How it works
Four stages, each closing with something written.
Commissioning research should never be a black box. Here is the sequence, what we do inside it, and what you are holding when each stage closes.
The stages
The order of work, and what reaches you.
Stage 01
You send the brief
You send
Budget, make and model, mileage ceiling, age floor, the radius you will cover, and anything fixed.
We do
Read it back, name any gap that changes the search, and confirm the scope in writing.
You receive
A short scope note: the ground being covered, and the ground that is not.
Stage 02
We work the sources
We do
Go through the channels that match your brief, and gather the listings that genuinely fit it.
We leave out
Listings that only look close. Distance, spec or history disqualifying them is stated, not hidden.
You receive
A candidate list with each entry’s fit and its obvious weaknesses.
Stage 03
We price and check
We do
Place each candidate against comparable listings, and go through the specification the listing states.
We flag
What the listing does not answer, and which of those points only a viewing can settle.
You receive
An indicative range per candidate, with the comparables used.
Stage 04
You get the file
We do
Bring the stages together into one document you can read in a sitting.
We add
A set of questions to put to the seller, drawn from what the research could not close.
You receive
The written comparison. What you do with it is your decision.
The deliverable
What is in the file, in order.
| Part | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Scope | The brief as agreed, and the limits of the search |
| Candidates | The listings that fit, each with its weak points noted |
| Price reading | An indicative range per candidate and the comparables behind it |
| Open points | What the listing does not answer, and how to test it at a viewing |
| Where it stops | The assumptions the reading rests on, stated plainly |
No part of the file is a promise about a car. It is a record of what the available information showed on the day it was prepared, and how much weight it will carry.
