Selling a Car Made Sesame Street Easy
[ad_1]
Selling a car can feel like a major drag, but it’s actually simple and straight forward if you have a good process. If you’re short on time, finish each step individually until you’re fully prepared.
Research the Market: Expectations about how quickly or slowly your car will sell can be mitigated by doing some online research and will help to lower any potential frustration. Look at Craig’s List and online marketplaces such as AutoTrader.com to see how many cars of your type are for sale. A lot of cars will mean that you need to be flexible in price and a few cars will mean you are in the power position when it comes to negotiating.
Price Appropriately: Since you are a private seller and not a dealer, don’t expect to sell your car for as much as a dealer. Dealers offer things such as extended warranties that have extra value to buyers. When you are completing your market research, note the prices of similar cars. Next, price your car at a comparable price to other similar cars (not lower!). Find your car’s Blue Book value and figure out how much of a discount you are offering off of Blue Book, if any. This is an important number to buyers.
Clean Your Car – Please!: A clean car is a sign of car and well keeping. You can usually get your car cleaned really well for less than $30 – and it is worth every penny. If your car’s paint is looking a little flat, also consider paying to have your car waxed by hand. Waxing usually costs around $50-$75. The money you spend on cleaning your car will easily be recovered by either the price you get for your car or how quickly you are able to sell you car.
Take A Million Photos: Buyers HATE going to see a car and then find there is unexpected damage. Take a lot of photos and email them to your perspective buyers so they aren’t surprised when they arrive. Here’s a quick list of important photos. Exterior: all four corners, bumpers, all four wheels, tire tread (if possible), hood, doors, fenders, roof, front grill, license plate (with current registration sticker). Interior: driver’s seat, passenger seat, back seats, odometer, vehicle identification number (VIN), dashboard controls, transmission stick, floor mats, inside trunk, spare tire.
Advertise: Picking your advertising place and creating the advertisement may be one of the hardest parts of selling a car. Look at other listings to see how those advertisement are communicating the cars features in a succinct but clear manner. Remember to think about the buyer’s perspective as your creating the advertisement. For example, people shopping on Craig’s List are looking for a hidden gem from a private party. Making your advertisement look like a dealer’s advertisement may actually scare some people away.
Get the Records In Order: Just like a clean car, having all your car’s record together and organized is a sign to the buyer that you organized and took good care of your car. Part of the records should also be the pink slip in case you find a willing buyer!
Be Ready to Negotiate: Everybody has their price. For a seller, I define this price as the price where if the buyer offers you $1 less, you will feel good about walking away after they leave. Don’t let your emotions get in the way during negotiations. Know your used car prices before hand and stick to it.
Have the Motor Vehicle Department Paperwork: How bad would it be to have a willing buyer, and lose the sale because you don’t have the right paperwork ready? Call your local Motor Vehicle Department or check online to get al the right paperwork to transfer your car to a new buyer during a sale.
Cancel Your Insurance: Once your car is gone, there’s no need to spend $2-$6 per day on insurance. Cancel your insurance and stop spending money on a car you don’t even own.
Remember to check out http://www.carsala.com when you’re ready to find a cheap used car or if you’re looking for online used cars
