Find Top 7 Smart Ways to Sell Your Used Vehicles

Selling your used car might seem like a daunting challenge as it involves quite a number of tasks. From finding the market value to gathering documents and listing your vehicle on the right platform, you need to do it the correct way. Moreover, there are two ways through which you can sell a car. You can either do the sale yourself or go for a platform that engages in the sale and purchase of pre-owned vehicles. 

Such a platform will have a set process of evaluating your car and will also let you know the list of documents required for sale. Additionally, they will also offer you a bevy of services and also have an impactful marketing strategy in place. You can also use the platform’s online tool to arrive at your car’s market value approximately.

So, if you are eyeing to sell your used car, here some smart tips that will help you in getting a better price:

1. Choosing  the right platform:

Nowadays, there are many online and offline platforms that allow you to sell your car online. Usually, in the past decade, when we wanted to sell our vehicle, we usually put a “For Sale” sign and wait for the potential buyer to walk-in. But, now we can leverage the use of many social media platforms and post your car sale ad.

You can list your car in your Facebook account or any online platform.  Many sites offer free and paid listings of vehicle sale ads. If you choose paid ads, you will have higher visibility and a better chance of scouring buyers.

2. Repairs and replacements:

When pricing your used car for sale, make sure that it is a fully working condition. In short, you need to give your car, “The Curb Appeal.” Make sure your vehicle is clean and attractive, and that goes beyond just a car wash. 

Here are some of the ways for you to bring the “Curb Appeal” to your car:

• Wash and clean the insides and outsides of the vehicle thoroughly 
• Ensure that your car has no mechanical defaults and is without dents, scratches, and scrapes.
• Make some repairs instead of selling the car in its original condition.
• Remove all the junk from the trunk, dashboard, other compartments and keep them clean. It will help the prospective buyers to visualize the car as their own.
• Wipe off the dust off the seat covers and re-tread your tires if possible.
• Clean the windows inside and outside, along with all the mirrored surfaces and keep them shiny.
• Keep all the service records handy to show the prospective buyers that you have maintained your car in a good position.
• If your car requires a routine change of oil or check-up, then do it before you list it for sale.
• Have a mechanic check your car thoroughly before listing it for sale.
• Make sure you have original records of the car’s ownership, insurance, and so on, along with the accurate reading of the Odometer.

3. Know your Vehicle inside and out:

Once you list the vehicle for sale, you are going to receive many calls with questions about the car. Make sure you are well-prepared to answer them. Know all the details inside out like :

• The make of the engine
• Its transmission
• Mileage
• Safety features
• Trunk or boot space and so on

Getting a genuine buyer can take a while, so be responsive as much as you can. Set up a notification for the platforms where you are advertising so that you can reach them through a message immediately. Have a list of answers prepared to answer the potential buyer’s queries, and it will also help you save time.

4. Photograph your vehicle:

Take high-quality photographs of your car from all angles. You can post them online and provide the potential buyers a look at the vehicle and a better vision of what they are buying. Even better, you can make a video of the car and post it online. In fact, posting a video of your car will attract more buyers than just posting photos along with a description.

5. Know the market:

Additionally, you also need to know about the market, like will it be easy to sell your car? Is it easier to sell, or do you have to lower the price and so on?

But, there are specific general guidelines that will help you determine the answer to the above-phrased questions:

• Sedans and family size cars are always in demand for people needing an inexpensive car.
• Convertibles, sports car might move slow as they tend to come upon the expensive side
• Trucks, Vans command competitive prices as they double up as commercial and personal transport vehicles. In case you are looking to sell your old commercial vehicle for a new one, make sure the sale price is enough to cover at least 50% cost of the new one. If, not you need to look out for back-up options like new commercial vehicle finance loans or other lending options.
• If you are having a vintage edition or collector’s car, that might be a little difficult to sell due to the unavailability of parts. But you can command a high price if you find the right buyer.

Check your local and city classifieds to see how the other cars of the same segment are priced. For example, many online sites allow you to apply filters that let you see how many vehicles of the same segment are in the market. You can take note of their condition, build, accessories, and pricing and use those parameters to price your car effectively.

6. Be prepared:

Car buyers come with high hopes of purchasing their dream car at a price that feels right to them. Don’t give them reasons to reject your car. Keep it clean and well-sorted for them to view. In case they want to take the car for a spin, allow them for a test drive and go along with them. Answer any questions they might have during the ride without using those questions to sell them the car. 

7. Close the deal:

After a test drive, the prospective buyer will come to the price negotiation part. Let them make the opening offer and then start the negotiation process. Negotiate clearly and make sure that you repeat the numbers for them clearly understand your asking price. If you have full ownership of the car, you need to decide on how you will receive the payment. In case you still have a car loan going on with the bank, make sure all the formalities are completed before the transfer of ownership.

Selling a car is a lengthy process, but you need to make sure that you don’t wait too long as time goes, your car will depreciate further. The above-detailed tips can help you in preparing your car for prospective buyers and quicken the process of the sale.