Where Should You Meet a Buyer if You’re Selling Your Car Privately?

Marketing Peach

— 4 min read
Where Should You Meet a Buyer if You’re Selling Your Car Privately?

Car selling privately, everywhere, and not just in Kenya, isn’t just about listing it online and waiting for cash to drop from the sky. 

Buyers want to see, touch, test, and sometimes even argue about whether your car “really does 12km per litre.” Apart from finding the right buyer, the other real challenge is choosing where to meet them.

What you need is to find a safe and smart way to hand over both the keys and the cash. So, where you meet your buyer can make or break the deal. Some spots set you up for a smooth sailing car-selling experience, others set you up for unnecessary drama.

Let’s break it down properly.

The "Heeell No!" Locations: Places to Avoid or Handle with Care

Some places increase your risk levels. You need some precautions if they must be used absolutely for private car selling.

1. Meeting at Your Home (or Theirs)

  • Why it’s risky: Your home exposes your family and belongings. Theirs puts you at a disadvantage on unfamiliar ground.
  • What to do if you must:
    • Don’t go alone. Bring a trusted friend, neighbour, or even your chama buddy.
    • Meet outside, not inside the house. Keep it short and professional.
    • Avoid discussing money at home. If they want to pay, agree to finalise at a neutral, safe location (such as a bank).

💡 Pro Tip: In Kenya, “kuja kwangu” is common, especially with busy buyers. It’s not always a scam, but it’s never wise to go solo.

2. Secluded Areas or Quiet Parking Lots

  • The risk: Remote areas create perfect conditions for carjackings. Even legit buyers may lose confidence.
  • Practical alternative: Suggest a nearby public space instead,  a petrol station with attendants, or a busy mall parking area.
  • If unavoidable:
    • Go during the day, not at night.
    • Bring someone along.
    • Share your live location with a friend/family.

🚩 Red Flag Alert: If the buyer insists on meeting at a place you are not familiar with, take that as your cue to redirect.

3. The Local Pub or Club

  • Why it complicates things: Alcohol, noise, and money don’t mix well. Plus, it attracts unnecessary attention.
  • What to do instead: Suggest meeting at the parking area of the pub during the day (not inside) and keep it businesslike.

💡 Pro Tip: If someone says, “Let’s meet over a drink, we’ll talk as we eat nyama choma,”, fine, but keep the car deal separate. Finalise everything first before you start drinking. 

The "Okay, But Be Careful" Locations

These are safer but still require you to stay alert.

1. A Busy Supermarket Car Park

  • Pros: Public, has security guards and cameras, and is easy to access.
  • Cons: Crowded and noisy. Hard to check documents or cash properly.
  • Best practice:
    • Use it for first meetups or quick viewings.
    • For payments or final paperwork, move to a quieter, controlled environment (like a bank).

🍌 Kenyan Reality Check: Explaining service history while boda guys weave around you with passengers on their seats isn’t ideal. Think of this as a viewing spot, not the closing table.

2. Near a Police Station

  • Why it’s good: Buyers and sellers both feel safer under police watch.
  • Limitations: Police won’t babysit your deal.
  • Best practice:
    • Park near (not blocking) the station.
    • Do the viewing and short negotiations here, then move to a bank for cash handling.

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re finalising documents, some stations have public benches or open areas. Use those instead of random car bonnets.

Best Places for Serious Deals

Here’s where things get easier, safer, and more professional.

1. A Reputable Mechanic's Workshop or Garage

  • Why it works:
    • Buyer can verify condition.
    • Mechanic acts as a neutral third party.
  • Best practice:
    • Agree in advance if inspection costs are shared or covered by the buyer.
    • Ask for a written assessment from the mechanic.

2. A Bank

  • Why it’s the safest for money: Secure, documented, and immediate deposit.
  • Best practice:
    • Avoid carrying cash outside. Let the buyer withdraw and you deposit, inside the same hall.
    • Use bank transfers when possible. Faster, safer, and traceable.
  • Pro Tip: If a buyer “forgets” their ID or resists going into the bank, that’s a sign of trouble.

The Smarter Alternative: Skip Random Meet-Ups, Sell with Peach Cars

Of course, you can juggle meetups, chase down buyers, and hope everything aligns. Or you can let Peach Cars do it for you. We provide:

  • Professional 288-point car inspections for transparency and trust.
  • Verified buyers to reduce scams and timewasters.
  • Marketing on digital platforms and offline channels to widen reach.
  • Handling of all paperwork, including NTSA logbook transfer.
  • Test drives fuelled and cars insured while on lot.
  • Average sale period of 27 days and 60% success rate for cars left on Peach’s yard.
  • Secure payment processing with timely seller payouts.
  • End-to-end support from inspection to final sale.

Simply put, Peach Cars turns what can be a stressful, slow process into a fast, safe, and reliable service, you sell your car, and we do the heavy lifting

That said, selling a car in Kenya is doable, even enjoyable, when you approach it smartly. With the right meeting spots, you protect yourself, impress the buyer, and keep things moving quickly. And if you’d rather not juggle logistics at all, Peach Cars is ready to step in and make it seamless.

Book your free inspection today, and let’s get that car sold the smart way.

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