Start by making an interesting sales ad.
The journey toward a sale and a completed deal begins with a sales ad that will attract potential buyers. Take time to write it properly. Take good photos and make sure that the car’s details are presented comprehensively and clearly. If you are selling online, use the most popular sites, such as Nettiauto and Autotalli.
Online car sale – our tips for a sales ad
- A clean car sells better. Make sure your car is spotless before you take the photos. A car will not be very attractive without a proper wash and clean-up.
- Impersonal is fine. Selling your car is rather like selling your home in the sense that the buyer will want to envisage their own style and approach to the item on sale. So lose the fluffy dice and similar items, and let buyers make up their own minds.
- Clear and understandable sales ad. Spend some time on the sales ad to make it really good. Photos of the car, seller’s contact details and details of the car should be listed carefully and accurately. Any information that is unclear will make potential buyers wary.
- Take plenty of photos. Your chances of selling your car are low if you just provide a single general picture of it. Take photos of both the exterior and interior – such as the doors, seats and engine.
- Honesty creates a sense of security. Remember to include any “unique features” as well. Listing and taking photos of any defects ensures that there are no nasty surprises.
- Get the price right from the start. Estimate the price carefully. If the sales price is too high or too low, buyers may become suspicious. Take into account the car’s age, mileage and general condition. It’s worth checking online for the asking prices of similar makes and models.
- An active seller is a good seller. Being active will be rewarded. Share the sales ad in social media, for example, and respond to any queries as quickly as you can.
Too much trouble?
Writing a sales ad for your car, figuring out the right price and talking to potential buyers may seem like too much work to you. Make your job easier and learn about options that save time and effort.
One option is to sell your used car directly to a dealership. You can take your car to a dealership, ask for a quote and get the sale done without any hassle. The dealership will then handle everything involved in selling your car on to a new owner. Find a dealership near you and make an appointment.
You will get the best market price for your car by selling it yourself. OP Hire Purchase makes it safe and easy for individuals to agree on car sales. With OP hire purchase, you take care of the sale from start to finish, and our experts help with the paperwork.
OP's own service for easily and securely selling your used car
The OP Smart Contracts service allows you to easily and securely sell your used car to a private person. The deed of sale, payment and transfer of ownership are all conveniently taken care of in one service. If the buyer wishes to apply for financing for the car purchase from OP, they can do that in the service too.
Learn more about selling your used car in the OP Smart Contracts service
Prepare for the change of ownership with an electronic certificate
Whoever buys your car must register as the new owner within 7 days. Change of ownership is done with a registration notification, for which the buyer needs either an electronic certificate or Part II (or the Notification part) of the car’s registration certificate. The best way to prepare for a change of ownership is to get an electronic certificate. If you do not want to do things online, or you are selling the car to someone abroad or in the Åland Islands, you will need Part II of the registration certificate.
You can also transfer the ownership of a passenger car as part of a vehicle trade in the OP Smart Contracts service.
Learn more about transfers of ownership in the OP Smart Contracts service
Once you’ve created the electronic certificate, it will be valid for 14 days. You can create the certificate already before any sale has been concluded. Follow the link below to create an electronic certificate in the Traficom.fi service.
Make a deed of transfer or deed of sale
The car sale is about to be concluded and the electronic certificate is available. You should always make a deed of transfer or deed of sale both for the buyer and the seller. Verify the new owner’s identity before concluding the deed of sale.
The deed of sale contains the details of the seller, buyer and vehicle. The deed of sale also contains the agreed sales price, payment schedule and details of the transfer of ownership. Both the buyer and seller will sign the deed of sale.
The easiest way to sell or buy a used car is the OP Smart Contracts service, where the buyer and seller both log in with strong identification, and the service checks the data of the passenger car directly from Traficom and adds it to the deed of sale. Using the service does not require you to be an OP customer.
Create a deed of sale for your car in the OP Smart Contracts service
You can also download a deed of transfer from Traficom’s website.
Complete the car sale with a transfer notification
After the transaction is concluded, submit a transfer notification to the Vehicular and Driver Data Register. This will ensure that the insurance premiums end on the correct date.
You can file a transfer notification as part of a vehicle trade in the OP Smart Contracts service.
Learn more about selling a car and transferring its ownership in the OP Smart Contracts service
You can also make a transfer notification in Traficom’s online service. In order to make a transfer notification, you will need the buyer’s details, which you can find in the deed of transfer or deed of sale.
How about the car’s insurance cover?
The insurance cover of the car you sold will not be transferred to the new owner. The car’s insurance coverage will end as soon as the new owner buys motor liability insurance under their own name. Once ownership has changed, the new owner has seven days to take out insurance for the car. When seven days have passed since the change of ownership, the car may only be used in traffic if statutory motor liability insurance has been taken out.
Once you have sold your car and it is time to buy a new one, remember to insure your new car. We will calculate your bonus automatically on the basis of your claims and insurance history, and if you are an excellent driver, you may be entitled to bonus cover against bonus losses in the event of an accident. You can calculate the price of insurance for a new car on the basis of its registration number by using our motor vehicle insurance calculator.