5 Things You Should Always Do When Selling a Car
When the time comes to sell your car, you’re going to want to do everything possible to get the best price. Here's what you need to do.
Table of Contents
- Do your research
- Put time into advertising
- Beautify your car
- Be responsive
- Allow test drives
- Finding the right insurance
Load full table of contents
Selling a car is a little bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have to go through the sometimes arduous process of finding a buyer, agreeing on a price, and handling the paperwork. On the other hand, you get a nice chunk of change in your pocket when you’re done.
If you’re getting rid of a car, it’s probably important for you to get a good price. After all, if you were trying to just give your car away, you’d probably just
donate it to charity
. And if it's a junker, you'll just unload it for cash
.So how do you go about selling your car for the best price? Read on to find out.
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Do your research
First things first: do thorough research. Use sites like
Kelley Blue Book
to figure out how much money your car is worth. If you don’t have a firm idea of what you should be getting for your car, then you have no way of making sure you’re getting the best price.Once you’ve done your research, be patient. A lot of people will try to negotiate a low price, or scam you by telling you your car isn’t worth what you say it’s worth. Hold your line, and wait for the right buyer.
Put time into advertising
If you’ve ever shopped for a car online, you’ve probably come across some bad ads. You know what we’re talking about, right? The ads that feature only three or four pictures of the car, and they look like they’re taken at dusk with a digital camera from the 1990s. The ads that have about 20 words describing the car. You know the stuff.
You always skip right by those ads, right? So don’t make them when selling your car. Wherever you list your car, have at least 10, and preferably 20 pictures, with good lighting. List all the information that a potential buyer would want to know. Make it easier for the buyer, and you’ll attract serious people.
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Beautify your car
When in doubt, make your car look pretty. Before taking pictures of your car, and before showing it to prospective buyers, make sure it looks its best. Wash it, and wax it if you can. Remove
oil and grease
from the doors. Clean the tires and rims. Make sure the interior is tidy and vacuumed
and smells nice
. Selling a car is like showing a home
. The better it looks, the more people will like it.Be responsive
You wouldn’t want to just look at a car on the internet and then buy it, right? You’d
probably have questions
. So expect that out of your potential buyers, and help them out.Let people know how they can contact you if they have questions, and then answer the questions in a timely and courteous manner. If someone takes the time to reach out to you with a question, then they’re serious about buying your car, so do what you can to give them what they need to make a decision.
Allow test drives
People are much more likely to meet your asking price if they get to sit behind the wheel and
go for a test drive
. It’s one thing to tell a buyer that the car drives well. It’s another thing entirely to give them the comfort and confidence that comes from experiencing that.As long as they feel trustworthy, let them behind the wheel so they can see if they want to spend money on your car.
Do these things and you’ll be getting the best possible offers on your car, just like you deserve.
Finding the right insurance
Just because you’re selling your car doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about insurance. It’s illegal to drive without insurance in most states, so you should get fixed up with the perfect deal for you whenever you get behind the wheel.
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