How To Sell A Used Car? – All The Tips And Tricks You Need To Know

Though it seems like an easy task, most people don’t know how to sell a used car fast. It’s easy to think that it’s as simple as creating a listing, but, in reality, there are things you should know before you start selling a used car. If not, then chances are you won’t succeed.

You have to know the exact value of your vehicle to ask for a fair price. Plus, you should consider which market suits your needs better – maybe you prefer to sell it online, or you’d just like to trade it in. Either way, it’s better to take a look at all the options you have and choose the appropriate one accordingly. Let’s continue our discussion and answer all the questions you might have!

Which factors determine the price of a used car?

The main factors that determine the value of the used car are certainly its condition, mileage, and history. I’ll break everything down in a sec, but before we do that, let me say this: everything is relative here.

What I mean is that every part of your vehicle can be compared to something else. Before you start scrutinizing the condition of your car, it will be a good idea to do small market research. Simply visit the local used-car dealer or go online and search for similar models. That way, you’ll understand how much your competitors are charging. You’ll get the main idea, which means you’ll avoid over/underpricing.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can take a look at the main factors that determine the price of a used vehicle. It’s important to keep these in mind if you want to learn how to sell a used car online or privately.

The condition

The condition of your vehicle is probably one of the most complex factors. You have to examine every scratch, take a close look at all the parts and crevices, and, study the condition of your car through and through. If anything needs to be fixed, fix it. Otherwise, its value will reduce significantly.

Mileage

We can argue whether mileage matters or not, but the truth is, it matters to the majority of the customers. High mileage will reduce the value of a used car and vice versa. You should never determine the price of a vehicle without considering the mileage.

As the mileage appears to be so important a lot of customers try to change it. They use a mileage blocker tool that stops recording km/mileage while driving. Using this device no information is stored in the control units, hence the data about the covered distance is untraceable. Moreover, it has easy do-it-yourself installation instructions as well. It is important to remember, that a mileage blocker is created only for testing purposes and it should not be used unethically. Fortunately, it is available online and you can purchase it anytime. If you are interested, feel free to find out more about this unique device.

History

If your car has been in three accidents in the past month, you shouldn’t have high expectations. However, it does not mean that you should hide that information. Customers are willing to purchase such cars, and it’s crucially important to be open about it.

How to sell a used car fast?

If you want to sell a used car quickly, you’ll have to make certain sacrifices. But it’s certainly achievable and there’s nothing you should stress about. You have a couple of options if you want to sell your car as fast as possible.

You can sell it to your friend, relative, or acquaintance

We’ll learn how to sell a used car privately in a bit, but I’m sure you won’t have time to go through all the steps if you’re pressed in time. Just make sure your car is in a good condition. Once you do that, call up every friend, relative, or acquaintance who might be interested in making the purchase. That way, you’ll be able to negotiate a fair price. This method won’t work for everyone, but it will certainly be a good option for many.

You can trade it in with a local dealer

How to sell a used car as fast as possible? – the best option you have is to sell it to a local dealer. This is the option that will take the least amount of time, however, it has a huge drawback. You won’t be able to negotiate a fair price. Most likely, they will offer way less than your car is worth. But if you’re in a hurry and money isn’t an important factor, then it will be a good idea to sell your car to a local dealer.

You can sell it online

Selling your car online is a good option if you know how to create an attractive ad. You’ll have to create a perfect listing and lower your price if you want to sell your car quickly. It can be quite a bit of a fuss, but it’s still quite a good option if you’re pressed in time.

How to sell a used car online?

It’s quite easy to sell a used car online – you simply have to follow simple steps to achieve the best results.

How long does it take to sell a used car online? – you might wonder. It depends, but on average, this process will take you around 60 days. If you’re smart about it, selling a used car might not even take that long.

So, what should you do to sell a used car online?

Collect all the necessary documents

The buyers might require history reports and documents about mileage and previous check-ups. It’s their right to know all the necessary details and it’s your duty to reveal all that information. Be honest about everything and your customer will start trusting you. It’s always scary to make a purchase online, so try to make it easier for potential buyers.

Clean your car and take good photos

Nobody wants to buy a car that is covered with mud and dirt. Clean your car yourself or take it to a professional. The main thing is to have it as clean as possible. That way, you’ll be able to prove that the car you advertised online is similarly attractive in real life.

Once it’s pristine clean, take decent photos – take your time, be wise about your angles, and don’t be shy to capture the interior as well. Photos make a lot of difference when it comes to online sales.

Create a listing on a trustworthy website

Once you go through all these steps, you’ll be ready to create a listing. You should try to find trustworthy websites. Don’t be lazy to do your research – you don’t want to get scammed, do you? Go for famous websites that have a great reputation. By doing so, you’ll understand how to sell a used car safely.

How to sell a used car privately?

We’ve already learned how to sell a used car quickly and how to create a listing, so it’s time we discussed how to sell a used car by owner.

If you want to sell a used car privately, you should go through the steps we have already discussed. The condition, mileage, and history will make a lot of difference during real-life sales as well.

However, you’ll have to go through a couple of additional steps. Don’t get scared, though. There’s nothing complicated about them either.
Once you take care of the condition, collect necessary documents, clean your car and take photos, you’ll need to create some sort of advertisement. It could be an online ad on websites such as craigslist. It could be a printed ad that you can spread around in your neighborhood. You could ask a local grocery store to stick it to the window. Either way, it’s important to advertise your car in the places where people will see it.

Of course, you could ask around and find an acquaintance that could be interested. The main thing is to make sure you know your customer.

What I mean is that it’s important to sell your car safely. More often than not, you’ll be contacted by scammers. They might ask you to ship your car and transfer shipping fees. They might pay by check and disappear before the check clears.

Generally, you shouldn’t trust those buyers who make it seem too easy. If they don’t ask to check the car in real life, or if they offer you to pay with PayPal, the chances are you’re dealing with scammers. Just be careful and double-check everything they say.

Once you finalize the sale, it’s important to fill out all the necessary documents. Do your paperwork to make sure everything goes by the book.

Conclusion

As we have seen, it’s not that difficult to sell a used car online. Neither is it difficult to learn how to sell a used car fast. But it’s still undeniable that selling your vehicle isn’t an easy task. It takes a lot of time and effort, but if you’re aware of all the necessary details, you won’t have any problems during that process. Take care of your car, be honest about its condition and you’ll be able to make a sale soon enough. Good luck!