Get That Vehicle Documentation Right
There are legal requirements in the UK as in most countries in the world to ensure the ownership of any vehicle is clear and that they adhere to the essentials to being on the road. The standard document around the world seems to be a logbook (stating the specifications of the vehicle and who owns it), a MOT certificate (or proof or a regular test to ensure the car is at least roadworthy at the time of the test) and of course that insurance that should protect you and other road users should an incident occur.
So there should be no surprise that when buying or selling a vehicle ensuring certain documentation is in order is very important read more about documents. It is not until you consider buying vehicles in other western countries that you realize we are pretty luck in the UK with the DVLA. First of all it is a free service to transfer ownership detail, the buyer fills in a section on the logbook and the seller does too. Both send it their copies and within about 10 days or so, it is sent out back to you, ask for the cost of a couple of stamps.
Other Countries Harder and More Expensive
The MOT Fit For The Road
A valid MOT certificate is important to drive the car home also, but actually is not proof that the what you are driving is road legal. In theory it is just a snap shot in time, even if it has been done a few days ago, tyres, wiper blades etc all could have been changed or worse. So a check of the vehicle should still take place. The UK has quite a thorough MOT test compared to other European countries, so in reality on a mall amount of vehicles are affected, modern manufacturing processes also means a most vehicles can have a longer road life, should its value be worth it.