It's a relative shortage of used cars from progressively fewer new cars sold over the past 3 years and also the fall in Sterling. This has made used British cars viable exports to places like Eire, where the strength of the Euro against Sterling effectively makes them about 30% cheaper. You could not pick a worse time to try to get back into the trade. Auction prices have risen month on month every month this year, though the rise has now probably peaked. To start selling from home you need to:-

1. Register for VAT.

2. Have somewhere to keep the cars off the public highway.

3. Obtain trade insurance.

4. Lodge about £20,000 in a bank account then try to get a cheque account at an auction house.

5. Get liability insurance.

6. Subscribe to www.motorindustrycodes.co.uk code of practice.

7. After you have been trading for a couple of years, apply for Trade
Plates so you can legally move untaxed cars around.