The Steps To Preparing Your Car Before Selling It

Thursday, April 5, 2018



If you are thinking of selling your car, then in order to get the best price for it, you need to take some time to prepare. It can take time to get it looking good, and could even cost you a little money. But at the end of the day, that money and time needs to be seen as an investment. You’re much likely to get more for your money when you take time to prepare your car for sale. Even something as simple as cleaning it thoroughly inside and out or getting a new tire that is looking a little worn can mean you get the best price possible for it. And for an easy win as those examples, it is worth taking some time to do just that.

Checking that the mechanical work is a good idea, after a thorough clean of the vehicle, inside and out. You don’t want to promote the stereo as being a selling point, if really, it doesn’t work that well and the sounds is crackly. Check displays, the air-con and heating systems, and things like electric windows. Some of these could cost you quite a bit to repair, so may not be worth it. But you need to know all of the ins and outs if you want to get the best deal and sell a quality item to someone. You’ll get an unhappy customer if they get the car home and then discover the heating system doesn’t work in winter!



However, minor problems and damage should be looked at. Whether you decide to sell privately or sell to a dealership, you will get the most for your money if it is in as good of a state as is possible. And this isn’t just that the car will look at its best. But it will make your car much more appealing to others, for starters. But not only that, it will make the car look ba if there are some glaringly obvious problems. The buyer will haggle and if you don’t budge, you may find it hard for anyone to want to buy it from you. So prepare, plan, and be proactive when it comes to selling your car. It will be worth it.


You need to think about where to sell the car, though. There are many places that you can list
used cars for sale, online or offline. Depending on where you live, you could simply advertise locally. A poster in the car itself, as well as in local papers can be a good idea. Don’t forget the power of social media and things like local Facebook selling groups, though. This potentially has access to many, many people. And being local, means that they won’t have to travel far to come and view the car, which can only ever be a good thing.



There are specific websites that you can use to advertise a used car for sale too. Think about sites like AutoTrader, and even eBay. Just make sure that you know your car’s specifications and write them down in detail. Providing plenty of images is a good idea too. Someone from eBay isn’t even going to be tempted to buy if there is only one image. So have plenty of them, both the interior and the exterior. And if there are any issues, be honest with them, but give a fair price. What would you pay if it was you doing the buying? Thinking about it from that perspective can be a good idea.

Of course, one of the simplest ways to sell your car can be to sell it to a dealership. They will take it off your hands for a set price, or you could even trade it in for a new car. If there are quite a few issues with the car, then this might be the best option to go down, as it will often be sold for parts. But selling privately can be tricky if there lots of issues as someone wants to be able to drive it home right away. So seeing what a dealership or used car place would offer you can be worth looking at.

Finally, you need to have all of the car’s paperwork. Any ownership documents, service history, warranties, or details of repairs are going to be important to gather together. If you are charging more because your car has had a full service history, then you need to be able to prove it. Otherwise,
potential buyers are just going to haggle and you won’t get the price that you want.

Good luck! It can be a long process, but when you take your time, it will be worth the time taken.











2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips as I am thinking about selling my car but will have to get the repair work done first. It was keyed about 2 months ago and need to get this done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh that's horrible I'm so sorry that happened to you!!

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