The Van We Bought That Came With an Office Makeover

Most of the vehicles we buy come from private sellers across Southampton, but every so often a local business gets in touch when it's time to replace part of its fleet. That's exactly what happened with The Art Folio, who were upgrading their vans and needed to move on their old Peugeot Expert.

We went to have a look, agreed a price, and drove it away the same day. We also left with something we didn't expect: some new art for our office walls. More on that below.

What made it an easy sale

Selling a business van can drag on if the paperwork isn't in order, but this one was straightforward, and it's a good example of how to do it properly.

The V5C logbook and service history were ready when we arrived, so there was no chasing documents. Anyone buying a used vehicle will want to see its past MOT results, and it helps to check these yourself before selling so there are no surprises. You can look up any vehicle's record for free using the government's MOT history checker.

If a van was bought on finance, the loan needs settling before the sale, or as part of it. Ask your lender for a settlement figure early so it doesn't hold anything up.

Once the sale is done, the seller needs to tell the DVLA. It takes a few minutes online through the GOV.UK sold or bought a vehicle service, and it means any fines or charges after the sale date aren't your problem. Any full months of road tax left are refunded automatically, and you can read how that works on the vehicle tax refund page.

And then we bought some art

While we were there, we had a proper look at what The Art Folio actually sells. Our office walls had been bare for longer than we'd like to admit, so we came away with 8 framed prints.

What we liked was how easy their website makes it to choose. You can search by colour and frame style, which is handy when you're trying to match an existing space, and you can preview a print on your own wall before buying. If your office or home needs the same treatment, have a browse of The Art Folio's framed prints.

Replacing your business vehicles?

If you run a Southampton business and you've got a car or van to move on, we'll give you a quick valuation. Just enter your registration on our homepage and we'll take it from there.

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