Selling a Car in New South Wales: What You Need to Know
Whether you're making room for a shiny new set of wheels or bidding farewell to an old faithful (and joining GoGet instead?), selling a car in NSW involves a few steps. Each Aussie state has its own process and here’s what you need to know if you’re selling your car in NSW.
First, figure out how you want to sell the car. There are a few main options; selling your car privately, selling it to a dealer or recycling it if it has reached end of life. Read on for information about how to sell your car privately in NSW
Sell Your Car Privately in NSW
Selling your car privately in NSW is usually the best way to maximise your sale price and is a pretty straightforward process, but there a few crucial steps you don’t want to miss if you want the process to run smoothly.
Get your paperwork in order
First and foremost, you’ll need to be able to provide the buyer with proof that you’re entitled to register the car. An original copy of your rego is the best way to do this. You will also want to ensure you pay any outstanding fines before you sell. If the car is under finance, ensure all your financial obligations are met ahead of the sale.
Prep Your Car for Sale
Before listing your car, it's a smart move to make it look as appealing as possible to potential buyers to help you get the very best price you can. We’ve got a few tips:
Get your car serviced and detailed to so it’s looking its best. It’s really worth getting a good clean and polish here to maximise your sales price – it can make a much bigger difference than you think!
Make sure you have the car's service history available for your buyers. If it’s in need of a service, make sure to get this done before you sell
Thoroughly clean your car, both inside and out.
Remove any personal decorative items – as much as you may love that bumper sticker, it may not appeal to your buyer.
List Your Car for Sale
Listing your car is crucial to finding the right buyer. Use online platforms like CarsGuide, Carsales, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. Make sure you provide all the key details to attract potential buyers like:
Make, model, year, colour, and body style of the car (e.g., hatchback, sedan).
Mileage (kms travelled) and info about the engine and transmission type.
any special features or accessories the car has, like Apple Carplay or Android Auto, or lane change assist.
Clearly state if the car is registered and provide the rego expiry date. If rego is about to expire, consider extending it.
Negotiate and Close the Deal
Reaching an agreement with a buyer involves effective communication and negotiation. This isn’t always easy, but we’ve got some tips for you that might help.
Be prepared for potential buyers wanting a mechanic to inspect the car before purchase.
Determine your lowest acceptable price and stand firm during negotiations. When you reach that price, make sure to signal to your buyer that that’s your final price and never go lower.
Meet potential buyers in a safe and neutral location.
Keep a record of all agreements and transactions for your records.
If negotiating really isn’t your thing, phone a friend and ask someone you trust to negotiate on your behalf.
Carsales has some great tips and advice for sellers.
Transfer Ownership
Once you've found a buyer, transferring ownership is the final step. In NSW, this involves the following:
Provide the buyer with a receipt or proof of purchase.
Complete a Notice of Disposal (NOD) online or at a Service NSW Centre. This must be done within 14 days of the sale, but try to do it as soon as possible.
Let the buyer you’ve completed the NOD so that they can transfer the rego over
Remember to cancel any insurance policies you have on the car, though CTP will transfer across to the buyer. Make sure to also update your e-toll account!
Service NSW has some great resources to help you here.
Dealership Sales or Trade-Ins
This often means a little less money in your pocket, but selling your car to a dealership is usually much faster and easier. You get to skip the back-and-forth questions from multiple buyers and deal with the all-too-common annoyance of buyers not turning up on time (or at all) to inspections. You also get to make the sale immediately.
If you value time over money, then the answer to “should I sell my car privately or go to a dealer” is probably to choose a dealer sale.
You also get much better value when you buy a new car from the same dealership so if you are looking for a replacement straightaway, this is often the best way to go.
Recycling Your Car
If your old faithful has reached the end of days, and is no longer roadworthy, you can sell it to an auto recycler. A quick google will usually reveal loads of people looking to “pay cash for your wreck” or to scrap it on your behalf, though you’ll want to make sure whoever you choose is disposing of the cars in the most environmentally friendly way.
Selling your car in another state? Check out our QLD and VIC guides.
Life After Selling Your Car
Now that you've successfully sold your car, what now? Before you start browsing for a new one (and baulking at the prices!) think again. Owning a car isn't the only option! GoGet is a great way to access to a variety of vehicles without the hassle and expense of ownership. It’s the best car you never owned!
With GoGet you get access to thousands of cars throughout Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, of all different types depending on your trip. Grab a small hatch to do your weekly shop, a SUV for that trip up the coast and a van to get your new sofa home. Whatever kind of car you need for your trip, we’ve probably got one, that you can rent for as little as one hour.
Even better, the GoGet network of cars means that our members don’t need to travel far to find a car or van, there’s often one at the end of their street! Check out your closest GoGet here.
Sound good? Find out more about our rates and membership plans today.
