Selling our Harmony, thoughts......

We will sadly soon be putting our 2.0 petrol, 2000 plate Harmony up for sale.

I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on how to go about selling in the current climate, test driving by prospective buyers etc? Can anyone who has recently sold offer any advice relating to distancing etc.

It's done just over 61,000 miles with all original documents, handbooks, service books etc. Wondering what folks thoughts are on a ballpark figure too?

Appreciate thoughts and comments!

I've advertised my van on Facebook Marketplace for the last two weeks or so. It's free and you can specify which groups it gets exposure in plus you can get friends to share the ad to widen the range of people who see it.

We had one couple come who wanted a van to sleep in on their offspring's drives and save them having to drive there and back in a day. We all masked up, I stayed outside while they explored. I'd cleaned the surfaces etc beforehand and swivelled the seats into lounge mode. After a lot of discussion they decided the van was just a bit too small. Second viewer was a lady thinking of getting a newer van but again ours was too small. Third viewer came yesterday and bought the van. They tried to transfer a deposit last night but it didn't come through. They rang their bank this morning and it appeared in my account. They're collecting and paying tomorrow around 11am.

Hi Steamdrivenandy, thanks for the suggestion of Facebook. I've sold a car via that route in the past so I'll have a look. 

Yes, plenty of cleaning of the van, surfaces etc before any possible viewings! 

Did any of your buyers want to go for a test drive? If so how did you manage that?

None of them asked for a test drive, though the guy who is buying it asked me to start it up. I think the other two weren't that interested, so there was no point asking. The buyer was satisfied reading through the comprehensive repair and servicing docs and realised that if there was anything wrong my garage would've written it on the job sheet.

I think I was resolved not to allow a test drive, given the risks.

SDA congratulations on selling. As an aside, what van are you now going for? An A/S ?

We are taking a break from vans for the present 'til we have moved house and settled the situation with our old boy beardie who is that infirm that we really can't take him anywhere. With Mrs SDA shielding and all that's going on I don't see us holidaying this year.

I did like the '08 Nuevo ES at Spinney, cabair, alloys, good colour upholstery, a bit OTT with bike rack and ladder on the back, loose tap in kitchen and a few other bits that I'm sure Spinney would put right, but Mrs SDA put her foot down and rightly so.

We bought our W plate petrol Symbol back in mid-March just as the covid measures were being introduced. Everything was still quite relaxed at that time but it was bows not handshakes as I remember.

Our seller offered to let us test drive the vehicle. He asked us to leave our car keys with him and we took the van for a short run.

I cannot understand anyone buying a vehicle without driving it first. I think steamdrivenandy was very lucky.

I'm buying a new car this week without a test drive. In reality it's the same drivetrains as our current car, just a slightly different body. I doubt that a test drive makes any difference to a decision to buy. After all the important part of choosing a motorhome is the layout etc and driving it is a secondary and to some extent a less important consideration.

No comment

It's a van, t'aint a Ferrari Testa Rosso or even a Mazda MX5. It's comparatively big and a short test run will likely reveal nothing that a good look at documentation won't. Yes, if it has a gearbox about to implode or a big end gone then you might, or might not spot it on a test drive but such things are repairable, rot and rust are the big dangers and a test drive says nothing about them. To me a test drive has really become a sort of totem in the motor industry. Few have the expertise or knowledge to make any judgements based on a couple of miles and if you really want the van you'll overlook things that might tell you otherwise.

Hi. I have sent you a PM as my son may be interested in your van. Look forward to hearing back from you. Cheers, Rob

Hi Rob, I think we know each other - I think we are good friends with your daughter & family. Small world!

I've pm'd you!

I used to buy bangers without worrying about a test drive, but when even a cheap 'van costs thousands I would definitely expect to be able to test drive it. The last van we bought I paid for an AA inspection too (which didn't impress me). the test drive revealed how feeble the brakes were (new disks needed) and sluggish synchro on one gear.  Both of which were mentioned when bartering over the price.

The main things I would say about allowing anyone else to test drive your vehicle are to always accompany them, and always make sure they have adequate insurance (otherwise it's illegal and if anything were to happen you would be stuffed).

With a wife who's shielding and being over 70 and running one one rather dodgy kidney I'm not inclined to share a driving cab with anybody else except my dear lady. Car and motorhome dealers are not allowed to accompany test drives under government guidance, so it would seem foolhardy for both parties to do so, on a private sale.

I'd repeat all what Slow-lane has said above even with a new'ish van (can you get a good driving position and testing the mirrors positions /views in real road conditions etc)
As for keeping their car keys while they test drive off on their own? Make sure somehow that they have not just nicked that car to nick your van !! happens in the motorcycle world a lot .

I'm just trying to think of a vehicle that I've test driven and rejected and I can't think of one.
'93 Volvo 850 Estate road tested
'99 Octavia Estate road tested
'00 Yaris Verso road tested
'04 Yaris Verso not road tested
'06 Mk6 Transit motorhome road tested
'08 Adria motorhome road tested
'08 Kia Sorento road tested
'12 Kia Cee'd Estate road tested
'10 Volvo V70 road tested
'15 Twingo not road tested
'17 Yeti road tested a demonstrator
'08 Mk 7 Transit motorhome road tested
'20 Scala not road tested

Thirteen vehicles over about 25 years, three of them not road tested at all and none road tested and rejected. All the subject of serious research beforehand and bought on the basis of specific attributes that matched our needs at the time.

The only bad experience was the second Transit, which I've just sold, where I did road test it, but the selling caravan dealer did not prep. it to the standard that I'd come to expect from car dealerships. Then again, it was a challenge and a mission, which I sort of enjoyed in a strange way, to bring the van back to the high standard that it warranted The buyer now has a van in vastly better condition than when I bought it over two years ago.

steamdrivenandy wrote:... Car and motorhome dealers are not allowed to accompany test drives under government guidance, so it would seem foolhardy for both parties to do so, on a private sale.

Good point. I was thinking about test drives of yesteryear. I'd forgotten about the current situation. The past really is a foreign country; we did things differently there!

I would always ask for a test drive especially on an older vehicle.  My colleague bought a van without driving . Seller was upfront saying it had extensive welding done in the past. He came to me asking about steering alignment as van wandered about on road and dived to one side when braking but on examining found the wheelbase on one side was 30mm longer than the other. Suspension mounting repairs on front chassis legs  had been welded in the wrong place and geometry was completely out. 
      My sister in law also bought a car that the seller drove to demonstrate as her insurance did not cover her at that time.  When she first drove after buying  the gears crunched in 2nd and 3rd as synchro was weak . He knew how to drive to mask this and she was left with a large bill to repair....