Author Topic: Advice on selling up  (Read 2193 times)

Offline Ryan90GTI

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Advice on selling up
« on: 02 October 2021, 10:00 »
Morning everyone. So as some of you may have seen in the classified section I've put my GTI up for sale - https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=288076.0

I've had quite a bit of interest especially from trade who obviously only want to offer 'book price' but then only a handful of "is this still available" then hear nothing back from private buyers. I've tried the specialist garages who all say the car is really lovely but the mileage is too high for them.

I don't really know what to do for the best now but I feel maybe I'll have to go down the route of taking the Clubsport parts off it and just sell it as a 'standard' GTI to the likes of WBAC.

Any advice is welcome, be as honest as you like.



« Last Edit: 02 October 2021, 10:02 by Ryan90GTI »

Offline madstaff

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 628
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #1 on: 02 October 2021, 10:36 »
The thing with a car such as yours, which I may add is bloody nice, is that places like WBAC don't take the upgrade/mods into account, and will price if as a normal GTI.

Unless you can find someone, a Golf enthusiast ideally who appreciates the car as it is, mods and all, and is willing to pay.

You'll probably end up putting it back to standard and selling as a GTI then selling off the Clubsport bits.

Would potentially be interested in the Belvederes if you decide to put back to standard.
2017 Clubsport Edition 40 #706.

Urano grey, 3 Door, Manual, Recaros, Brescias, DCC, Nav Pro, Black roof & tints.

Offline willni

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,387
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #2 on: 02 October 2021, 10:59 »
Would potentially be interested in the Belvederes if you decide to put back to standard.

I guess Madstaff and I are both vultures for your Belvederes  :grin:

It's one of the nicest builds I've seen on a mk7, but you're better off removing parts if you go the WBAC route as they price it based on a standard car.

It's definitely a car for an enthusiast to appreciate the work put into the car, along with a slew of genuine parts, which seemingly less and less people do now.
Mk7.5 GTI - Performance Pack, DSG, Sunroof, Dynaudio, Pro Nav, Vienna Leather, Climate Windscreen & last of the 3 doors....Many Sets of Alloys...

Prev - Mk7.5 White Silver, Vienna Leather, Sunroof, Helix Sub, Many Wheels

Follow my 7.5 build on the forum https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=287596.msg2638666#new or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willy_gti7.5pp/

Offline Ryan90GTI

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #3 on: 02 October 2021, 11:25 »
If I do take the Belvedere's off the car I'll give the pair of you a shout.

I've even had traders telling me the car is too modified which I find really odd as they're all genuine parts but there you go, they probably aren't fully aware of exactly what they're looking at I would've thought. I think what you're saying about it needing to go to enthusiast is probably right but the thing that I think would put an enthusiast off would be the mileage unfortunately. At the same time I know how I've looked after the car and how sympathetically it's been driven so to me the mileage is irrelevant but isn't the case when a new buyer is after a used car.

Offline Watts

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,530
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #4 on: 02 October 2021, 13:55 »
I've even had traders telling me the car is too modified which I find really odd as they're all genuine parts but there you go, they probably aren't fully aware of exactly what they're looking at I would've thought. I think what you're saying about it needing to go to enthusiast is probably right but the thing that I think would put an enthusiast off would be the mileage unfortunately. At the same time I know how I've looked after the car and how sympathetically it's been driven so to me the mileage is irrelevant but isn't the case when a new buyer is after a used car.

And there you've summed up both your and traders problems. You have personalised your car to what you wanted, not what most people would want and thereby limited your market. Don't take that as a criticism, I think you've done a great job. Have you ever watched one of those house selling type programs where people can't sell and a pro comes in and gets them to declutter and neutralise the decor?

I don't know what you are asking for it but if you want it to sell quickly you may need to rethink the price or be prepared to wait for the right person to turn up, they will as it's a great car, but when?

So as I see it, you'll have to be patient or return it to stock (and I'm not saying that as I'm after your Belvederes :grin:).
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline Ryan90GTI

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #5 on: 02 October 2021, 14:49 »
I think you're probably spot in, Watts. Be patient or return to stock.

Offline Toeman

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 146
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #6 on: 02 October 2021, 15:04 »
You could make plenty judging by the number of boys after your belvederes   

Offline Exonian

  • Serious forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 8,837
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #7 on: 02 October 2021, 22:12 »
It’s certainly a beautiful and tastefully modified example of the kind most enthusiasts would dream of.

As a former serial GTI modder in a previous life I would firmly be in the ‘return to standard’ camp though.

Just this evening I was returning home and as I passed by the drive-thru takeaway part of the city I caught sight of a modified mk6 of some description closely followed by a mk7 R with a crackle and pop exhaust plus a heap of other visual mods. Nice cars I’m sure and somebody’s pride and joy, but not done to the taste of everyone.
Trouble is cars like that would be viewed in a certain way when being sold on. Suspicion would be that they’d been ragged, raced and used as a mobile social club around housing estate race tracks.
Unfortunately to conservative second hand VW buyers any modified car, no matter how tastefully done and how well maintained, will be viewed in the same light as flame spitting, Maxton finned, low riding city bypass drag racers.

People like to kid themselves that a nice straight totally unmodified example up for sale has been owned by someone that wiped the car down with the softest silk every time so much as a molecule of dust landed on it and never ever exceeded a speed limit by more than 1mph.
Or more specifically they would trust a totally standard car far more than an example that had some modifications, as the latter just throws up doubt as to how the car has been looked after.

Having been there myself many times, the process of researching mods and going to great lengths to find the best people to fit them, or even spending countless hours doing it myself to the best standard I could achieve, is viewed as a pleasurable experience.
However when the time approaches to move the car on to pastures new that enthusiasm of fitting mods changes into a feeling of it becoming a hassle and chore to remove the add ons again and return the car to stock. Modifying a car seems like fun, de-modifying it is sometimes a nuisance.

It would be far less hassle to sell the car as is and take the financial hit of the mods but unfortunately it limits the market massively. The mods people admired on the car suddenly become viewed with suspicion.

The best course of action is to dig in and strip the car back to factory standard in my well trodden experience.
The standard car suddenly becomes more attractive to buyers (as opposed to casual viewers) and the parts will always find a waiting enthusiast market.
That’s just how it goes.
‘23 8R
Serial white Golf owner


Offline Ryan90GTI

  • I live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #8 on: 02 October 2021, 23:57 »
Exquisitely put as always Exonian and you're right in what you say. I really really don't want to put the car back to standard mainly because it means I'm going to have to get my toolbox out but I know deep down it's the best thing to do and I'll probably make more money that way.

It's a shame because I really would like it to go to a like-minded person but like you say many of the modded golfs out there these days seem to go down the same snap-crackle-and pop map, 'eBay special' spoiler route which I'll never understand anyone who'd fit cheap rubbish to an expensive car but that's probably a debate for another day.

Offline hufc4promotion1908

  • Just got here
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Advice on selling up
« Reply #9 on: 04 October 2021, 17:54 »
Always best to return a car back to stock when selling as you have a lot smaller pool of people that want to buy a modified car.