Whether you’re getting ready to sell your car or browsing for a used motor, it can be helpful to have a clear picture of the vehicle’s history – especially the number of previous owners.
This data, which is held by the DVLA for every UK-registered vehicle, may affect the car’s resale value - and how buyers perceive its performance and reliability.
In this guide, we’ll clarify the relationship between the number of owners and car value. We’ll also break down the methods for finding out the number of previous owners for a car.
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Glossary of terms
- Single-owner car: A car that has only been owned by one person.
- Multiple-owner car: A car with at least one previous owner.
- Owner: The person who paid for the car, or had it gifted to them.
- Registered keeper: The person who is responsible for the vehicle and named in its V5C logbook.
How does the number of previous owners affect car value?
The number of previous owners is just one of the many factors that can affect your car's value. However, a single-owner car is likely to be worth more than an identical model with several previous owners.
The number of previous owners can provide potential buyers with an insight into its condition and reliability. For example:
- If a car is only five years old but has changed hands five times, this may raise suspicion of hidden mechanical issues.
- However, for a car that’s 20 years old, this is less likely to deter buyers, as five changes of ownerships over this time would be far more common.
- A single-owner car will appeal to many used buyers, as there is less ambiguity around its history.
If you’re selling a car with multiple past owners, you can allay any potential concerns by:
- Providing a full service history.
- Making sure you have the right documents to sell your car.
- Following our tips to prepare your car for resale .
Want to know how much a car is worth?
Enter the reg number and mileage into our free car valuation tool to get a quote in under 30 seconds. Don’t forget to declare its condition and history to ensure an accurate valuation.
What other factors will buyers consider?
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mileage 🚗 | Mileage affects value because the further a car has travelled, the more wear it is likely to have suffered. |
| How and where the car was driven 🛣️ | How and where the car is driven comes into play. Smooth motorway journeys cause less strain driving on winding country lanes with potholes. |
| How well the car was looked after 🔧 | If the car has the full complement of paperwork showing it was serviced at the recommended intervals – and repaired professionally whenever necessary, this should reassure buyers. |
