If you have ever sold a car you’ll know how much hassle is involved, if you have never sold a car and you are currently considering it then you are in for a treat. Getting your car ready for sale is essential as it determines how fast the car could potentially sell and also how much it sells for. As with any other item for sale, when selling a car, you are competing with other sellers so focusing on the presentation, condition and service history of the vehicle for sale is necessary for a quick sale. A buyer would consider buying a car as a major investment and so for them to part with their hard-earned money, you as a seller need to make sure that you keep their concerns to a minimum. This article is aimed at first time sellers that are not sure where to start, this is going to serve as a starting point on the road to selling your car.
The first thing that needs to be considered before you even list the car on any websites or forums is the presentation. Making sure that both the interior and exterior of the car has been properly cleaned and maintained. Starting with something as simple as clearing out the glove compartment and door bins show the buyer that you have considered the presentation of the car. You should remember to clean the mirrors with streak free wipers and vacuum the seats, if you can you should also try to get rid of any debris and loose items that have fallen into any nooks and crannies, run a thin edge through crevices to remove dust, dander and other particles that might be stuck. Floor mats get a lot of foot traffic and should, therefore, be deep cleaned before the sale, the mats trap dust and debris within them that spread to other areas of the car. You should spray them with a stain remover and then you can either hand wash them or put them through the washing machine for a more thorough wash.
You should also check that all the electrics work, including the lights, wipers, stereo, displays and more making sure that they are all in perfect working order. It is also a good idea to check the tyres to make sure that they are in perfect working condition, check for cuts, breaks, wear and tear, tread wear, uneven treading, wheel balancing and more. Although it can be easy to forget you should also apply these checks to the spare tyre(s) if you have one. If any of the tyres are damaged it might be worth investing in new tyres online as individual tyre repair can be expensive. This way you can justifiably include the cost of the tyres in the price of the car. If you’re not buying new tyres then you should try re-treading the tyres individually and also shine your hubcaps. Finally, you should focus on the car interior, after vacuuming, clean the leather interior with an old toothbrush and a combination of baking soda and water.
After you’ve carried out all of the above, you should look for and address any damage to the body of the car, the paintwork or any other mechanical faults that you may find and if it’s been a while since the vehicle’s last MOT you should take it in for a check just to make sure that everything is in perfect working order. Remember to keep all documents related to the care of the car. In order to justify your asking price, you need to be able to show that you have taken care of the car and addressed any issues that have cropped up while you owned it. Only when all of these issues have been addressed should you list you car for sale.