It’s illegal to dump a car just anywhere, and the days when a junkyard would give you a tidy amount for its scrap value are long gone. If your car is well past its sell by date, only fit for parts or scrap, or simply costing too much to maintain and not worth spending money on, then search the internet or look through your local phone directory to find a scrap yard or car salvage company in your area who will be happy to take it off your hands.

Every year In the UK more than 2 million vehicles are discarded and end up in a scrap yard, they offer an easy solution to getting rid of a car that is too old to be sold on the market. Most yards also offer cash for your old vehicles so understanding the value of your scrap is important.

Don’t expect to get a fortune however, you might be lucky enough to get a few hundred pounds and may have no choice but to accept what is offered as there isn’t lots of choice when it comes to disposing of an unusable car safely. It can be difficult to work out how much your car is worth, the best way forward is to contact a few scrap yards in your locality for a quote - their offer will depend upon the distance they have to travel to reach you and quotes could differ significantly.

If your car is not totally damaged but will either cost too much to fix, has too much rust to repair or is full of dents from one too many accidents, then a car salvage company is a better option. If your car is simply not worth spending even the smallest amount of money on to get it fixed, then search for a salvage company to take it off your hands and earn yourself a few pounds into the bargain.

Primarily a salvage yard buys old and damaged cars and then either sells it on as a whole, even if it has sustained a lot of damage, or removes the parts that they consider to be salvageable and sells these as separate items. They are also a good option for those looking for spare parts to replace on their vehicles, such as a wing mirror or bumper damaged in a minor accident or a new battery or engine part, a salvage yard can generally provide the parts so you can make the repair yourself.

Car salvage is now taking off online and you can find parts, engines and batteries amongst other items to either replace older or damaged parts. In your search for a reputable company check through your local business directory and online yellow pages and make a list of those in your area. Be aware that the company will only generally pay a limited amount for a car depending whether the parts are in demand. Also there will be a charge if you need them to collect.

Once you have identified a few salvage yards, give them a call and ask for a quote over the phone. Using this method means you have the ability to use the given quotes in an attempt to bargain for a better deal and have the advantage of getting a better price.

If you feel your car is worth more than the offer of the car salvage company, you could try auctioning it on eBay. This opens up access to those buyers in your area who operate online only and can enable you to reach your target audience.

There are also other online auto salvage auctions that sell hundreds of cars to customers every week all over the UK and Europe. Due to an extensive network, some auction websites can even arrange to collect and store your vehicle until it is sold. Look online for online car salvage auction specialists.