What to do with your car

Unless you're planning to drive about on your career break, you'll need to make arrangements for your car.

Sell your car

Advantages of selling your car:

  • You don't have to worry about it while you're away
  • More money for your career break
  • No spending money on insurance, road tax etc

Using a dealer is usually the quickest and easiest way to sell your car. Drive it round to a few to get a decent price.

If you're selling your car to someone you know, ask for the money as a banker's cheque unless you trust them completely.

When you sell your car, remember to:

  • Tell the DVLA
  • Get your car tax refund
  • Cancel the insurance (note: you must send your insurance certificate back to your provider within 7 days)
  • Cancel your recovery service (if you have one)
  • Clean it! You might find that CD you lost...

Lend your car to a friend

Lending your car to a friend is an option if you're not going away for very long, or if you're particularly attached to it (the car, not the friend).

  • Cheaper than storage
  • Your car stays in good condition (it needs to be driven about once a week)
  • You don't have to go car shopping on your return

Once you've found someone who wants to borrow your car (and who doesn't drive like a maniac):

  • Insure them on your car (establish with your friend who will pay for this)
  • Leave them the ownership documents
  • Leave them your recovery service card (if you have one)
  • Provide them with contact details of the garage you usually use
  • Establish what your friend will do in an emergency (eg pay for a new car stereo then you pay them back, or wait until you return?)

Note: As the owner of the car, you will need to be insured to drive it as well as your friend (even if you're out of the country). If you're lending the car to your partner, you may be able to take yourself off the insurance.

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Put your car into storage

Leaving your car sitting about is not recommended, as that can result in serious damage. It needs to be driven weekly. Also, as well as the costs of storage, your car will depreciate (about 10% over six months, even more in winter).

However, some career breakers can't bear to do anything else with their car, so they put it into storage. There are storage facilities that leave your car outside to gradually fall apart, so you will have to get it sorted out on your return (the brake pads will seize up amongst other things). You will have to declare SORN (telling the DVLA that your car is off the road) and notify your insurance company. This option is around £65 a month.

Professional car storage is more money but they will take proper care of your car. Usually, there are a range of options that you can choose, eg driving it, cleaning, polishing etc. The garage can also sort out your MOT, SORN (declaring your car off the road) and re-taxing when you come back. Rates start from around £15 a week for the basic storage; extras start at around £4 a week.