What documents you need to sell your Toyota

To get a firm offer you only need the registration and the current mileage. Type them in at /vehicle-valuation and a real valuer reads your answers by hand. You do not need to dig out the logbook, the service book or any letters at this stage.

The paperwork below is what a buyer needs to complete the sale properly, so it is worth gathering once you have decided to go ahead. Having it ready makes collection day quick and calm.

The V5C, often called the logbook, shows who the registered keeper is. It is the single most useful document in a sale, because it is how the change of keeper is reported to DVLA. Check that the name and address on it are current. If you have moved and not updated it, say so when you ask for an offer.

The V5C is not proof of ownership on its own, but a buyer expects the person selling to match it, or to explain why not. If the car was registered to a partner, a parent or a company, tell us at the start so we can talk it through.

The person selling needs photo ID, usually a driving licence or passport, and it should match the name on the V5C. Have the original to hand on the day. Never send ID documents or bank details by email or WhatsApp; show the ID in person and give bank details when you are asked for them through the proper channel.

Payment goes to a UK bank account in the seller's name. Paid in full by bank transfer before your vehicle leaves, so the account details need to be right before anything else happens.

Both keys add value and save the next owner a trip to a dealer. If you only have one, say so up front rather than on the day. A buyer will also look for the things that are easy to forget in a drawer or a garage.

• Both keys, including any spare that lives at home.
• The locking wheel nut key, usually in the glovebox or the boot well.
• The owner's manual and the service book, if it is a paper one.
• On a plug-in hybrid, the charging cable or cables.
• The parcel shelf, the spare wheel or the tyre repair kit.

Service history is not a legal requirement, but it is one of the clearest signs a car has been looked after, and it feeds straight into the offer. A stamped book, a folder of invoices or a dealer app record all count. On a hybrid, a hybrid health check on file is worth bringing.

MOT history is held online by the government, so you do not need old certificates. It still helps to keep any advisories in mind and mention work that has been done since. If the car has failed an MOT or has none, it can still be sold; our guide on that is at /blog/selling-a-toyota-with-a-failed-mot-or-no-mot.

If there is a loan, hire purchase or PCP agreement on the car, the lender usually owns it until the finance is settled. Have the agreement number and the lender's name ready, and ask the lender for a settlement figure. The finance is settled with the lender and any balance comes to you.

The full walk through is in /blog/selling-a-toyota-with-outstanding-finance and on /finance-settlement.

If you are selling a car for a relative, or as an executor after someone has died, the paperwork is a little different. You may need a death certificate and, if they have been issued, the grant of probate or letters of administration. There is a calm guide at /sell-a-car-from-an-estate. If you are unsure, check with the solicitor handling the estate.

Before collection day, it helps to have these together in one place.

• V5C logbook, or a note that it is lost.
• Original photo ID for the person selling.
• Both keys and the locking wheel nut key.
• Service book or invoices, and any battery or hybrid health check.
• Finance agreement number and settlement figure, if there is finance.