and technology like lane assist or parking sensors, it will be more desirable and worth a bit more.
Brand of Van
Some van manufacturers are simply worth more than others because of their reliability, reputation, and performance ability, or because they’re popular and are easy to get parts for during servicing.
If your van is from one of the leading van manufacturers in the UK, such as Ford or Mercedez-Benz, then you can expect to get more than other brands, as they’re considered more premium, well-built options.
Condition
The condition of your van is perhaps the biggest thing that influences its value. If the bodywork has a lot of scratches or bumps, then it won’t be worth as much as a van in pristine condition. You’ll get the best value if everything is fine with your van appearance-wise.
In addition to that, the condition of the parts within the van is also important. If the service history demonstrates no consistent or recurring issues, you will be able to get a good price.
Things that can decrease your vans value
Despite many things that can contribute to a higher-value van, a few things can negatively affect the price and result in you being offered a lower amount than you want. Some things that you should be mindful of include the following:
Sign Writing/Vinyl
Many vans are used as part of a business, and one of the best ways to advertise that business is to put on some vinyl sign writing or wrap over the van so that pedestrians and other drivers are aware of your business.
However, when it comes to selling your van, these bits of vinyl can decrease the value if you don’t take them off when selling the van, as many buyers want something neutral. Although sign writing can be easy to remove, in some instances, the glue can leave a mark on the paint, leaving an unsightly and noticeable faded colour behind where the signage was.
Leaving this can decrease the value of your van significantly, although you can get the van polished, albeit at a cost, to remove this difference in paint colour.
Van Lining
If you’re using a van for frequent loading and unloading, adding van lining is sensible to protect the sides and floor of the cargo space. In fact, van lining can increase the value of a van, but only if they’re new and in good condition.
Over time, the lining of your van has likely seen a lot of wear. If the lining is worn or stained, it may be best to completely remove it so that a fresh one can be fitted.
Van Racking
Much like lining, adding roof racks to a van can increase its value as it offers more storage space. That said, it needs to be in good condition; otherwise, it can badly affect your price.
In addition to that, not all van buyers will want racking. They can add weight and, if not fitted properly, cause a whistling noise as the van drives at speed. You could be limiting your market if your van has racking, so it may help you command a better price by removing them.
High Mileage
If your van has high mileage for its age, you’ll struggle to get the average price for the van, meaning that it will be valued at a lower price. This can be offset slightly if you have a good service history, but in general, if you own a van and know that you want to sell it in the future, make sure that every trip you take with it is essential so that you’re not needlessly racking up the mileage.
Van Worth FAQs
Much like when selling cars, there are specific periods of the year when vans are in higher demand. These months are typically in March and September when new licence plates are introduced, spurring more people to buy and sell their vehicles.
You may also find a greater demand for vans during the summer, as this is when most outdoor construction occurs due to the weather and when more and more people require larger vehicles to transport items and materials.
The fewer miles a van has been driven, the higher its value when you come to sell it, as it’s undergone less wear and tear and, thus, less likely to have any mechanical faults and issues.
As a hard number, 12,000 miles a year is considered average for a van, so if you’ve had the van for three years and have only wracked up 32,000 miles as opposed to the average 36,000, then you should be able to command a better price.
Of course, there are many places where you can sell your van online, and with many places, they are much easier and straightforward to complete when compared to selling privately.
You can either choose to sell to a dedicated van buyer, who gives you a quote and then collects the van from you, or you can use online auctions, marketplaces, and more.
Most places will be able to buy a van that you’re still paying off the finance for. Just be aware that the value of the truck needs to be more than the amount you have due to pay; otherwise, the transaction won’t be able to be completed.
When someone buys your van out of finance, the cost of the finance is taken away from the amount you get from the van. So, for example, if you sell a van for £4,000 but owe £1,200 on your financial plan, then you’re only going to be able to take home £2,800 before any other fees are applied.
Yes, you can sell a van on behalf of a company as long as you have written permission from the company owner for the van belongs to. In addition, most places buying the van will also need a photo ID of the person selling the van on behalf of the company, as well as a document confirming the company’s account details, such as a business bank statement.
It’s tough to say how much you should expect when you sell your van, as many factors influence the price, and it all depends on the model and make you’re trying to sell.
That said, to get a good idea of how much you can expect from your van without using a valuation tool, you should think about how much it’s depreciated since you bought it. Vehicles become much less valuable over time, and after just a year after being purchased new, a van can be worth 33% less than what you bought it for. After three years, vans can be worth just more than 50% less, which can indicate the types of prices you can command.
Don’t think for one second that you can get the same price when you sell a van as what you bought it for.
Before selling your van, there are plenty of things that you can do in order to slightly increase its value and make it a much more desirable van without completely renovating and changing it.
It might sound obvious, but one of the best things you can do with a van is to give it a really good clean. Paying £100 or so for a valet cleaning service can make your van look new again, increasing the price and making people much more likely to buy it.
It would help if you further spruced up your van by replacing any worn floor mats. These can be bought at a relatively low price and will help the interior of your van – which can often get tattered after long-term usage – appear more vibrant and full of life.
If you haven’t already, also get your van serviced before you try to sell it, fixing and replacing any minor issues, as this will demonstrate to any potential buyers that the van is in good condition, making it more valuable.
Choosing where you sell your van is essential, as how you do so can influence the amount of money you get. When selling a van privately directly to a buyer who plans on using the car, you’ll likely get the best price possible. When selling to a dealership, the offers may be less, as the dealership needs to ensure they can sell the car for a profit.
Selling online can sometimes get you the worst prices, and this is because selling a van this way is considered convenient, so they offer less as they know that many people selling a van want to get rid of it really quickly.
When buying or selling a van, you’ll notice that certain models from particular vehicle manufacturers will sell for a higher fee. These brands are considered more reliable, better put together, and have a good reputation and high profile.
Some of the best brands of vans include Mercedes-Benz, which dominates the market with the Sprinter range. Other expensive and high-value options include Ford, with their class-defining Transit vans, and Vauxhall vans can also command a good price.
In addition, these brands are also valuable because of their abundance. If there’s more of a certain type of van, it means more replacement parts, making it more desirable as it’s easy to service and upgrade.
If the van you’re trying to sell isn’t running, you may struggle to sell it, especially when on the private market. You may have better luck online through marketplaces and dedicated van-buying websites, although you should expect to get offered a much lower price, as the buyer will likely strip the vehicle for parts or scrap it to try and make some money.
Before selling a van that’s a none starter, check to see if you can get good value by scrapping your van, as you may find that it’s less hassle and offers you more money.
