Guide7 min read2 views
Updated 27 October 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
Wash the car, shoot in soft morning or late-afternoon light against a plain background, and cover the full exterior, interior, engine bay and odometer. Clean, well-lit photos get more clicks and fewer time-wasting calls.
Good car ad photos come from three things: a clean vehicle, soft natural light, and a full set of shots that shows every angle, including flaws. You do not need a professional camera — a recent smartphone is enough. Wash the car, pick a quiet uncluttered spot, shoot in the early morning or late afternoon, and work through a fixed shot list so buyers see everything they need before they even call you.
Before you touch the camera, get the car and the location ready. Wash the exterior properly, including the wheels and tyres, and clean the interior — vacuum the seats and floor mats, wipe the dashboard, and remove the parking disc, air fresheners, phone holders and any personal documents or items from the dash and seats. If the car has stickers, decals or union/political flags, think about whether you want them in the ad photos, since they can distract from the vehicle itself.
Pick a flat, open, uncluttered spot. An empty car park, a quiet lane, or your own compound with a plain wall or gate works well. Avoid parking in front of other vehicles, shop signs, religious buildings or crowds of people, since these pull the buyer's eye away from the car and can show faces or property you have no right to publish. Move the car so there is open space around it on all sides — this gives you room to shoot straight-on angles without doorframes, walls or poles cutting into the shot.
Light matters more than the camera. Early morning and late afternoon give soft, even light that shows the paint's true colour without harsh shadows or glare on the glass and bodywork. Overcast days work well too, since clouds act like a giant diffuser. Avoid shooting between late morning and mid-afternoon on a clear day — strong overhead sun creates deep shadows under the car and bonnet, and can wash out lighter paint colours in photos.
Weather also varies by coast. The south-west (Colombo, Galle, Kalutara) tends to have its driest, clearest spells roughly from December to April, while the north and east (Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa) are typically drier from around May to September. If you are in a wetter stretch, watch for a dry morning or a break between showers, and wipe down the car afterwards — wet paint reflects light oddly and rain spots show up clearly in photos.
Work through a fixed list so you don't miss anything buyers will ask about later:
Showing flaws clearly, rather than hiding them, cuts down on buyers who cancel a viewing after seeing the car in person. It also matches the advice in Wahanaya's safety tips on describing a vehicle honestly to avoid disputes later.
This is a personal choice rather than a rule. Many private sellers choose to cover the plate with a card, a magnetic cover, or simply blur it digitally before posting, since a clear plate number published online can be copied onto another vehicle or used to look up your details without your knowledge. If you do this, a short note in the ad such as "plate hidden for privacy, happy to show it to serious buyers" reassures buyers that nothing is being hidden about the car itself. If you'd rather leave the plate visible, that is fine too — just don't show your CR book, NIC, licence, or insurance papers in the photos, since those carry your personal details.
Use the full photo allowance your listing gives you rather than the minimum. Lead with your strongest exterior three-quarter shot as the cover photo, since that's what shows up first in /vehicles search results, then follow the shot list above in a logical order — exterior, interior, engine bay, tyres, odometer, then any damage shots last. This order mirrors how a buyer would actually walk around and inspect the car in person.
Once your photos and listing are ready, you can post the ad directly through /post-ad. If you're still deciding on an asking price, run the model through /price-check first, and if buyers ask about financing, point them to the /leasing calculator so they can estimate a monthly payment before they commit. If you're unsure about anything — from camera settings to how much detail to include — you can ask other sellers in the Wahanaya forum.
When a buyer pays through a lease or bank loan, their finance company sends an approved valuer to inspect your car and registers itself as absolute owner on the CR book before you get paid, so expect extra paperwork and a short delay versus a cash sale.
Wahanaya.lk team8 min read
The safest payment is a bank transfer or bank draft you verify yourself by checking your own banking app or calling your bank — never a screenshot the buyer sends you. Don't hand over the CR book, keys or signed MTA 6 form until the money has actually settled in your account.
Wahanaya.lk team7 min read
Yes — the DMT's ownership-transfer system checks that your vehicle's VET (emission test) certificate and revenue licence are both in date before it lets the transfer go through, so renew an expired VET before you sell, unless your vehicle is exempt.
Wahanaya.lk team7 min read
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