Templates
Vehicle Appraisal Form
A free part-exchange appraisal form covering condition, tyres, service history, damage and a valuation summary — so every trade-in is priced the same way.
What's included
- Vehicle identity: registration, mileage, MOT, keys, V5C
- History: service record, cambelt, HPI, outstanding finance
- Exterior, glass and alloy condition
- Tyre tread depths recorded corner by corner
- Interior, warning lights and air conditioning
- Road test section: engine, gearbox, brakes, steering
- Valuation summary with cost to put right and allowance offered
Download — free, no sign-up
Open the spreadsheet in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. The CSV is there if you want to import it somewhere else.
In short
A one-page appraisal covering vehicle identity, history, exterior, tyres, interior, mechanical condition and a valuation summary with a cost-to-put-right column. Price every part exchange the same way, and show the customer your working.
What the form covers
The sheet is organised the way you actually inspect a car: identity and paperwork first, then a walk round the outside, tyres corner by corner, inside, and finally a cold start and road test. Each line has a result column and a cost-to-put-right column, so the valuation falls out of the inspection rather than being guessed at the end.
How to run an appraisal
- Start the car from cold if you can — it is the cheapest diagnostic you will ever run.
- Check the V5C against the VIN on the car before anything else.
- Photograph every defect as you record it. Photos end disputes later.
- Measure tread on all four tyres rather than eyeballing the fronts.
- Road test far enough to get everything up to temperature, including a motorway speed if practical.
- Total the cost-to-put-right column before you say a number out loud.
Turning the form into a number
Work backwards from the retail price you believe the car will achieve on your pitch, not from a trade guide alone. Subtract the cost to put right, the profit you need, and a margin for the unknown. What remains is the most you can allow.
Once you have bought it, the preparation checklist picks the car up from there, and the preparation workflow guide covers who owns each stage.
Frequently asked questions
What is a vehicle appraisal form?
A structured record of a vehicle's condition, history and defects, used to price a part exchange or a trade purchase consistently. It turns a walk-round into a number you can defend.
How long should an appraisal take?
Ten to fifteen minutes for a standard part exchange, including a short road test and a cold start if you can manage one. Rushing it is where money is lost.
Should I show the customer the appraisal?
Yes. Walking a customer through the costs you have written down is far more persuasive than announcing a figure. It moves the conversation from haggling to arithmetic.
Does the appraisal replace an HPI check?
No. Always run a provenance check for outstanding finance, write-off markers and mileage discrepancies. The form has a line to record that you did it.
Related resources
Appraise on the forecourt, not on paper
Lotra's part-exchange appraisals capture the same checks on a phone, attach photos to the vehicle record and carry the costs straight through into the deal and the profit figure.