A motorhome is usually a great cause of joy for anyone who owns one. The flexibility it gives when traveling is supreme and it will help you go wherever you wish and collect amazing memories.
Regrettably, no vehicle will last forever, and sometimes you might need to make the decision to sell your motorhome. If you are in that situation, you will be faced with a host of questions. For one thing, you might want to find the right price for your motorhome; different markets in the UK may have different values. You might also wonder where would be the best place to sell a motorhome as well.
In this article we look to answer those questions and answer the titular question as well: Is it a good time to sell a motorhome?
There is a theory that in the UK the motorhome market is closely associated with the seasons. Most believe that, if you search online for “motorhome for sale, UK” in May, you are more likely to get more responses as compared to if you did it in a month like January. The logic behind this is that you should sell when there is more of a demand rather than the demand being low. The reality of the situation is somewhat different.
The reality is that the seasons that have an impact on sales aren’t related to a time of the year instead, they are more influenced by registration seasons. If you look at motorhome costs, thousands of motorhomes are sold throughout the year, but the differences between individual months are negligible. The only month that sales are low is in December and that is usually because people have other purchasing decisions on their minds during the holiday season.
This does not mean that UK motorhome sales stop in the winter season; they simply aren’t at the same level as during other months. The important thing to remember is that the best time to sell your motorhome is when you get the right offer and that the time of year will not play a big part in the sale.
There are two factors that affect the price of a motorhome: the model and make of the vehicle, and if whether the motorhome is brand new or used.
Typically, the best value motorhome UK prices hover around £49,000 on average. But if your motorhome is only two years old or newer, it could fetch a price of around £65,000 or more.
When you add the make and model into the equation it will affect the prices as well. For example, a two-year-old Dethleffs Advantage could fetch you a price over £64,000 while a Rollerteam Zafiro of the same age will only get you about £41,000. As long as your motorhome is in relatively good condition and drivable, you will still be able to get a good price for it even if it is a bit older. For a decent vehicle, UK buyers are usually willing to pay around £20,000 as a minimum cost. This is even for models that are nearly 15 years old. But you should remember that if your motorhome is more than a decade old, it will need to be maintained properly to ensure that you will get a good price for it.
You will have several options will be available when deciding on when to sell your motorhome.
The easiest and fastest but the least profitable option you have is to find a dealer and part-exchange your vehicle. This is not a good option if you are looking to get the best price for your motorhome. If that is the case this part-exchange deal should be the last option you should consider.
The other options you have available are: you can sell your motorhome to a dealer, use a broker, sell privately, or go on an auction.
When you put your motorhome up for sale, UK dealers who approach you will never give you the best price possible. There are plenty of caveats that come with this option. You will need to make sure certain guarantees are there and get them in writing. The best example of this is that the dealer should have a defined deadline as to when they will transfer the payment after the sale, and the commission they get should be specified in it.
Brokers are similar to dealers but the downside is that they might take even more time to complete the sale once you hand it over to them. There are certain caveats that come with this option as well. On top of the longer time spent, you should be aware of fraudulent brokers who might disappear with your vehicle without selling it.
If you decide to go for an auction sale, this might actually be a worthwhile option, but you might have to be ready to accept a loss in the potential price recovered. In UK auctions motorhomes rarely reach the vehicle’s actual market value. You can, of course, define a minimum price. But if you do so, the auctioneer won’t be allowed to sell the motorhome under that minimum price.
Last but not least, we come to private sales. This option compared to the others, have considerable advantages. By selling your vehicle privately you might be able to fetch a better price for it. The advantage is that you can keep using the motorhome while finding the right buyer. You can use adverts in various channels, such as local papers, specialist magazines, or online in search of a potential buyer. With the internet at the level, it is today, posting about the sale online on a specific website might be the best way to go about it. This way if someone searches Google for “motorhome for sale UK”, chances are they might end up on your advert. The main disadvantage of a private sale is that you will need to be more hands-on from your side but this option will give you more control and freedom of choice. You will be free to make your own choices.
Depending on the make, model, age, and condition, of your motorhome, selling it to the right buyer could fetch you a good amount of money. The success of the sale will obviously depend on the method you choose. Some of these options will be more reliable than others, while others might be more convenient. You will have to choose the one that will best suit you.
Since you have a better grasp of how the motorhome market operates now, we believe that you will be able to make the best choice for you. Keep tuned to our website for more insights into the UK motorhome market.
