12/06/2025
Insights
If your business survives long enough, there’ll come a point in its lifecycle when you want to sell used machinery, plant or equipment to raise money to upgrade your operations or invest in other areas.
Understandably, when selling heavy machinery, you’ll want to get the best possible price without the sales process taking time and resources away from your business. But what is the best way to unlock value from surplus plant and machinery?
Here we discuss the various sales methods and outline their pros and cons. We also explain how we can take the hassle out of selling used machinery so you can recover value quickly and move on with confidence.
How can I sell my machinery?
If you have surplus machinery your business no longer needs - whether you’re shutting down a facility, upgrading your operations or just clearing space - there are several sales methods you can try.
Classified ads
You can sell directly to buyers by advertising your plant, heavy machinery and other equipment in trade magazines or online marketplaces.
- The benefit of this approach is that you are cutting out the middleman, such as a dealer or broker, so you’ll receive the full sale price if you find a buyer.
- However, the downside is that it’s time-intensive. You have to advertise the machinery, write a detailed description, deal with enquiries from prospective buyers and be available for inspections. That’s a lot of time to invest, particularly if the asset does not sell.
Brokers
Brokers use their extended network to connect you with potential buyers. That can be a good approach if the machinery you have to sell is niche or specialist and there are a limited number of would-be buyers.
- The main benefit of a broker is their connections, which could help you sell machinery or equipment you may not be able to find a buyer for yourself.
- The downside is that brokers will charge a commission, which will be a percentage of the final sale price. The commission varies but can be up to 15% or more, representing a significant chunk of the proceeds.
Auction
In-person and online auctions are one of the most popular ways to sell plant, machinery and equipment. You enter the asset into an auction and it sells to the highest bidder.
- The benefit of auctions is that you have the potential to reach a wider range of prospective buyers. That’s particularly the case with online auctions, which can attract UK-wide and overseas bidders. That competition can push the price and lead to excellent returns. Some auctioneers also handle the entire sales process, so you can focus on your business.
- The downside is the uncertainty around the final sale price, although you can mitigate that by setting a reserve. There’s also a chance that some items may not sell.
How can we help you sell used machinery?
At Eddisons Asset Auctions, we are a national auctioneer and one of the UK’s leading used machinery and plant sellers. We commonly sell:
- Construction and plant machinery
- Engineering machinery
- Metalworking and fabrication machines
- Farm machinery and equipment
- Woodworking machinery
Whether you want to sell an individual machine or the entire contents of a factory or production line, we offer a range of selling methods to get the optimum price for your assets. That includes:
Private negotiated sales
Negotiated sales are often the best option when selling complex or high-value assets. We market your assets to our network of over 30,000 potential buyers. We provide a guide price for the machinery based on a professional valuation by our RICS surveyors. We then negotiate with interested parties on your behalf to achieve the best possible terms.
Online auctions
If you want to sell machinery that’s in high demand quickly and with minimal involvement in the process, an online auction is usually the best method. Our online auctions were viewed by over 10 million potential buyers last year, with that reach leading to above-average success rates. We advertise your machinery to our network of buyers and more widely via offline and online marketing methods to maximise the interest and price.
Tender sales
A tender sale gives you more control over the sales process, as you are able to see all the offers for your machinery and choose the one that suits you best. We advertise your machinery to prospective buyers and ask them to privately submit their best offer. This sales method is well-suited to specialist assets within limited markets.
Ready to sell your machinery? Let us help
At Eddisons Asset Auctions, we take care of the sales process from start to finish so you can get on with running your business. That includes:
- Professionally valuing your machinery
- Creating detailed descriptions and high-quality images
- Advertising to our network and to nationwide and overseas buyers through online and offline channels
- A secure bidding or negotiation process
- Coordination of payment, after-sales and collections
If you have machinery sitting idle or are preparing for closure or to downsize, we can help you turn your assets into cash while achieving the best possible price. Find out more about selling your assets and get in touch for a free asset appraisal.
Get in touch with the Eddisons team
Please contact us for more details and information
