Most dealers spend hours arguing over £200 on a car they’re buying, then watch it sit on the forecourt eating margin for six weeks.
The difference between a profitable car and a problem isn’t the buying price. It’s how long it takes to shift.
What Sitting Stock Actually Costs
A car sitting 45 days instead of 14 costs you £800-£1,200 in hidden expenses:
- Floorplan interest: £250-£500 over 45 days
- Opportunity cost: Every pound tied up can’t buy the next car
- Depreciation: The market moves. You don’t.
- Time: Re-marketing, answering questions, none of it shows on the P&L
That £200 you saved on the buy doesn’t look clever now.
The Sweet Spot: Days 10-21
If a car hasn’t had serious interest by day 21, it’s telling you something. Good dealers act here. They get aggressive on price or find another way to move it.
The dealers who struggle let cars drift to day 35, 50, 70. By then, the margin’s gone.
When to Cut
I bought a car last month from a dealer who’d had it 67 days. Started at £14,995. I gave him £11,500.
If he’d called me on day 21, he’d have had £13,000. Instead, he spent two months hoping and ended up with less.
Holding costs compound. The longer you wait, the worse the deal gets.
The Bottom Line
Price matters, but time costs more. If a car isn’t moving past three weeks, the best decision is usually the one that gets it off your books fastest.