Top Ten Tips to Easily Sell Your Car

The decision to sell anything can be a tough one at times, particularly if you’re going at it alone. As a seller, you’re caught between trying to offer a fair deal to a fair person, and trying to strike the right deal for yourself. This is precisely why selling a car can feel so stressful.

Yet, the reality is that these objectives aren’t mutually exclusive. You can be a good seller and walk away with a satisfying sum, after selling your car. You just have to know how to appeal to the right buyers. These handy hints and tips will help you to sell your car effectively and efficiently.

 

1. Put Your Car in an Online Ad

Online ‘match’ platforms, like Car Coin, can be invaluable. They make the selling process easy, by sending your ad to thousands of prospective buyers. All that you do is press the Sell My Car button and follow the instructions provided. Then, all responses will be directed to your account, so that you can make the next move.

2. Know the Vehicle Inside Out

Few buyers are going to get further than a quick look around the interior if you can’t give them the information they need to make an informed decision. If you don’t know your car intimately, the transaction will represent a risk for them. So, make sure that you can provide the year, make, model, VIN, and date of manufacture.

3. Be Honest About Its History

If you want to get a great price for your car, sell it alongside a professional history report. You can get these from a number of different vehicle history services. Essentially, they add trust and credibility to the transaction. They make it clear that the vehicle is in tip top condition and that there’ll be no nasty surprises as soon as the money changes hands.

4. Keep It Squeaky Clean

Nothing turns buyers off faster than a dirty car. If you want to sell fast and grab a great deal, you need to make sure that both the interior and exterior is spotless. Whether you do it by hand or take the beast to the car wash; either way, it should be sparkling and free of litter, stains, blemishes, and marks.

5. Take High Quality Pictures

If you are planning to advertise or sell your car online, you’ll need an album full of clear, high quality images. These need to be taken outside, because the car has to be well lit and not obscured in any way.

6. Make Your Ad Detailed

The thing about cars is that you can’t really deceive a buyer; not for long, anyway. We spend so much time in our vehicles that even minor issues become glaringly obvious very quickly. So, it is always best to be honest about the condition of the car in your advertisement. Discuss imperfections to the paint, past collisions, the state of tyres, and any intermittent faults.

7. Try to Stay in Contact

It is really important, after you’ve placed your ad, to stay in contact. There is no point putting the effort into creating a great online advertisement, if you’re not going to answer the phone or respond to emails from buyers. Make sure that you provide up to date contact details and that you get back to inquiries and messages in a timely fashion.

8. Give the Buyer Room to Breathe

It can be tricky to strike the right balance between personable and serious when selling a car. If you’re over friendly, you risk the buyer trying to take you for a ride. On the other hand, if you’re cold and unengaging, they might feel uncomfortable with the transaction. Be open and warm, but try not to crowd the buyer or draw focus away from the sale.

9. Be Firm About Your Price

While it is important to pick a price that suits the market (it has to be realistic), there’s no reason to start knocking yours down unless there’s no interest. If you’ve got a number of buyers considering the car, you can afford to be firm about the asking price. Just because one buyer drops out, it doesn’t mean the rest will; sometimes, the risk is worth the reward.

10.  Cover All the Bases

 
As soon as it looks like the transaction is moving towards a close, you need to draw up a legal receipt. This is for the benefit of not just the buyer but yourself too. It clearly outlines what has been sold and the associated amount, so that neither party can cry foul play. Once the car has been sold, alter the relevant sections of your logbook and inform your insurer that the vehicle no longer belongs to you.

Selling a car can be a fussy process, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right advice, you can make sure that your sale runs smoothly and that your vehicle sells for a great price.