Most people selling a car want two things that pull against each other: a fair price, and not much hassle. Chase the top figure and you are in for weeks of advertising and test drives. Take the quick option and you usually leave a bit of money on the table. Working out where that trade-off sits for your car makes the rest of the decision straightforward.
Here is a plain rundown of the realistic ways to sell a car in Perth, what each one tends to pay, and why the offer a buyer or a removal service quotes is the number it is. It applies whether you have a tidy runabout worth advertising or an older car that is getting tired and probably is not.
The main ways to sell a car in Perth
Private sale. For a clean, well-kept car that drives well, this almost always brings the best price. It also asks the most of you: photos and an advert, fielding calls and messages, booking in test drives, dealing with no-shows and cheeky offers, and being careful about payment and handover. Allow a few weeks, and longer for anything unusual.
Dealer trade-in. Quick and low-effort, and convenient if you are buying your next car from the same yard. The trade figure is usually the lowest of the three, because the dealer still has to recondition the car and resell it at a margin. The upside is that it happens on the spot and the paperwork is handled for you.
Car removal and auto wreckers. The fastest route, and the only one that works for a car that will not start, has been in a prang, or is not worth repairing. The offer is based on what the car is worth wholesale — for parts, or for scrap metal — rather than its retail value, so it sits below what a private buyer might pay for the same car in good order. In return you get a firm quote over the phone, free pickup, and nothing left hanging.
A rough guide: the tidier and more sought-after the car, the more a private sale is worth the effort. The older, less roadworthy or less popular it is, the more a removal service makes sense — and the gap between a private price and a wrecker’s offer shrinks until it is barely worth chasing.
What sets the offer you are quoted
Whether you are dealing with a private buyer or a removal service, the same handful of things drive the number: the vehicle type and body style, its age and odometer reading, whether it starts and drives, engine and transmission condition, any body damage, and how complete it is — all the major parts present, nothing stripped, the catalytic converter still fitted.
Make and model come into it mainly through parts demand. A car from a common make like Ford has a steady stream of buyers after used parts, which props up what a wrecker can pay. A rare import can be worth less than you would expect, simply because its parts move slowly.
Vehicle type pulls the same way. Utes, 4WDs and vans that are in demand tend to hold value better than an ordinary sedan of the same age, whichever way you sell. A car that still drives also keeps all your options open; once it does not, a removal service is usually the only realistic buyer.
There is no accurate figure without those details. Every car is different, so the fairest way to find out what yours is worth is to give an operator the specifics and let them price it, then have that confirmed before pickup rather than quoted as a vague range up front.
Small things that make a difference
Before you decide how to sell, it is worth being honest about whether the car is really a sale or a scrap job. Weighing up whether to sell it or scrap it at the start saves you chasing a price that is not there. Once that is settled, a few no-cost steps genuinely help, whichever route you take:
- Dig out the service history, logbook and receipts — evidence the car has been looked after is worth real money in a private sale.
- Find the spare key, the owner’s manual and the spare wheel or space-saver.
- Clear personal belongings, paired phones and toll tags out of the car.
- Have the registration papers or the plate number handy so a buyer or operator can check the details.
What is usually not worth it is spending money to lift the price. A full detail or fresh repairs rarely come back to you on a car headed for a wrecker, and even for a private sale the return is smaller than most people expect.
Be wary of an offer made sight unseen that is well above everyone else’s. A quote like that often drops on arrival once the car is inspected, and by then you may have turned away the honest offers.
Booking a removal and the WA paperwork
If a removal service is the right fit, the process is short. You give the car’s details and location, get a quote, and book a pickup — often same day across the metro area. A car in an easy-access spot in a suburb like Cannington is simpler and cheaper to collect than one an hour out of town, which is part of why quotes vary by location. The car does not need to be running or licensed for a parts or scrap sale.
Once the car changes hands, WA has a couple of steps for the seller. You must notify the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure within 7 days of ceasing to own the vehicle, by lodging a Notification of Change of Ownership – Vehicle Licence Transfer (form MR9) with the buyer’s name and address. The department’s guidance states that failing to do so will result in a penalty being applied.
Standard number plates stay with the vehicle and pass to the new owner. If you want to keep your plates, take them off before the sale and arrange replacement plates through the department. Personalised plates also transfer to the buyer unless you remove them first.
Working out your next step
If your car is tidy, drives well and you have the time, a private sale will most likely put the most in your pocket. If it is older, damaged or off the road — or you simply want it gone without the back-and-forth — a removal service will quote on an unwanted car over the phone and collect it for free. Cash for Cars Perth covers the whole metro area and can talk you through a figure on 0420 262 651.
Common questions
Why is the offer lower than what I paid, or what the car is listed for online?
Advertised prices are what sellers are asking, not what cars actually sell for, and a removal service is buying at wholesale — for parts or scrap — not retail. For an older or non-running car the difference is usually small. For a newer car in good order, a private sale will nearly always beat a wrecker’s offer if you have the time to run it.
Should I sell privately or use a car removal service?
It comes down to the car and your time. A tidy, running car that people want is worth advertising. A car that is old, damaged, unregistered or hard to move suits a removal service, where the price gap is minor and the whole thing takes a day instead of weeks.
Does a car that does not run still have any value?
Yes. A non-running car is worth its parts and its scrap metal, and a removal service will still quote on it and collect it. Keeping it complete — not stripped, catalytic converter still fitted, wheels and battery in place — makes a noticeable difference to the offer.
How and when will I be paid?
A removal service normally pays by electronic transfer when the car is collected, once the driver has checked it matches the description. “Cash on the spot” is mostly a figure of speech now — ask upfront how and when payment is made, and do not hand over the car until it has gone through.
What do I have to do after selling my car in WA?
Notify the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure within 7 days of ceasing to own the vehicle, using the Notification of Change of Ownership – Vehicle Licence Transfer (MR9) and recording the buyer’s name and address. Take off any personalised plates you want to keep before the car is collected.