Tips for Selling a Car


If one day, you think,"Hey, I want to sell my car," you have got to do your homework. In order to sell a used car, you'll have to run a classified ad either locally or on a high traffic Internet site, or put a sign on your car, then field phone calls and have strangers come to your house so that you can go on test drives with them. Then of course, negotiate!

And for a good first impression, you'll also have to keep your vehicle immaculate!

If you do not feel comfortable conducting a used car sale, then trade your vehicle in to a dealer and forget it.

If you are willing to give it a try, here are some selling used car tips:
  • Get your vehicle professionally detailed. It will cost you $75 to $100. This is worth every penny and will make your old car for sale really stand out from the crowd!

  • Write a simple classified ad highlighting all the strong points of the vehicle. Do not lie about your, say, used Ford truck, but do not advertise the weak points! A weak point to you, may not be weak to the potential buyer. Accentuate the positive about your cheap car for sale, antique car for sale or even your race car for sale.

    Include the price and your phone number in the ad. Do not put your address in the ad unless you want people popping in on you unexpectedly all hours of the day and night.
    Use Your Head, and Put Safety First!
    A sample classified ad for you used car could read something like this:

"1996 Ford Thunderbird LX. Exceptionally
clean and very well cared for. Fully
equipped including sunroof! Only
39000 miles. $10,000. Call 123-4567."

Stress any unusual good points and let people know how clean your vehicle is. Keep it simple and positive.

  • Go to Kelley Blue Book and look up the retail value of your vehicle. This price is not carved in stone, and is probably on the high end, but it will be far more than you will get from a dealer! Think about how much you will settle for, but the Blue Book value on used car is a good place to start.

    To see why dealers never give you more than the wholesale value for your car, go to All About Trade-Ins!
  • If you owe money on your vehicle, do not use your payoff to determine the selling price. This does not determine how much your car is worth. You'll either short-change yourself, or you will be asking an unrealistically high price for your car and never sell it!
  • If you owe more on your vehicle than you could ever hope to get for it, you are going to have to make a decision to either keep your vehicle until it is paid off, or cut your loses and take what you can get and move on.

    Arrange financing for your new vehicle in advance by telling your lender what you are doing, and that you may have a certain amount left over from your previous loan that you will need to carry over to the new loan. Dealers do this all the time when you trade your vehicle in and you are "upside down" in your trade. Whatever is left over on your loan after the trade-in allowance, gets tacked on to your new loan.
  • Before showing your used car. Make sure all the fluids are at their proper levels, especially the oil.

    In fact, change the oil right before you advertise your used truck for sale or car so that the oil is nice and clean.

    Some people will look at the oil, rub it between their fingers, smell it and even taste it!
  • If you have an outstanding loan on the used car you are selling, the customer must go to the bank with you.

    The buyer must pay the balance of your loan to the bank, so you can sign off and transfer the title to the new owner. Any money left over can go towards your new car sale.
  • A FREE Lemon Check From Carfax helps with sales. If you go the extra mile, potential customers notice.
 
FREE Price Quote
New Car

 Get a no obligation price quote for a new car or truck. Click  here for an upfront quote from a local dealer.

 
 
Used Car

 Get a quote for used vehicles in your area from  both,      dealers  and private parties. Get a free quote here


Sell a Car

 Post your car for sale in three easy steps and let the buyers
 come to you.  
 


Home | Buy New Car | Buy Used Car | Sell A Car | Research | Resource | About Us | Site Map | Affiliates
Powered By Inkosoft eCarQuote is a Strategic Publishing Partners, LLC Company
Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Strategic Publishing Partners. All Rights Reserved.
Search engine optimization by Elixir Systems
New car price quote  
Home Buy New Car Buy Used Car Sell a Car Reviews and Research Resource About Us eCarQuote