The easiest way to sell your old car is to trade it in for a newer model at a dealership or via an online car buying service. However, trading your car in will often give you the lowest price. Selling your car privately will likely result in better value but is less convenient, so here are our top tips on how to sell your car.
Don’t over or underestimate the value of your car. You can get a free valuation online, on websites such as AutoTrader. You can also check the price of similar cars online or in magazines. Remember to take the age, condition and mileage of the vehicle into consideration.
A quick way to boost your car’s value before selling is to clean it. Buyers will often judge a used car on first impressions. If the car does not look cared for and clean, a buyer may be immediately turned off. To get the most value for your car, you could take it to a professional valet or detailer for a professional deep clean.
However, you may decide to clean the car yourself. Start by cleaning the outside of the vehicle, then follow with wax and polish to make the car shine like new. Once the car’s exterior is gleaming, move onto the interior.
Remove everything from the car, including mats and begin by deep cleaning the floors and seats, then finish the clean off with the windows and an air freshener.
If your car is harbouring unwanted odours such as smoke or pets, then read more on how to remove smells from car upholstery here.
When cleaning the car, you may come across minor damage to the car’s paintwork. This can include paintwork scratches, a bumper scuff, minor dent or damage to the alloy wheels. If you do notice damage, it’s best to get it repaired before selling.
ChipsAway offers high-quality, cost-effective repairs, eliminating the need to remove or repaint the car’s entire panel. So, if you have minor bodywork damage, book a professional ChipsAway repair to maintain the car’s value when selling.
Once your car is clean and ready for selling, the next step is to advertise your vehicle. Most buyers will look online when searching for a used car; websites such as AutoTrader, eBay, Gumtree and Cazoo are the most popular. However, most sites will charge you to list the vehicle so that you could consider other options such as Facebook Marketplace. Facebook allows you to list for free and reach people within your local area.
Plus, there are many offline options. You could advertise the car in a local newspaper or magazine or why not put a sign in the car window when parked, remember to include mileage, MOT and a contact number. Finally, mention you are selling your car to friends and family to spread the word.
Once you have chosen an advertising channel, it’s time to prepare your advert. Remember that first impressions count, so always take good quality photos. Here are our top tips:
To get the best value for your car, make sure you have all the correct documents for a quick sale, including:
Once your advert is live, you will start to receive enquiries from potential buyers. Make sure you reply as soon as possible to these messages or calls to ensure a buyer doesn’t lose interest or go elsewhere.
Once your car is advertised, you will also receive viewing requests, which is great news.
Here are our top tips on dealing with car viewings:
Great, so you have found a buyer and agreed on a price, but now you need to take payment. The easiest and safest way to receive payment for your car is with cash. Be sure to count the cash carefully and double-check for any fake notes.
Alternatively, thanks to the wonders of technology, the buyer could make a bank transfer online or with a smartphone while you wait. Make sure the money has arrived in your account before handing over the keys to the vehicle.
Once the sale is complete, it’s a good idea to provide a receipt. There are many downloadable receipt templates online. Include the make and model, sale price and method of payment and then print two copies.
The final thing to do is tell the DLVA you have sold the car. You can do this by completing the V5 registration document or online here.
