Tips for selling your car
You may be selling your car because you’re ready for an upgrade.
Or maybe you’ve had it for years and it’s just time to let go.
Well, when you sell your car you’ll need to go through a few processes in order to get it in the right hands.
You’ll need to clean up your car, gather all the paperwork and advertise the vehicle.
Make sure you do your research first in order to ensure you turn your used car into cash.
Paperwork
Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork available. This will reassure the buyer that you have nothing to hide. Providing the buyer with your car’s full history will make you credible and will give the buyer reason to trust you.
Service records
You need to also ensure you have the vehicle’s service records available. The buyer will need to know that the car being sold was maintained and serviced over the years. If you don’t have service records available, the buyer might not even consider buying your car.
If you don’t have service records on hand, you can go to the repair shop where you usually service your car and ask them for receipts. And if you have additional paperwork showcasing the parts ordered to repair your car, it’ll work in your favour. It’ll show that you were an owner who took care of the vehicle over the period you had it.
Presentation is everything
Make sure you take your vehicle to a carwash in order for it to be thoroughly cleaned. A cluttered car filled with your paperwork all over the floor and boxes of takeout is not likely to impress a buyer. Clear your glove department, polish your car tyres, and wash and shampoo the interior carpet and upholstery. Take the time to neaten your car and remove rubbish so you can make a good impression
Advertisement
Whether you put an advertisement online or in a magazine, make sure your car looks appealing. A picture says a thousand words and it will be the first thing customers see. A clean car is crucial in order to attract a potential buyer.
In the ad, make sure you mention the brand name, model and the year of the manufacturer and registration identifier. The more information you give out about the car, the better. When a person is browsing online for a car, they will be more inclined to be lured with an ad which provides the buyer with a detailed description of the car.
Test drive
If the buyer wants to take your car for a test drive or they just want to inspect it, then you need to make sure you meet in a public space. It could be at a petrol station or police station. The busier the area, the better it will be. You need to take the necessary precaution to ensure your safety. It would also be wise to not go alone but take someone with you to the meeting. If they want to test drive the car, make sure you only hand out the keys when you’re in the passenger’s seat. And never leave the keys in the ignition with just the buyer in the car.
Be truthful
Be truthful about any defects your car may have to the buyer. It’s important that you tell the buyer the full condition of the car. So that they buy the car knowing about any defects it might have.
Find its true value
You need to also ensure that you find the correct value of the car. Car value book calculators help provide an estimated price range of the car you want to sell. It’s important to do the research so you don’t overprice the car or sell it for a lower price than it ought to be.
Don’t be tricked by a scam artist
When you receive payment, make sure you get it through an EFT. And ensure you wait until it clears in your bank account before you hand over your car to the buyer. You should also try and avoid receiving large amounts of cash because it’ll be hard to count properly and the buyer might cheat you on payments.
If the buyer insists on paying out the money in cash, make sure you meet at a bank so they’ll be able to count the money and the cashier will make sure the notes are genuine.
Whether you’re selling your used Ford or Audi, you need to make sure you take all the necessary steps to sell your car. First impressions count, so makes sure your car is presentable and you have all the paperwork needed readily available for the buyer.