Vehicle Handover: Your Checklist for Selling Day

The price is agreed, the appointment is set — and then everything happens quickly. So that nothing is left undone on handover day and you get no nasty surprises, here is the complete checklist from practice.

Before the appointment: gather the documents

• Vehicle registration document — no transfer is possible without it
• Your ID or passport — for the purchase contract
• Both keys including any code or spare card
• Service booklet and invoices for major repairs
• Latest MFK report, if available
• Owner's manual, radio code, spare-wheel key and accessories such as winter tyres

Practical tip: put everything in one folder the evening before. In our experience, hunting for the spare key delays more handovers than any price negotiation.

Prepare the car — without overdoing it

A basic clean never hurts; expensive detailing rarely pays off. What matters more is clearing it out: glovebox, door pockets, boot, under-seat storage and the centre console compartment. Remember the things that are easy to overlook:

• Motorway vignette — a stuck-on vignette stays with the car
• Parking cards, garage remotes and fuel cards
• Delete paired phones from the hands-free system
• Navigation: remove saved addresses and the "home" entry
• Sign the vehicle out of connected services and manufacturer apps

At the appointment: contract and payment

The purchase contract should list vehicle data, mileage, known defects, price, payment method and the exclusion of warranty. Both parties get a signed copy. For payment, one simple principle applies:

Money first, keys second. With cash, count it calmly; with a transfer, wait until the amount is actually visible in your account — a payment confirmation on the buyer's screen is not enough.

After the handover: the final three steps

1. Return the number plates or have them transferred to your next vehicle.
2. Inform your insurer — overpaid premiums are refunded pro rata.
3. Keep the purchase contract. It proves you are no longer liable from the moment of handover — for the new keeper's fines, for example.

How it works with us

At Auto24Ankauf we bring the purchase contract, inspect the vehicle in about fifteen minutes and pay on the spot — cash or instant transfer. We handle the cancellation of the registration and the transport; you keep only your copy of the contract. We arrange appointments daily between 08:00 and 22:30, weekends included on request.