Buying a used car also often involves trading in your used vehicle. Learning how to sell your used car yourself can be one of the best things you can do to increase the price you receive for your car when it becomes time to get rid of it. It can be a bit more of a hassle, but you will receive a significantly higher price for your car. A dealer must offer you a lower price because of the costs associated with clean up, repairs, and carrying costs. So, if you decide to sell your car yourself follow these tips to get the most for your car and avoid pitfalls.
The first thing you need to do is make any necessary repairs. This includes mechanical and interior and exterior repairs. Obviously, if your car is not worth much you should not sink a lot of money into repairs. However, most vehicles will hold a large resell value and should be in the best of shape to bring top dollar. Any repair, no matter how small it may be to you, could damage the first impression of your sale and could lead to negative thoughts about your vehicle and hurt a sale.
Have a mechanic inspect the car and make the repairs necessary. If there are any broken or missing interior pieces replace them. Many parts can be found used on places like Ebay. Also, invest a little and have any small body damage repaired. Touch up paint chips and scratches and if there are any door dings have a paintless dent shop remove them.
After repairs have been made it is time to clean the vehicle. Washing and vacuuming your car will not produce the results necessary to make your car stand out from all the others. You really need to spend a little money and have the car professionally detailed. A detailer can restore the vehicle to almost like new condition by cleaning every facet of the car including the interior, exterior, trunk, and engine. A car that has been detailed will not only stand out but will also make the car look like it has been taken care of. Often, the money spent on having the car detailed will produce a return of two to three times on that money spent in the form of a higher sale price.
Complete these easy tasks and you will be ahead of many sellers. Having the car repaired and meticulously cleaned will allow you to eliminate many of the first objections many buyers raise. After these tips have been followed simply list your car online at a site like craigslist.org or a local classified site .
