Over time cars become like members of the family. We love our cars. However, unlike family members cars are not for life. Most people get rid of their cars once every few years either because they want an upgrade or just because the vehicle they have is no longer practical.
The hardest type of cars to sell on the used markets are family ones as they tend to receive a lot of use and are usually a lot more worn out than cars driven by single people or for work. This post will tell you six things you can do to prepare your old family car for sale.
Car Buying Services
If you are interested in selling your car then rather than selling it privately, sell it to a professional car buying service. These services usually offer very good rates for the cars that they buy. One of the advantages of using them is that you can save yourself a fortune on travel expenses.
When you work with legit cash-for-car services they come and collect your car from your house for you. Selling privately often means that you have to deliver the car you are selling to the buyer’s house. Depending on where they live that could cost you a fortune.
Companies that buy people’s cars also give them just below the market rate which means you are guaranteed a good price as long as your car is in reasonably good condition.
Fixing Any Damages
Before you can list your car for sale it’s wise to fix any damages for reasons specified in this post’s introduction. By fixing damages you will be able to maximize the amount of money that you get back for your car.
A lot of people make the mistake of selling their cars in bad condition. If you do this then you will end up losing a lot of money. As mentioned earlier some repairs can be made for next to nothing yet not making them will take thousands off of your car’s resale value.
Related Posts
Making Some Improvements
Fixing damages shouldn’t be your only concern you should also try and make some improvements. Making improvements to your car like adding in a new radio and getting it detailed before selling it will help you to increase the amount of money you are able to sell it for.
Make sure that after adding to your car you update its sale listing and provide information about everything you have done. Making minor improvements and upgrades to your car can be enough to increase its price by at least 5%.
Realistically Pricing Car
When you are listing your car for sale online you need to price it realistically. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is worth more than it actually is. A lot of people (due to their attachments to their vehicles) try to sell them for much more than they are really worth.
Trying to sell your car for more than it is worth will likely be a massive waste of your time. No buyer is going to pay an excessive amount for a car. There will be thousands of cars like yours for sale online so why would anybody want to pay more for yours when they can get the same car at a lower price elsewhere?
Timing Your Sale
Time your sale strategically. Certain times of the year are better for selling cars than others. You might be able to get a better price for your car in winter during the run-up to Christmas because people have more money to spend.
Selling your car during summer is also a good time as people are outdoors a lot more and are more interested in buying vehicles. Make sure that you time your sale strategically so that you can maximize the amount of money you get. You may even be able to price your car a little higher if you time it will sell well.
Negotiating Hard
When people get in touch and make offers you need to drive a hard bargain. People on car-buying sites have a tendency to negotiate hard. If you don’t push back against them then they will take you for a ride.
If you are not a confident negotiator then avoid making deals with people in person as they’ll likely get the better of you. It’s easier to make deals over the phone and on the computer because it’s more impersonal and as such harder, for people to take advantage of you.
Selling your family car isn’t easy especially if you have an attachment to it. However, cars are just objects and therefore have to be sold now and again to free up funds. Whether you are buying a new car or just see no use for driving anymore do everything you can to get a good price for your vehicle.