Uncle Bulgaria Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 The time has come, regrettably, when we have to sell up. I've been through the site for guidance, and what is there has been helpful,as usual. I'm a total novice when it comes to services such as Ebay, Preloved, selling on commission etc so, for my own peace of mind, I will sell to a dealer and take the hit on the sale price. Now I'm sure I'll get some silly (ie low) prices, but the price is only what the market is willing to pay. I've looked at prices for motoromes of my make and vintage for sale on AutoTrader, outandaboutlive and the monthly motorhome magazines, so I have an idea of the selling price a dealer would put on the windscreen. What I don't know is what margin a dealer would look to make on a sale to cover his own costs and profit. Can anyone advise me on what this margin (on sale price) would be? 20%? 30%? Higher? Is there a Glass's guide to motorhome prices as there is for cars, or for a reasonable fee, an organisation that can provide a reliable estimate of a straight selling price to a dealer? I'm most grateful for any advice that will help me draw to a conclusion what has has been a very enjoyable lifestyle these past years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 I think most dealers add around £5000 to their buy-in price, a bit less if taken in part-ex. But no doubt they will try to buy at even lower price to start but a lot will depend on how popular the model is and whether they think they can turn it around quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 The best you can do is selling privately. And look at the market prices. But you will never aware of the actual selling price. In case you form part of a large RV club you have more back ground. All Luck to sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAJay Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 Uncle Bulgaria - 2018-08-30 4:32 PM The time has come, regrettably, when we have to sell up. I've been through the site for guidance, and what is there has been helpful,as usual. I'm a total novice when it comes to services such as Ebay, Preloved, selling on commission etc so, for my own peace of mind, I will sell to a dealer and take the hit on the sale price. Now I'm sure I'll get some silly (ie low) prices, but the price is only what the market is willing to pay. I've looked at prices for motoromes of my make and vintage for sale on AutoTrader, outandaboutlive and the monthly motorhome magazines, so I have an idea of the selling price a dealer would put on the windscreen. What I don't know is what margin a dealer would look to make on a sale to cover his own costs and profit. Can anyone advise me on what this margin (on sale price) would be? 20%? 30%? Higher? Is there a Glass's guide to motorhome prices as there is for cars, or for a reasonable fee, an organisation that can provide a reliable estimate of a straight selling price to a dealer? I'm most grateful for any advice that will help me draw to a conclusion what has has been a very enjoyable lifestyle these past years. Sadly we have had to do the same. Got a quote from a dealer, but was not happy with it, as he had not even see it. just went by age. Kept it for another 6 months had a holiday in France/Spain this year. Came back and put it with a broker, sold within the month. They do all the advertising and can give finance if required ,to buyer, and a guarantee. If interested , PM me PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 There is a section in Glass,s commercial guide but not all are listed. How much a dealer will offer will depend on a lot of things and the margin will also depend on the retail price of your van. For example if a van retails for about £26,000 i would expect a dealer to offer around £19,000 if it was in good nick with a reasonable mileage, if the van retailed for £50,000 the margin would be a lot greater because of the risks involved. M/H are not like cars, they are generally harder to shift so can sit on a dealers front for months. If a car does this the dealer can easily move it through the trade or via auction. All you can do is shop around, nothing anyone can say on here will make a bit of difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 Given that peace of mind is an important factor in getting rid of the motorhome - and I can empathise here - I wonder whether you could set a figure that would ease your conscious when selling. A sort of minimum figure that you would take. Once you know that, then any offer above this is worth considering. There will be people who will tell you that they could have got a better deal. Ignore them. They may be right but selling a motorhome and keeping your peace of mind is not the same as talking about selling a motorhome. Try and get a price that you can live with and that provides the important peace of mind. After all, it's only money. But I'm bound to say don't give it away! You won't, of course, because you've done some research. Don't worry about the dealer margin. That's his concern and if he makes a jumbo profit, then good for him - he might make a loss. He's in the business of risk, you aren't. What's important is that you feel you've got a decent deal and retained your peace of mind. Whether the dealer sells and provides finance can be important to the profit margin he makes. And once the deal is done, don't look back at what the dealer sold your van for. You won't know what he had to offer up to get that price so there is no point in thinking, "If only .." Just live with the deal you got and move on and enjoy the next stage of your life. I'd be tempted to sell at the start of the season, not at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Brock - 2018-08-30 11:03 PM .... I'd be tempted to sell at the start of the season, not at the end. A dealer once told me that there isn't really a quiet time of year for motorhome sales, so maybe catching the beginning of the season is not so important as you might think.But selling high ticket items like motorhomes privately is a challenge because of expectations of warranty and finance among potential buyers, as well as the convenience for them of being able to view