Tips On How To Sell Your Car – 5 Steps To Selling Your Car
Many people make the mistake of trading their cars into the dealerships when they are purchasing a new one. The dealership is a business & they are out to make money & lots of it. They have to give you next to nothing for it so that they can sell it back & turn over a profit
True Value:
Find out what the true value of your car is. You can do a search on the Net or simply go to used car ads & consult ads that have similar makes & models. That will give you a general idea of how much your car can go for give or take a few dollars.
Set a Price:
Try to come up with a reasonable price. Don’t be greedy & ask for way more than your car is worth because greed will always come back to haunt you. If the price is too high then it will take longer to sell your car. Keep it around the median price that those types of cars are going for. Once you find out exactly what you want for your car, set the price a few hundred dollars higher. Nowadays everyone & their Granny’s are out for a bargain. It doesn’t matter if you are selling for a dollar. Most people will still want it cheaper. If you have a really good car for sale & you are not in a hurry for money then you can stand firm with your price. Once people figure out that you aren’t in a hurry they will give you your price if it’s worth it. Remember to keep calm & be friendly. Selling is something that most people are afraid of but it really is a simple thing to do as long as you don’t take anything personally.
Clean & Fix:
If your car needs minor repairs that you can handle like changing a head light or battery then do it if you can afford to. Try not to be too cheap. Spending a little is okay. However if your car is only worth $2,000 & you need a transmission that will cost you around $1,500 to be replaced by a professional then just advertise it as is & let the potential buyers know about the problem. You would be surprised how many do-it-yourselfers are out there today.
When you are done fixing your car up then it’s time to clean it up. You won’t believe how many people try to sell their cars in filthy pig sty conditions. Put yourself in the potential buyer’s shoes for just one minute. If your car isn’t presentable then it will take longer to sell it. Your car may be in good mechanical condition but buyers may overlook the good points about it because they were too preoccupied with the dirt. Cleaning up your car may ad a few hundred dollars to its value.
Advertise:
Find as many places to advertise your car for free. There are many websites on the internet that are exposed to the search engines daily that can get your car sold for free. I would also do some paid advertising like newspapers & used cars magazines as well.
Get 2 for sale signs & place one on the windshield without affecting your view for safety & one on the back. Make sure to have your price & phone number written clearly so that other drivers can see it. The more potential buyers find out about your car, the quicker it will sell.
Show:
When you start getting calls for potential buyers just remain calm & polite. Answer any questions with honesty. If you have a good asking price set then you should have no problem selling the car. When you get someone that wants to see the car, do not give them your address until they set a date & time to come. This way you will be there for sure to show the car. If they tell you something like they can’t come until later this week or next week then tell them to call you back for directions at that time. However it is okay to give them an idea of what area it’s in.
Important Note: If you are advertising on the Internet beware that some scam artists are going around trying to get people’s personal info maybe for some kind of fraudulent act. Some of them may claim that they have to issue you a certified check & need full name & address before they even see the car. No one will give you anything unless they see the car first. Use your common sense & you will have no problems selling your car in no time!
