Should You Scrap Your Car For Cash?
Should You Scrap Your Car For Cash?
Your car is more than just a vehicle. It’s a status symbol. It’s a key part of your lifestyle. And for certain petrolheads, it’s like a four-wheeled friend.
Yet there are businesses that make their living by turning our beloved motors into scrap. So just what does it take to convince a driver that their car is worth more to them as a cube of recycled metal than as a vehicle on their driveway or in their garage?
Why on earth would you scrap your car?
Why Would You Scrap Your Vehicle?
In short, because you need to.
Accidents and age can catch up with a vehicle, and mean that it’s no longer cost-effective to repair your car after a collision or breakdown. Sometimes it can cost more the value of an older vehicle to fully replace bodywork, engines or exhausts.
And unfortunately, you’re not allowed to just abandon your car or push it into a local body of water. Which only leaves you with two choices of what to do with your vehicle.
Choice number one is to leave it to rust on your driveway, which can lead to awkward conversations with your neighbours and a detour when you’re carrying your shopping in.
Choice number two is to scrap the car and pocket the cash.
When you look at it like that, it’s no wonder that people will tend to choose the second option.
What Do You Need?
But getting rid of your motor isn’t just a matter of dropping it off at a scrapyard and watching as it gets dropped into a large waste compactor. Unfortunately, you’re going to need a few things.
1) A Vehicle
Obviously, you’ll find it really hard to scrap something that you don’t have. So you’ll need to be in possession of a broken down or otherwise undesirable motor vehicle that you’d like to dispose of.
2) A Log Book
You’ll need to prove that you’re the owner of the car in question, that it isn’t stolen, and that it can be scrapped. So you’re going to need your logbook for that.
3) A Scrapping Company
While you could theoretically scrap your own car with a hammer, it’d take ages and you wouldn’t get paid for it. So you need a scrapping company. Preferably a good one, because there’s a few things that they’ll need to take care of for you…
Who Should You Approach?
It’s important to approach a good scrapping company, because they’ll make the whole process easy for you.
Look for important tasks that they’ll carry out on your behalf. Things like collecting the vehicle, so you don’t have to tow it (or push it). Handling the paperwork, so that you don’t need to waste your afternoon ticking boxes and filling out forms. And whether or not they’re environmentally friendly. Because it’s far easier to get a new car than a new planet.
And, last of all, make sure that they’ll give you a fair price for your write-off or non-runner. Because that might well be the down payment on your next car.