Need to sell your current car quickly, here are some tips!

You need to sell your car quickly and you need to get the best price for it. How do you get this right? Selling your car doesn’t have to be a stressful and difficult process – there are a few options open to you, each coming with some advantages and disadvantages. Have a look and choose the option that will give you the best value in your situation.

Private Sale

Some advantages are that as you don’t have the overheads of a dealer, you can afford to sell your car at a lower price than a dealer could market an equivalent vehicle. The downside is that, because you won’t be providing any type of warranty, a buyer will expect a cheaper price. You can however, mitigate this risk by getting a roadworthy certificate – this will provide some assurance to the buyer that the car that you are selling shouldn’t have any hidden issues or costs involved in transferring the vehicle into their name.

You will need to advertise your car for sale – some pointers here are to set a realistic price, and honestly represent the condition of the vehicle. Have a look at what similar cars (year, model, condition) are being offered for. If you have the time and funds, it may be worthwhile to arrange a professional detailing and repairing service for your car. At a minimum, make sure that the car is spotlessly clean.

Sell your car to a Dealer

This option will be much easier for you than going the private sale route. No advertising costs, no strangers coming to your home to view the car. If you plan to trade your car in on another car being sold by the dealer – you will be in a better position to negotiate for a better price.

The downside is that the dealer will need to make a profit – so you can expect a lower price than you may be able to achieve if you sell your car privately. Depending on your circumstances – the saving in time and trouble may well be worthwhile. Remember that once the car is in the hands of the dealer – anything that may go wrong with the vehicle is not your concern.

Auction

You can opt to put your car up for auction. Advertising and paperwork will be handled by the auction house. You can set a reserve price, and if you are lucky the car will fetch more on auction. If the reserve price is not met – the car will not be sold.

Use a broker

Using a broker can simplify the process. A broker will have an existing network of buyers to whom they can market your car. A broker will locate the best offer and present this to you – you can accept or not. This saves you the inconvenience of organising the sale yourself. A broker will charge a service fee – and you can ask for details of their charges up front before you make a decision to work with them. Even with the service fees charged by a broker, you could still get a better sales price than you might achieve with a private sale due to the exposure to serious buyers that a broker has, and the experience that they will bring to bear in negotiating the best possible sales price for you.

Carbiz can help you get the best price for your car, contact our team today!

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What To Do If Someone Hits Your Parked Car

Coming back to find your parked car damaged is never fun, but knowing how to respond correctly can save you time, money and stress.

Firstly, understand that getting upset is natural, but taking a deep breath will help you make better decisions. Examine your car thoroughly and document any visible damage, taking multiple photos from different angles, including close-ups of dents, scratches or broken parts, and capturing the surrounding area, such as road signs and markings, for context.

Next, see if you can locate the driver responsible. Sometimes, people leave a note with their contact information and insurance details. If there’s no note, look for witnesses nearby who may have seen what happened. You can also check for CCTV from nearby businesses, homes or on the street, as some areas have coverage. If you’re unsure, consider contacting the local council to find out whether cameras are in place that might have captured the accident.

If the driver didn’t leave a note, or if they did but are unresponsive or the information they provided seems incorrect, contact the police to report the accident and provide all the information you have, including photos, footage and witness statements. Be sure to request a copy of the police report, as it can be useful when dealing with insurance.

If you’re still having a hard time getting a hold of the at-fault driver and therefore cannot claim directly through their car insurer, it’s time to lodge a claim with your own insurance provider, if you have one. Provide them with as much information as possible, including the police report. From there, your insurer can determine whether your coverage, along with the information you have, will cover the damage to your car.

If your car insurer happens to find information about the at-fault driver and is able to have them lodge a claim so the costs of the damage are recoverable, you can contact Carbiz for a replacement car while your car is being repaired or until it’s been deemed a total loss. This ensures you’re not left without a car during this time, giving you peace of mind and the ability to keep your life moving.

For help organising your next steps, read our car accident insurance claim checklist and explore accident replacement vehicle options.

What It Means When Your Car Is Declared A Write-Off After An Accident

Updated 6 October 2026.

When an insurer declares a car a write-off, it has assessed the vehicle as a total loss under the policy. The damage may make repairs unsafe, or the cost of repairing the car may make a repair uneconomical. A write-off does not always mean the car is visibly destroyed.

How is a write-off decision made?

The assessment can take account of the vehicle's value, repair costs, salvage value and the policy terms. There is no single repair-cost percentage that determines every write-off across Australia. Ask the insurer for its assessment and the basis for its decision.

A total-loss insurance decision and a vehicle's written-off registration category are related but different matters. Whether a car can return to the road depends on the damage classification and the rules of the relevant state or territory.

Statutory and repairable write-offs

Statutory write-off: the vehicle meets specified damage criteria and cannot be re-registered for road use.
Repairable write-off: repairs may be technically possible, but the vehicle has been assessed as uneconomical to repair. This label does not itself authorise repairs or guarantee re-registration.

Requirements vary across Australia. In NSW, an eligible written-off light vehicle needs an Authorisation to Repair from Transport for NSW before work begins. Only limited applications are considered, and vehicles with statutory write-off damage are excluded. Approval, compliant repairs and the required inspections are separate steps.

What happens to your insurance payout?

The settlement depends on your cover and circumstances. It may be based on an agreed value, a market value or a replacement-vehicle benefit if your policy provides one. An excess, outstanding premium or finance arrangements may affect the amount you receive. Ask for a written breakdown before accepting the settlement.

Keep the assessment, photographs, policy documents and correspondence together. If you disagree with the valuation, provide relevant evidence and use the insurer's complaints process. See AAMI's explanation of total-loss claims for an insurer's example; your own policy determines your cover.

Getting around after a not-at-fault accident

If you need a replacement vehicle, tell Carbiz that your car has been declared a write-off. Eligibility, vehicle availability, the hire period and the terms of the agreement need to be confirmed for your circumstances. A write-off does not automatically entitle everyone to unlimited hire.

Contact Carbiz to discuss your accident replacement vehicle options. For a practical checklist, read what to do after receiving a write-off decision.

18 July 2017