Should I send photos of my cab before sale? What helps, what hurts, what to skip

A specialist valuer reviewing your reg has the DVLA data, the MOT history, our own historical-sale data on your model, and the trade-publication anchor. What we don't have is the condition signal that determines where in the band your specific vehicle sits. Photos fill that gap. A 220,000-mile Prius with photos that show clean bumpers + tidy interior + un-kerbed alloys gets the top of the band; the same Prius without photos gets the middle of the band by conservative default.

Sending photos before the offer is finalised typically lifts the offer by a meaningful margin compared to the no-photos default. It also reduces the risk of offer revision on collection day, because the valuer has seen what they're buying.

From the most-valued to the least-valued, the photos the valuer actually uses:

• **Front 3/4 angle** showing front bumper, front wing, front offside alloy, and windscreen. Confirms front-end condition (the most common kerb-damage zone).
• **Rear 3/4 angle** mirror of the front. Confirms rear bumper, rear wing, rear alloy, and back window. Second-most-common damage zone after the front offside.
• **Driver's seat + driver's side door card** straight-on. Shows seat-bolster wear, door-card scuffs, and whether the cabin smells of smoke (you can't photograph smell, but a clean-looking interior usually correlates).
• **Boot empty, lid open** showing the floor, the carpet, and the spare-wheel well. Identifies water damage, hidden mechanical noises (you can't hear them but a wet boot floor tells the story), and confirms boot capacity for chauffeur-trade buyers.
• **Dashboard + odometer** straight-on with the ignition on. Confirms current mileage, dashboard-warning-light status, and infotainment condition. Valuers cross-reference this against the MOT history mileage for honesty signals.
• **MOT certificate** (most recent) photograph or PDF. Confirms current expiry date, the advisory list, and the test station. Saves the valuer pulling the DVSA record manually.
• **V5C front cover** (yes, fully visible) confirming the registered keeper name matches your account. Sensitive document, only share via direct submission to the valuer team, not on social media.
• **Service book or recent service receipt** front page. Confirms service-history continuity and where the work was done. Main-dealer stamps add value beyond what mileage alone signals.

Drivers often send these by default. None of them help materially:

• Long-range street-view shots taken from the pavement. The valuer can't see condition detail; the photo is decorative.
• Engine bay photos. We don't value cars by engine appearance; the MOT emissions reading is more diagnostic.
• Photos with the cab in a car-wash queue or after a recent valet. The valuer expects this and doesn't weight 'clean' more than 'normal-condition'.
• Tyre tread depth measurement photos. We assume tyres are at the legal limit unless the MOT advisory or your declaration says otherwise.
• Photos of the cab beside a yardstick or measuring tape 'for scale.' Genuinely puzzling. Don't.

Some photo patterns lower the offer below the no-photos baseline because they signal hidden issues:

• **Heavy retouching or filters.** A cab photographed with Instagram-style colour-pop filters signals you're hiding paint condition. The valuer knocks the offer on the assumption of unseen damage. Take photos in natural daylight, no filters.
• **Photos only of the 'good side.'** If you send only driver-side photos and no passenger-side, the valuer assumes the passenger side has damage. Send both sides; honest condition is rewarded.
• **Photos of the interior with the seats covered.** Tidy seat covers are normal but if the covers look like they're hiding rips or burns, the valuer prices the worst case. Send a photo with the cover lifted at one corner if the seats are clean underneath.
• **Stock photos from the manufacturer brochure.** Surprisingly common. Always immediately spotted. Offer drops to the no-photos baseline at best; sometimes the submission is flagged for closer manual review.

Five minutes with a smartphone in natural daylight, no special equipment:

• Park in good light, preferably outdoor in daylight. Avoid harsh midday sun (creates hard shadows) and dusk (washes colour out).
• Wipe the body with a microfibre or just a damp cloth so dust streaks don't suggest neglect. Don't valet aggressively; the valuer just wants to see condition, not detailing.
• Hold the phone level with the side of the vehicle for the 3/4 angles. Avoid up-tilted angles (makes the panels look damaged) and down-tilted (hides the alloys).
• Use HDR on if available. Natural exposure is better than a flash-lit photo at any time.
• Send by WhatsApp to 0207 8717 671 (the most common channel) or by email to enquiries@sellyourcab.co.uk with the reg in the subject line. Both reach the valuer within minutes.

Short videos help in two specific cases. A 30-second walk-around (start at the front, walk anticlockwise to the rear, ending back at the front) is a faster way to communicate overall condition than 8 separate stills. A 30-second engine-running clip from inside the cabin captures the running condition (any rattles, smoke, warning lights) better than photos can.

Beyond those two, video doesn't add value over photos and takes longer to review. The valuer typically isn't going to watch a 5-minute driving video; keep it short.

V5C and MOT certificate photos contain personal data (your name, address, vehicle history). Only send these to the specialist buyer's direct contact channels (WhatsApp 0207 8717 671 or enquiries@sellyourcab.co.uk), never to a public submission form or a social-media chat.

If you're uncomfortable sharing the V5C in advance, just confirm the registered-keeper name on the call and bring the document to collection. The offer can be finalised without the V5C photo if needed; the valuer just adjusts for the slightly-more-conservative documentation default.