If you currently own a caravan and you are looking to buy a new one, you should appreciate that there are two different options open to you. Those options are selling privately or part exchange through a reputable caravan dealership. Now, we understand here at Caravan Helper that many people would simply look to selling privately, because it is usually the best way to secure a better price.
However, you need to think about more than just the price you will get going down either of these routes. And in the following post, that is what we are going to discuss, because although it may be the more lucrative method, selling privately is also the method that is in many ways, the most problematic.
So, we hope this will help to show why part exchanging your caravan could be best.
Table of Contents
Location Plays an Important Part
‘Location, location, location’, besides being charming real estate-related show hosted by Phil Spencer and Kirsty Allsopp, is a phrase that can often come into play when deciding whether you should sell your caravan privately or part exchange it. How so? Well, unless you have the benefit of being able to keep your caravan parked beside your home or in front of it somewhere safe, you probably have to keep it in a storage yard or similar facility when it is not in use. Due to both issues related to space and safety.
If then, it is in one of these kinds of facilities, you can’t really use the space to sell your caravan, because most are not generally open to members of the public. So, it would only be if there was a caravan owner that actually was a member of the particular storage yard that you kept your caravan who was interested in it, could you actually sell it from there. So, you would have to sell it off site, and this comes back round full circle to being a problem if you have limited space in and around your property.
In this situation, that’s not to say you couldn’t sell and host viewings from another location. Well, that depends if you want to sit in a car park or in a lay-by beside a road. Which are basically your only other options.
Can’t Buy a New One Until Sale is Finalised
Fairly obvious, but if you intend to sell privately, you are not going to be able to buy a new caravan, unless you have lots of space and have access to a sizeable budget, until you have sold your current model. You really can’t actually consider buying a new one until you have secured a sale on your current tourer, which could mean that you miss out on the caravan of your dreams.
This time issue might not be such a problem, if you are selling during a time of the year you are normally not touring. However, if you have itchy feet and like to have that freedom and want to get back on the road as soon as possible, part exchange might be a better option. You can take your caravan along to a dealership, choose a model you want to exchange your current tourer for and then by the end of the day, when the contract has been finalised, you can drive away with your new caravan.
Upgrades and Installations Need to be Moved
That is, if you are going to sell privately, you would need to remove all the parts you are planning on keeping, like any upgrades such as a motor mover or air conditioning system, before you buy a new one. However, if you part exchange, dealers will offer to help you move these for you. Therefore, when you find a suitable caravan that you love to part exchange your current one for, they will have all the upgrades moved into it for you. This is obviously less hassle.
Your Caravan Has to be Cleared Until you get a New One
It is likely that you have a lot of stuff in your caravan that stays put between trips. All of this, from the smallest utensils to the largest piece of equipment though, will have to be cleared out of your caravan when you are selling it, when it has been sold and you will have to find a place to store it all until you buy a new caravan. This is going to be a major pain in the proverbial if you have a relatively small property or don’t have access to or don’t want to spend on a self-storage unit or something similar.
With a part exchange deal however, you can simply wait until you roll onto the forecourt of a dealership and pick out your new caravan. Once the deal has been finalised, you are given time and space to park alongside the new one and move everything over from one vehicle to the other in a nice and stress-free fashion. What could be better than that?
How Much is it About the Money?
Although we’ve left it as the final point, it is just as important as the others, if not, in some ways it is even more important. There is no point trying to say otherwise, but selling privately, as long as it goes okay, is likely to make you more money. We are talking a couple of thousands, depending on the condition and mileage, obviously. The reason we’ve left this point to last though, is that you should never just decide on one method or the other based on just the money.
You need to consider all of the points above. You need to take into consideration if you are selling privately, it could take a long time to find a suitable buyer. You are likely to meet a lot of timewasters and tyre kickers. So, you need to ask yourself, what do you value more? The extra money you could get from selling privately, or a less stressful process.
We know at Caravan Helper, that it is completely down to your own personal situation and preference, whether part exchanging or selling privately would be best for you. We hope though that we have been able to highlight many of the positives you could benefit from by part exchanging.
After a new car for towing your caravan? Check out our article on the best car to tow a 1500kg caravan.