A whopping five hundred and fifty five thousand caravans are currently use in the UK.
And just like selling a house requires a personal touch, some decorating and a spot of spring cleaning, so it pays to prepare an old caravan to make it as appealing as possible to potential buyers. We’ve turned to leading used caravan experts and asked for their six top tips on getting the most money when selling a used caravan privately or to a dealer.
Clean it
First impressions matter. The cleaner and shinier your caravan, the more money you’ll get for it. The better your caravan looks, the easier it’ll be for a dealer to imagine it sitting on their forecourt. If you invest £50 or £100 towards a professional valet you’ll make twice or possibly 3 times that back due to the increased amount it'll be worth in the buyer’s eyes.
Have any minor dings or dents repaired
Anyone looking at buying a second-hand caravan, particularly a dealer, will see any damage and immediately start working out how much it’s going to cost them to repair it. They will then start deducting money from the amount they might have been willing to pay for the caravan. If you’re selling a caravan for £1000 it’s probably not worth spending £100 on Small or Medium repairs. If you’re selling it for £7-8000 it definitely is worthwhile. We think more often than not, any repairs will pay for themselves.”
Get your paperwork in order
When you sell a used caravan, serious buyers will want to know how it’s been looked after during its lifetime. To this end make sure you’ve got the service book and ensure that the caravan service technician fill it in, even if the caravan is no longer maintained by a franchised dealer. Also keep all accompanying invoices for work carried out, as well as old certificates.
Have it serviced
For the buyer, taking a used caravan to the a dealership for a service can be a voyage into the unknown. Removing that uncertainty by having a service and damp report done before selling your caravan, which can help you make more money.
Find anything that came with the caravan
Remember that fold away table you took out and placed in the garage for safe keeping? Find it. Anyone who knows what they are talking about will want the caravan to be fitted with everything it came out of the factory with Including the parts that came with the caravan such as the leg winder brace and spare wheel. Find the spare key, too. By including all these items with your caravan, you’re taking away reasons for them not to buy your caravan. Without them, a dealer will just keep chipping away at you, lowering the caravans value.”
Include extras
It's always a good idea to lnclude any unwanted extras like water contains, hook up leads or water pumps, as this will make your caravan more appealing to potential buyers and are more likely to pay a higher price for your caravan.