In short
The usual starting point in the Netherlands is the ANWB Koerslijst, an independent indication of a car's value that you can look up with the registration number (kentekenThe number on the number plate. It identifies one car in the RDW register, which is why value tools can start from it.). It is a guideline for a car in good condition, so a real offer can be higher or lower. The only price that counts is the one a buyer is willing to pay for your car.
On this page
- Four different numbers that all get called a value
- What the ANWB Koerslijst gives you
- What the figure assumes about your car
- Why a dealer offer can be below the Koerslijst
- What can change what a buyer will pay
- What to prepare before you ask for offers
- What an offer from us is, and what it is not
- How to compare offers sensibly
- What you need
- Questions
Four different numbers that all get called a value
People use the word value for several things, and the difference matters when you compare figures. The list price when new (cataloguswaardeThe price of the car when it was new, as in the manufacturer's price list. It says little about what the car is worth now.) belongs to the past. The current market value (dagwaardeThe value of a car on a given day, taking its age, mileage and condition into account. It is the usual Dutch word for what a car is worth at present.) is an estimate for today. The trade-in value (inruilwaardeWhat a dealer allows for your car when you buy another car from them. It is a dealer's figure, and it can differ from an indication such as the Koerslijst.) is what a dealer allows against another car. And an offer is the amount a particular buyer says they will pay for your particular car.
The first three are ways of describing a car. The last one is a price somebody has put forward, and only that one can turn into money. Keep that in mind whenever you see a figure on a website.
What the ANWB Koerslijst gives you
The ANWB is the Dutch motoring organisation. It publishes the Koerslijst, which it describes as an independent indication of the value of a passenger car. According to the ANWB, a group of its experts compile it, and a committee of specialists from the motor trade checks it. The ANWB itself does not trade in cars, and says it therefore has no commercial interest in a higher or lower figure.
You can look a car up on anwb.nl with the registration number, or with the make, model and year of construction. The mileage and the version of the car can be entered for a more precise figure. The tool is in Dutch, and the ANWB site sets out how it can be used.
What the figure assumes about your car
The ANWB states that its calculation assumes a car in good maintained condition, with no notable damage and only normal signs of use. It also says clearly that the Koerslijst gives a guide price. Defects, damage or an import can change the real value.
So the Koerslijst answers the question what a similar car in good order might be worth. It cannot see your car. If yours has a problem, read the figure with that in mind.
Why a dealer offer can be below the Koerslijst
A dealer who buys your car needs to resell it. The ANWB lists what a dealer takes into account: the cost of a warranty, the cost of making the car ready for sale, the risk of having it in stock, and how quickly the car is expected to sell. A dealer may also value the car differently because of its technical condition, its maintenance history or damage.
Those costs are real for the dealer, and they are not part of an indication of what a car is worth in good order. This is why two sources can both be honest and still show different figures. Private sale or dealer compares what each route involves.
What can change what a buyer will pay
The ANWB names condition, damage, maintenance history, mileage and the version of the car as things that move a value. Beyond that, a buyer will look at things you can find out before you ask for offers. Some of them need documents, and our guide to the documents you need lists them.
- Mileage and the version or trim of the car, which you can enter in the Koerslijst.
- Visible damage and anything that does not work, which a buyer will want to know about before they offer.
- The APK. Without a valid one the car may not be driven on public roads, so a buyer has to collect it another way. The expiry date is in the RDW Kentekencheck.
- The maintenance history: the service book and invoices show what has been done.
- A complete set of keys and the registration documents, because the buyer needs the card and the registration code to transfer the car.
A buyer may weigh these points differently. None of them has a fixed effect that we can state.
What to prepare before you ask for offers
Gather the facts first, so that every buyer receives the same description of the car. Read the mileage from the dashboard on the day, and write down the version of the car as it appears on the registration card and in the Kentekencheck. Note damage honestly and photograph it, because a buyer who finds an undisclosed fault at the handover may change the price.
Look at the documents as well. A buyer can only put the car in their name if you hold a valid registration card and the complete registration code, and the RDW offers a free online check of the card. If a document is missing, order a replacement before you start. The steps are in our guide to selling a car in the Netherlands.
What an offer from us is, and what it is not
When you enter your registration number on our site, we look up the car in the RDW register and you tell us about its condition. We then contact you with an offer for the car. That is an offer to buy, and it is free and without obligation. It is not a valuation and it is not an appraisal of what the car is worth on the market.
Use an indication such as the Koerslijst to get a feel for the range of what is realistic, and compare it with the offers you receive. You can ask for an offer and decide afterwards whether to accept it.
How to compare offers sensibly
Compare like with like. Check whether the offer is for the car as it is or depends on repairs, an APK test or a later inspection. Check who collects the car, who arranges the transfer and when payment is made. These points can matter as much as the figure itself.
Do not hand the car over before the transfer is done. The RDW's advice to sellers is to release the vehicle only after you hold the proof of transfer (vrijwaringsbewijs), and our guide to the RDW transfer explains the order of events.
What you need
- The registration number (kenteken) of the car
- The current mileage, read from the dashboard
- The version or trim of the car
- A list of damage and defects, with photographs
- The APK expiry date, from the RDW Kentekencheck
- The service book and maintenance invoices
- The registration card (kentekencard) and every key
An offer for your car
If you would like to sell the car to us, enter your number plate and we contact you with an offer. It is free and you are not committing to anything.
Get an offer