lots of motorhomes in the same place.I sold our first MH privately simply by putting a For Sale sticker in the window because we lived on a busy road; someone spotted it and came calling, he was a first time buyer who thought he knew what he was doing. This was a bit of a fluke from my viewpoint and it took quite a while.Next time I'll try a commission sale, using a dealerin whom I have trust and confidence. I won't get my money until he has got his but I will get a better price that way than selling privately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAJay Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Have to agree with Stuart and Brock We where more than happy to accept the price guaranteed by the broker. And to sell within 1 month was great. No worry about getting our money , and no hassle with adverts and time wasters. The van did not leave my possession until the money was in my bank account Still have a couple of items to sell on. like a fiamma sun blocker , and a large bag that fitted on the bike rack, ideal for chairs and table etc. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 PAJay - 2018-08-31 2:16 PM Have to agree with Stuart and Brock We where more than happy to accept the price guaranteed by the broker. And to sell within 1 month was great. No worry about getting our money , and no hassle with adverts and time wasters. The van did not leave my possession until the money was in my bank account Still have a couple of items to sell on. like a fiamma sun blocker , and a large bag that fitted on the bike rack, ideal for chairs and table etc. PJay Please PM with the details for the sun blocker. I.e size price and location Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Brock - 2018-08-30 11:03 PM Given that peace of mind is an important factor in getting rid of the motorhome - and I can empathise here - I wonder whether you could set a figure that would ease your conscious when selling. A sort of minimum figure that you would take. Once you know that, then any offer above this is worth considering. There will be people who will tell you that they could have got a better deal. Ignore them. They may be right but selling a motorhome and keeping your peace of mind is not the same as talking about selling a motorhome. Try and get a price that you can live with and that provides the important peace of mind. After all, it's only money. But I'm bound to say don't give it away! You won't, of course, because you've done some research. Don't worry about the dealer margin. That's his concern and if he makes a jumbo profit, then good for him - he might make a loss. He's in the business of risk, you aren't. What's important is that you feel you've got a decent deal and retained your peace of mind. Whether the dealer sells and provides finance can be important to the profit margin he makes. And once the deal is done, don't look back at what the dealer sold your van for. You won't know what he had to offer up to get that price so there is no point in thinking, "If only .." Just live with the deal you got and move on and enjoy the next stage of your life. I'd be tempted to sell at the start of the season, not at the end. Sound advice me thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAJay Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 rupert123 - 2018-08-30 9:58 PM There is a section in Glass,s commercial guide but not all are listed. How much a dealer will offer will depend on a lot of things and the margin will also depend on the retail price of your van. For example if a van retails for about £26,000 i would expect a dealer to offer around £19,000 if it was in good nick with a reasonable mileage, if the van retailed for £50,000 the margin would be a lot greater because of the risks involved. M/H are not like cars, they are generally harder to shift so can sit on a dealers front for months. If a car does this the dealer can easily move it through the trade or via auction. All you can do is shop around, nothing anyone can say on here will make a bit of difference. I think a broker is a better bet, you can carry on using if you want to. They guarantee your price, and do all the advertising/ins (if required) Finance (if required) As long as you are happy with the price , let them work for the fee. The accompany all viewings Having said that ours sold to the first one! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAJay Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Wasn't Me - 2018-08-31 4:29 PM PAJay - 2018-08-31 2:16 PM Have to agree with Stuart and Brock We where more than happy to accept the price guaranteed by the broker. And to sell within 1 month was great. No worry about getting our money , and no hassle with adverts and time wasters. The van did not leave my possession until the money was in my bank account Still have a couple of items to sell on. like a fiamma sun blocker , and a large bag that fitted on the bike rack, ideal for chairs and table etc. PJay Please PM with the details for the sun blocker. I.e size price and location Have sent you a PM PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Bulgaria.... Pity you want to go down the trader route as from a customer pov, nothing beats buying from the owner, particularly if they've owned it a while as they know detailed maintenance history of the vehicle. A dealer is only interested in making a commission based sale. I don't agree about there not being a 'best time to sell' as there most certainly are seasons/months to avoid...eg, don't expect to get a good price for a van during December as most people have the cost of Christmas to deal with. Best sale time is February - April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bulgaria Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 Ladies and Gentlemen. Your advice, as always, has been been most welcome and helpful. I'm grateful to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAJay Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Richard you have nothing to loose going with a broker. You are given a price that they guarantee . They do all the adverts, give a guarantee to buyer (in most cases) can provide finance.ins etc Best part is you don't let the van