Every seller wants to sell the car quickly, expensively, and without further communication with the buyer. But the reality is that preparing a car for sale also takes time and effort. To make this process easier for you, we have gathered these six effective tips on how to sell a car.
1. Possession of complete information about the car
While selling a car for cash or to a third party, there is nothing more valuable than versatile knowledge and information about the car model itself. You need to know not only complete information about it, but also to own various data about a given car model, and they can be gathered using Wikipedia or in different auto clubs and forums dedicated to a particular car model. When selling a car, you should know the following:
- Year of release/Brand/Model/VIN/Color/Month of release/Mileage
- Were there any factory reviews for this model in connection with the defects found in them? If yes, then whether maintenance work was carried out on the service
- What are the common problems encountered by the owners of a particular car model during operation?
- What is the volume of the engine and what is the fuel consumption in the car?
- What is the average price on the market for cars in the same condition as yours
After you spend several hours studying and searching for information on the Internet about the car you want to sell, this will allow you to convert the necessary funds from this car in a short time. Even if you think that you know everything about your car, it is better to study someone else’s third-party experience of operating a car. This will allow you to be aware when meeting with a buyer and refer to your own, including others’ experience of owning a car. When the buyer sees that you thoroughly understand the car, they can conclude that you have carefully monitored the condition of the car and it is quite possible that he will buy your car.
2. Carrying value of the car
Everything is quite simple here. The higher the demand, the higher the market price. Conversely, the lower the demand, the lower the price. Therefore, sometimes it happens that the book value of a car is much lower than its real market price. But more often, the opposite is happening in our market. Despite the book value of the cars, they are much lower on the market. This is primarily due to the huge number of such used cars on the market and also to the low demand for them. For this reason, people can’t sell their used cars for a long time and, in the end, having lost a lot of time and nerves, sell their cars to dealers much cheaper.
How much exactly does your car cost? In part, Internet services will help you get an answer to this question, with the help of them you can find out the statistics of prices for the car model you are interested in for the last year. You can also calculate the weighted average cost of your car. This will give you an idea of a fair price for your vehicle. But, nevertheless, don’t forget that this will not give you any guarantee that you will sell your car for this money.
3. Collect all cash receipts and waybills for parts and components
In addition to the service book, it is advisable to collect all receipts for spare parts that you or the former owner of the car purchased before the sale. If you are not able to provide the buyer with such documents, then write in your computer and make a printout on a sheet of paper of all the maintenance and repair work of your car (preferably with an indication of the mileage).
Remember that 95% of buyers, having seen a service book in which all the planned work done during the operation of the car is noted, immediately calm down and conclude for themselves that you really served the car as recommended by the manufacturer. Having cash register receipts for spare parts will also allow you to gain the confidence of the buyer.
4. Wash and clean the car
As a rule, buyers pay attention to the external condition of the car. Is the body and interior of the car clean? Making a car completely clean is great art, but it is available to all car owners using inexpensive detergents. If your car shines with perfect cleanliness, then the chances of selling it in a short time increase several times.
5. Take as many detailed photos of the car as possible
When a person views an advertisement for the sale of a car on a car bulletin board on the Internet, then the more information and photos available for review, the more likely they will call you. You need to take the maximum number of high-resolution photos of the car in advance.
If you have the ability to take pictures using a DSLR camera, then this will be the best option. Use a cheap tripod for perfect shots, especially indoors where the flash needs to be used due to insufficient light. Take pictures with an emphasis on the condition of the car. Don’t forget (in addition to the interior and body) to shoot the engine compartment of the car, trunk, sills, arches, wheels, and the exhaust system itself.
6. Make the description for the car sale announcement as detailed as possible
Remember that any buyer will ask you many questions and thoroughly inspect your car. Therefore, you can answer in advance many questions that potential buyers may ask you. You need to compose the maximum volumetric description of the car for the ad. This tactic will only increase the buyer’s confidence in you and prevent them from haggling aggressively when negotiating prices.
