Motor Trade Insurance Explained (For Devs Who Flip Cars on the Side)

🚗 Motor Trade Insurance Explained (For Devs Who Flip Cars on the Side)
So you build web apps, debug backend logic, and maybe even ship code before your first coffee. But what if you also run a part-time car-flipping business or manage a small garage as your offline hustle?

Yep, you’re going to need something more than personal car insurance.

Let’s talk about Motor Trade Insurance — and why, as a dev or side hustler, it might just be your smartest investment yet.

💡 What Is Motor Trade Insurance?
If you’re involved in buying, selling, repairing, transporting, or working on vehicles as a business (even part-time), regular car insurance won’t cut it.

• Motor Trade Insurance is designed specifically for people who:
• Sell cars as a side hustle
• Run a garage or valeting business
• Offer vehicle transport or collection services
• Fix cars in their spare time
• Work with customer vehicles (even occasionally)

🚧 Why Your Personal Policy Won’t Work
Imagine this: You're test-driving a car you’re prepping to sell. You have a personal insurance policy, but the car isn’t registered in your name yet. Something goes wrong. The insurer says, “Sorry, not covered.”

Motor trade insurance exists for these gray areas.

It lets you:

• Drive multiple vehicles (even if they’re not yours)
• Protect customer vehicles in your care
• Cover your tools, stock, and garage space
• Add employer’s or public liability if needed

🧠 Real Talk for Devs
Let’s be honest — if you're the kind of person who sets up CI/CD pipelines, you probably appreciate good system design. Motor Trade Insurance is like having a scalable, modular security layer for your side hustle.

✅ It reduces risk
✅ Makes you look legit (if clients or buyers ask about cover)
✅ And keeps you compliant with the law if you’re driving customer vehicles

🧾 Types of Cover You Might Need
Road Risk Only – If you just need to drive cars for the trade (basic level)

Combined Policy – If you also have a garage, tools, or employees

Part-Time Motor Trade Cover – Perfect for weekend car flippers or those working evenings

🧩 Where to Get Started
If you're in Ireland and need guidance, check out Britton Insurance. They offer tailored options whether you're flipping 5 cars a year or managing a full-time motor business.

🏁 Final Thoughts
Being a developer doesn’t mean your side hustle can’t be hands-on. Whether you're into code or carburetors, protecting your work is smart. Just like you wouldn’t run a production server without backups, don’t run your vehicle business without proper insurance.

Build. Sell. Protect. Repeat.