go until the money is YOUR bank.Our broker said the only quiet month is December. So maybe a bit late now, but as I said nothing to loose if you try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 I sold mine to a dealer. The best offer by far I received was £25000 for a 4 years old motorhome crammed full of extras. All told me that if they bought the van in late November they would be unlikely to sell it until the following March and hence the lower than expected price. It was subsequently marketed for £35000 in November and sold the following March but have no idea of the price the dealer eventually received. A £10k mark up does seem high but that was the best deal I could obtain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAJay Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Mike88 - 2018-09-05 1:12 PM I sold mine to a dealer. The best offer by far I received was £25000 for a 4 years old motorhome crammed full of extras. All told me that if they bought the van in late November they would be unlikely to sell it until the following March and hence the lower than expected price. It was subsequently marketed for £35000 in November and sold the following March but have no idea of the price the dealer eventually received. A £10k mark up does seem high but that was the best deal I could obtain. Not a good deal Mike We sold a 12 year old van, sold with many extras The buyer liked the fact we had owned from new.We lost £10, 000 from new price! So more than happy with that. New vans have got SO expensive now, so buyers are looking for older vans as first time buyers, as you loose money as soon as you name goes on log book, same as cars! We have just been told 25% on new cars! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bulgaria Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 Well, it's all over. To close out this posting I thought I'd pass on my experience. 1. I researched the retail price of motorhome similar to mine in terms of age and layout through AutoTrader and dealerships advertising in the various magazines. 2. I prepared a two-page script with appropriate photos giving details including extras and service history. 3. I identified 6 dealerships - 5 that sold second-hand motorhomes mainly and 1 main dealer in new and second hand motorhomes. I contacted them and got a named individual and emailed the script to them. 4. I received 4 offers (2 did not reply). The top 2 were close. I sold to the highest offer. The process took under two weeks from start to finish. What have I learnt? 1. The dealer's margin would be around 25% on buying price. 2. Timing seems to have been important as the buying dealership was acquiring good second-hand stock for the upcoming Lincoln show. 3. Market research and preparation is essential to get an understanding of what an acceptable offer may look like. Happy travels to all you lucky enough to be fit enough to carry on with the lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Thanks for the update. I'm sad you had to give up motorhoming but delighted everything worked out for you, especially as it seems to have been relatively stress free. Your experience will undoubtedly help those who go your route. Best wishes for the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Uncle Bulgaria - 2018-10-26 12:39 PM Happy travels to all you lucky enough to be fit enough to carry on with the lifestyle. All the change means is that you have now adopted a different way-of-life and not the doom and gloom some people persist in advertising. Have you never done anything else in life ? In my view it points to being rather narrow minded about life in general. Its a great big world out there with millions of interests just waiting to be explored. I assume you have a computer and that alone should provide all the scenic life you once experienced. As I sit here looking at white fluffy clouds drifting from the west through a deep blue sky I almost hate the idea of being sat in an enclosed M/H while parked in some field. Yes it was interesting at one time" but I've moved on" ! PS to answer your question I buy it-use it- sell it, the in between's don't concern me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Very nice post. I have a problem about reasonable dealers margin at resell whit one year warrantee what ever. It can be up to 30 percent They dont even have that margin when selling as dealer NEW. My first chausson was sold three times by the original dealer from new. It is part of the game to earn money to run their outfit. But some will standstill for a long time. From new the degrade for the first three years is about 12 percent per year. I sold mine A- class last month. private in our dog agility club. And the diff whit my dealer was 30 percent I bought a 365 days a year motorhome downsized in size by a washing machine, being a westfalia kepler one on VW- T6 transporter. if interested have look at Harbour- creek uk. What is your connection whit bulgaria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2018-10-26 4:09 PM ...What is your connection whit bulgaria? Monique I often wonder why a particular forum user-name has been chosen, but I’m guessing that, in this instance, the name “Uncle Bulgaria” has little to do with the user (Richard Thomas) actually having a personal connection to the country Bulgaria. Great Uncle Bulgaria was one of the “Wombles” - characters in a UK children’s TV series. These links may help https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wombles http://wombles.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Uncle_Bulgaria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldi Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Good morning , 20 to 25% margin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2018-10-26 4:09 PM What is your connection whit bulgaria? Monique, The English have a tradition of calling themselves a different name. It is many years old. Will86 = William = was 86 now almost 90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 And we are also told to NEVER use an email address as a forum log in ID! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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