Should I scrap my car?

If you’re unsure about scrapping your car, then why not get yourself a FREE online quote to find out how much your scrap car is worth right here, before making your decision? You could find out within seconds how much our expert car buyers would pay for your scrap car, thanks to our online valuation tool. So what are you waiting for? Get a head start today and get that ball rolling.

If you want to weigh up your options first and you’re just one of those people that like to cover all bases, then let’s have a talk through some of the main things that you should consider if you’re trying to work it all out.

Is scrapping your car the best option financially?

Let’s start with the bottom line: if a car is in a condition to be sold on to a new owner, you’re probably going to get more for it than if you sell it for scrap.

However, if you know that your car is too old or too damaged to be able to sell, the money you’ll get from many scrappers makes scrapping it worthwhile. This is why it’s important not only to scrap your car but to compare offers for scrapping so that you get the best deal.

How much you’ll get for your scrap car also varies with time. The amount of money that the scrapyard can get for your car’s materials will depend on global economic factors around the materials, which affects how much they’ll pay you. However, it’s practically impossible for a layperson to work out when to scrap a car based on these factors.

If you’re concerned about getting the highest price for your car, the best thing you can do is compare quotes from as many buyers as possible, as this will give you the best reflection of what the industry is prepared to pay at any given time.

Taking time into consideration

Although selling your car might get you more money, many people choose to scrap their car instead because it can be a lot quicker. This is especially the case if you’re considering selling your car privately rather than scrapping it. The process of listing your car online, attracting potential buyers and actually closing a sale is often very time-consuming, especially if your car is a less desirable model or is in less than perfect condition.

Private buyers will often want to inspect the car to check that it is in exactly the condition that you advertised. Arranging and carrying out these meetings can be tricky and can often stall the progress of a sale significantly, even if the rest of the process goes smoothly.

Scrapping your car is the quicker option, especially if you use an online comparison tool like Jamjar to get your quotes in quickly and set up the contact with the buyer. You’ll be spending a matter of minutes finalising it instead of a matter of months, so if you don’t have days to spare, scrapping might be the best choice.

The condition of the vehicle

The final factor to weigh up is the condition, which influences both the money and the time involved in shifting the car. A car that’s in bad condition, whether structurally or non-structurally, is unlikely to fetch you much money in a sale and is going to take a while to sell privately. A car that’s in good condition will fetch you a higher price and be easier to shift.

If you’re thinking about scrapping your car, it’s likely that your old motor isn’t in the best condition. If this is the case, scrapping could be the best option out there in terms of how much you’ll get for the amount of time you have to invest in getting rid of the car.

Remember, if you’re not sure how much you could get for your car, enter your reg number into our car valuation tool below to see what your options are.

Ultimately, only you can make the decision on what’s best for you and your car, but keep reading through our car scrapping guidance if you need more information.

If you’ve got all of the information that you need and you already know that now is the right time to scrap your car, then just go ahead and find out how much your scrap is worth, you never know, you might surprise yourself.