Clearview National August 2016 - Issue 177 | Page 19

INDUSTRYNEWS

To Spec or Not to Spec?
»»BCA, THE UK AND
Europe’s largest used vehicle
marketplace, is offering the
thousands of small enterprises
that use vans some useful advice
on what to consider when buying
their next vehicle.

‘average values
up significantly’
IN DEMAND
“The Light Commercial Vehicle
(LCV) market so far in 2016 has
generally been confident with
average values up significantly from
those recorded last year, as high
levels of demand continue,” said
BCA’s LCV Operations Director,
Duncan Ward. “This has largely
been driven by the construction
and civil engineering industries,
as well as the courier and online
delivery sectors. But despite this
confidence, it’s important for
businesses to recognise that there
are some key factors when buying
that will have an influence when
they come to sell.

ADDED EXTRAS
“A van is a working tool, so
getting the right specification for
the job is a given. But, equally,
getting the right added extras will
make any van more attractive to
used buyers a few years down the
line when it is time to sell because
generally a better specification
will make a van more desirable
and saleable with higher-spec
vehicles often selling more
quickly, improving cash-flow for
the seller.
“The auction buyer will seek
out the best vehicle they can buy
with the budget they’ve got. So if
a van with two side loading doors,
a bulkhead and aircon is on offer
that will be the one they bid for,
if all the other vans available are
basic models.”
Interior ply-lining is one of
the best value extras for any van
buyer. It’s expected by buyers
and, importantly, it protects
valuable company vehicles from
‘inside-out’ damage that is likely
to occur day-to-day. Value-wise,
ply-lining might add £100, but

the real benefit is that the van is
much more likely to be in a more
saleable condition after three or
four years’ hard work.
Side-loading doors are another
key consideration for buyers.
And these are just as essential for
smaller vans as they are for the
larger one tonne and 3.5 tonne
vehicles. BCA believes that,
at the very least a van should
include a single nearside sliding
door, but two side-loading doors
will be particularly appealing
for businesses whose drivers are
going to work in tight, urban
conditions. Potential value in
the used market can increase by
around £150 for a single and
£250 for two side-loading doors,
depending on the vehicle.
Factory-fitted satnav does not,
however, make a huge difference
to the selling price because most
mobile and smart phones now
offer this facility. Similarly, in-van
entertainment and blue-tooth
connectivity may only add a
marginal increase of £50 at resale.
Parking sensors for the 3.5 tonne

market where low-speed reversing
damage is more common might
also add £50.
Still inside the cab, airconditioning is highly valued
when combined with a bulkhead,
otherwise all that cool air
dissipates into the load area and
simply burns money. Similarly, if
a van is being used for start-stop
urban deliveries air-conditioning
is considered wasteful, because the
driver will be in and out of the
cab and not getting the benefit.
However, air-con is appealing for
vans that do longer distances or
where the vehicle doubles as the
family transport at the weekends
for a tradesperson.
SOMETHING TO OFFER
“We are currently seeing
increasing volumes of same
make, base specification stock in
the current market,” concluded
Duncan Ward. “So any business
that has something to offer that
is a better than the standard
should do well when it comes to
selling.”

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