Learn Tips for Getting the Most Money When Selling Your Car

Getting ready to purchase a new car? One of the most important parts of upgrading your ride is selling your old one. And if you’re not thinking about all the ways to earn top dollar for it, you could potentially be missing out on good money.

Learning how to sell your car for the most money doesn’t have to be difficult. With a few tips and tricks, you can start on your way to that new car and take some of the strain off your pocketbook.

Making It Presentable

You’d be surprised at what a simple car wash and interior detail can do. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes – would you be interested in purchasing a car with crumbs, dirt and fast-food wrappers all over the place?

When you’re getting ready to sell your car, you’re going to want to take pictures of the vehicle so you can list it online. Think about it; the only thing standing between a potential buyer and your vehicle is a couple of pictures posted online! Make sure those pictures are enticing enough for buyers to want to contact you about the car (without being doctored or misleading, of course).

It doesn’t have to be perfect, either. Simply cleaning out the junk and trash from your car will make a difference. you really want to hopefully earn top dollar, hit it with the shop vac and give the dash a good wipe down, too.

Taking Good Pictures

Blurry pictures from your 10-year-old flip phone will not get you the most money for your used car. You may not even get any responses online. And whatever you do, don’t take a picture of a picture.

Nobody is asking you to buy a professional camera. But clear, high-quality pictures of your car may increase your chances of selling at price that works for you.

When taking pictures, be sure to get every angle of your car – the front, back, sides and interior. If you’re using your phone to take pictures, turn it sideways so the length of the car is in the shot.

The best times of day to take pictures are right before sunset or just after the sun rises.

Selling Privately

Trading in your vehicle is an option if you plan to purchase a new car. But be prepared for the low-ball offers. In fact, trading your vehicle into a dealership may leave you with significantly less than what you could get if you sell privately. Is it worth it to take that kind of hit?

You may have a better chance at negotiating a fair price with a private buyer. That’s because many dealers who would take your used trade-in are just going to sell it to a wholesaler and aren’t interested in seeing its value long-term.

There are many places to sell your car privately, both online or in person. Whatever option you choose, make sure you take proper precautions so that you feel safe and protect sensitive information about yourself.

Don’t overlook selling your car in person, either. Slap a “For Sale” sign on the dash and drive around town as usual. Many buyers prefer seeing the vehicle in person, so you might be surprised at the amount of calls you get.

Conducting a Maintenance Check

Getting top dollar for your used car means that you did everything you could to get it in near-perfect condition. If the car needs new tires or hasn’t had an oil change in years, you may not be able to argue for more money.

Inspect your car for any issues. You might consider replacing old parts or doing upgrades before selling so that you can ask for more money. Whatever you do, be sure to keep receipts and document any repairs that you made.

Gathering Maintenance Logs and Records

Think of it this way – would you blindly purchase a vehicle from someone who claims to have put $1000s into a used car without proof? Proof is in the papers! One of the best things you can have on hand to show interested buyers is a record of all the maintenance repairs and upkeep you performed.

This instills confidence in potential buyers. They don’t have to take your word for it – the brake job you mentioned is right there in the receipt. Now they have a reason to pay a bit more for the car, because they can see essential repairs in black and white.

Justifying Your Price

You should expect potential buyers to try to negotiate your asking price. During the negotiation, it will only help you if you can provide justifiable reasons for selling it at the price you are.

Before listing your car for sale, do some research on comparable vehicles in your area. See what others are asking for when selling vehicles similar to yours. That way, you can provide these numbers to an interested buyer and let them know that the price is pretty comparable.

One easy way to do this research is to browse online for the same make and model of your vehicle. Factor in the mileage, condition and year when determining your sale price. You can search on eBay, OfferUp and Craigslist to start.