Selling your car is both exciting and a little painful. First off, you are excited about the prospect of some quick cash infusion into your wallet. However, selling your car isn’t the easiest thing to do. There are plenty of nuances to take care of prior to the sale in order to legally sell the vehicle as well as actually attract potential buyers. Here is a brief checklist for selling your car.
Gather Documents
The first thing you are going to want to do prior to selling your car, is to obtain all necessary documentation. There are three primary documents you’re going to need. The first is a Bill of Sale. This is a smart move even if your state doesn’t require one. The Bill of Sale document can be obtained from your local DMV.
Another document to locate is your Title. This document is a must as it acts as an official contract between the buyer and seller. The title transfer legally records the transfer of vehicle ownership. If you can’t locate your current title, apply for a duplicate title as soon as possible since they tend to take some time to process.
Finally, gather a Vehicle History Report. This can actually help you determine your fair market value for your vehicle. It will make negotiations less painful, because the history of the vehicle is upfront and transparent. There are no “unknowns”, so to speak, for the buyer.
Clean Your Car
We can’t stress this one enough. A dirty car just isn’t sellable. Even though the buyers knows they are purchasing a used car, they will be immediately repulsed by a dirty one. If necessary, pay the small charge to have it professionally cleaned and detailed. This can make a world of a difference when attracting and enticing buyers.
Get an Inspection
Getting your car professionally inspected will help you identify any issues with your car. This is especially important for the next step on this checklist. The more you know about your vehicle, the more equipped you’ll be to negotiate the sales price.
Make Minor Repairs
Once you know what’s wrong with your car, make some fixes. There are plenty of low-cost fixes that can really increase the value of your used vehicle. The more fixes you make, the less items the buyer has to negotiate over, meaning you can sell your car at the price closer to what you want.
Determine Where You Will Sell Your Car
There are a lot of options out there when it comes to selling your car. You can always sell it back or trade it in to the dealer. You can post it on Craigslist. You can post it in auto forums or used car websites. If you decide to sell it directly to another buyer, do yourself a favor and post it as many places as possible. Don’t be afraid to hit up your friends on social media either; you never know who is looking for a new car or who knows someone looking for a car.
Take Great Pics
Finally, make sure you get some great pictures of your newly cleaned and fixed car. The dreary, rainy day is not ideal. Wait for a sunny day, get outside and take shots of all angles. If your friend has a high-end digital camera, ask to borrow it. Regardless, your smartphone can probably get you some pretty quality shots as long as the lighting is good.
For more information about protecting the seats of you car, visit our website or call us at 888-246-5653.