How to sell my car? The only selling guide you will ever need...

How to sell my car
Introduction Preparation Pricing Where to Sell - The Dealer? Where to Sell - Privately? Writing your ad Doing the deal
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If you are thinking of buying a car, the chances are you need to sell your old one. Our selling guide will show the best way to sell your old car at the right price.

You really have two choices when it comes to selling your car - part exchange it with your dealer or sell it yourself. There are of course pros and cons with both of these methods and we will run you through these so you can make the decision that is best for you.

Before you do anything else you should make sure your car is prepared for sale. Many people make the mistake of selling their car because they know there is some maintenance required; it needs a service, the cam belt change is due, the exhaust is on the way out or the MOT is about to expire. Sound familiar? Well think about it for a moment. When you go to buy your new car what questions will you ask? When is the cam belt due, when was it last serviced, how long is the MOT? You would expect all these things to be up to date and what faith would you put in a dealer who tried to sell you a car with a short MOT and that was overdue a service?

The reality is your car will be much easier to sell at the price you want if it’s been well maintained and is well presented. The more issues a potential buyer picks up on the more likely it is that they will walk away or offer you a lot less than you are asking. If you are going to sell it without proper preparation then don’t expect to get full value and don’t be upset when you only get offered trade price for it.

Consider getting a mechanics report and a vehicle history report as an added reassurance for your buyers- the less obstacles the better.

Keep all your documents neat and together in a file or folder for presentation to prospective buyers. You don’t want to be hunting through draws looking for paperwork when your buyer arrives.

The next thing to remember is that a car has more chance of selling if it is clean. Now this sounds so obvious, doesn’t it? Yet so many people don’t bother. People don’t want to see dog hair, cigarette ash, sweet wrappers, mud and empty take away cartons when they are viewing a car. It may be your old car but it is their new car and they want it nice and clean. So follow our guide on how to valet a car before you let anyone view your car, not only will it help you sell it but you will increase your chance of commanding a better price.

Presenting yourself, your car and your paperwork to the highest standard possible will instill more confidence in your buyer.

Pricing your car is not as easy as you may think. A car priced wrongly just won’t sell. So take time to study the classified ads and price guides before deciding on a price. Don’t expect full market value, if your buyer can get the same car for the same price from a dealer, then why would they buy from you? Conversely, don’t undervalue your car. If a car appears too cheap, many people may be suspicious and not bother contacting you. Settle on a price that reflects your cars condition fairly and is competitive in the marketplace you are targeting. Also, don’t forget that you may have to lower your price when negotiating a deal.

If you take your car to a dealer you must be prepared to get less money for it. You may think the dealer is trying to rip you off by offering you less than retail value but they are in business. They will either; sell the car on to a smaller trader or through an auction and get trade price back for it, or (if your car is suitable for retail) they will treat it as stock and allow for overheads, preparation, sales costs and a profit margin. As a rule, the more they give you for your car, the less of deal you will get on the one you are buying.

There are ways to play the dealers at their own game. To be able to do this effectively you need to understand the way they operate and the tactics they use to close deals. This is fascinating stuff and can give you an advantage when buying a car and save you a lot of money. This information and much more, can be found in our forthcoming guide “car trade secrets revealed”. Keep an eye on this website for more information, or pre-register your interest on our contact us page.

If you plan on selling your car yourself then use as many techniques as possible. The traditional place to advertise is in classified magazines such as the Auto trader and your local paper. However, on line ads are more and more popular these days and an Auto trader ad will also be placed on their website for added exposure. Combine this with word of mouth, a well-presented sign in your car, small ads in Supermarkets and local shops and your chances of a sale are greatly increased.

Be creative. For example, if you are selling a small runabout you could put adverts on local College or University message boards. If you are selling a specialist vehicle, target the relevant magazines. There are more cars for sale than ever so the more exposure the better.

When writing your ad, focus on the best selling points of your car. Items such as air conditioning, ABS and airbags are more in demand nowadays; so don’t forget to mention them. If your car does not have these, don’t worry; focus on what your car can offer. Remember why you bought the car and convey this in your advert.

Go round your car with a pen and notepad and write down anything that may appeal to a buyer. Then think about the non-visible selling points such as performance, economy, and low insurance and tax levels. If your car has full service history and a long MOT, these are great selling points, so mention them.

Avoid using terms like; first to see will buy, best available, no offers or anything that sounds too pushy or arrogant. Make the ad as friendly and appealing as possible. Also avoid putting o.n.o. (Or nearest offer), you don’t want to appear desperate. Just put the asking price and contact number.

It’s a good idea to write N/C (no canvassers) at the end of your advert or you will be plagued by sales calls from other companies saying they have buyers lined up for your car. They will then try and get you to pay a fee (often a very high one) and promise to sell your car. Most people who pay this money end up disappointed and without a sale. So my advice is to avoid them altogether.

When taking calls always try to avoid negotiations on the phone, leave that until the buyer has viewed and driven the car. Their desire will be increased by this stage and you will have your best chance of getting a good price. Don’t let them start chipping away at your price before they even get there, they will expect to negotiate even more once they have driven the car and you could lose out. When someone calls, be friendly but firm and make an appointment.

When the buyer arrives, show them the paperwork first and any mechanics reports or history checks that you have done.

Most people will want to test drive and this is fine but make sure they produce some proof of insurance and some identification.

For your own security, make sure someone is with you on the test drive and never leave the keys in the car when you get out or change over drivers. Ask them to drive carefully and stick to a route that you are familiar with.

Whilst you are on the test drive this is your chance to really sell the car and build their desire. Point out all the good points; the interior features, the ride and handling and explain why you have enjoyed the car so much. If they ask you why you are selling, then make it a positive statement; you are upgrading to a newer version of the same car or your lifestyle has changed and you need a different type of vehicle. Always say you are sorry to be selling the car, as it has been a pleasure to own.

When you get back from the test drive, ask them if they want to buy the car. This is the time you need to be firm and a little bit pushy.

Once they have indicated their interest in buying your car, its time to negotiate. Plan your strategy in advance, decide what you want to get for the car and engineer the negotiations accordingly.

Tell the buyer you think you have priced the car fairly and do not want drop on price and wait for their reaction. If you are very lucky they may say OK and agree to your asking price. More likely, they will say they cant afford or do not want to pay the full price. That’s OK you were expecting them to haggle, but now you have been firm on your asking price they will not expect a large discount.

Ask them what price they would like to offer and wait, don’t tell them what you will take as they will make a counter offer. Once they make an offer, you can then make a counter offer, always move in very small increments towards the price you are willing to accept and say that is the best you can do, then say nothing. Only move again if you really have to and save your lowest acceptable price as your trump card. If they really won’t bite and are about to walk then play you final trump card.

There will inevitably be times when people will not or cant afford to pay anywhere near what you want, don’t cave in, there will be other buyers.

Once you have done the deal its time for payment. If the buyer makes any payment (whether its a deposit or full payment) by cheque, always make sure the cheque has cleared before releasing the vehicle. You can release the vehicle if they pay by bankers draft but only after you have phoned the bank to validate the draft. To avoid the possibility of fraud try to avoid cash payments. If you do take cash take it to the bank first and then release the vehicle.