Tips to Get the Best Price for your Used Car

These titbits will help you!!

Buying a new car? Shifting to a new place? Bored with your old car? Confused what to do with your old car? There an easy solution, Sell it! It can get you some good amount of money too. If you take a bit of care and effort, you can get the best price for your car. Here are some tips which can help you in getting the best price for your pre owned car. Take a glance!

Sell Used Car



1.Make sure you wanna sell it:

Sell Your Car

Just reason it out. Why do you wanna sell your car? You might have bought the car with all your savings of that time. It would have been the dream car of your old times. Your first car. You don't need to sell the car just because there are more trendy cars available right now. If it has only repairable maintenance, you should reconsider your decision to sell your car. But if you are decided to sell it, well and good. Keep away all sentiments. Get to the level of a businessman, and let's do it!

2.Do some research:

Learn about your Car

The first thing you should do is to do a thorough research on your car. How ignorant you might be, how an expert you might be, going through the details of your cars will do only good to you. If you are so weak in this genre, this will save you at a point of time. Do some intense research like the peculiarities of the model, the features, the unique selling points etc. Be aware of your vehicle. Be thorough. The buyer might be an expert in this field. If he comes to know that you are not well versed in it, there are chances that they might be able to convince you and make you sell the car at a very cheaper price.

3.Study the market for best timing:

Convertible Cars

Different types of cars have different types of markets. To sell your car at the best price, you should know the pulse of the market. Cars like Sedan might sound boring and unexciting for so many, but are the type of cars that have the best resale value ever. As it is the favourite one of the people who need a basic, inexpensive car, it will be sold out so soon. Whereas sports cars and convertibles have only seasonal market. Soon they will become out dated and spontaneously it might become a trend again. Trucks and Vans have markets all the time. Do not under estimate their value.

It would be better if you could search or ask your friend about the recent resale prices. It will help you in getting a better idea about when you should sell your car.

4.Prepare documents:

Prepare Documents to sell the Car

Once you have decided to sell your car and once you are thorough with the defeatist and the market trends, its time to check whether you have al the papers ready with you. Clear all the finances (if any) and organise all the documents. Check the list again and again and make sure you haven't missed any.

5.Maintenance:

Car Maintenance

Evaluate your car. Clean it, or do a thorough wash. Check the internals. Try driving it and figure out what is missing. Repair it, if you can. Make your car neat and tidy. Most of the buyers fall for the “first impression”. A shining car will be far more impressive than a dirty rusty one. Place yourself in the place of the buyer and do a bit of cleaning.

Wash and Vacuum the car. If possible, get a new floor mat. That can beautify your car. Remove all the customised junks from the car. The one who comes to buy it might not like it. Clean up the tyres and wheel covers. All the mirrors, including the windows should be cleaned clearly. Check the light a, break and the horn. They will be tested by the buyer at the time of the test drive and if any of them is out of proportion, he will lose total faith in you.

6.Fix a realistic price:

Fix A Realistic Price

It is true that your Car is priceless for you. The sentiments and the price at which you bought it don't matter any more. If your Car has some damages or scratches, the price is gonna decline further. Always keep in mind that the asking price of the car should be higher than what you should get at the end of the deal. Nobody will ever buy something at the asking price. You should be flexible there.

Remember, do not reveal the price before the test drive. You can know by yourself if the person is satisfied after the test drive, and then declare the amount. But you should have a set price in your mind. You can ask for a higher price if the your car is in perfect condition and is still in the warranty period. Or if you have been looking after your car and it as not travelled much distance.

But you will have to bring down the price if you want to sell it quickly. Or if it needs some major repairs or if it has some marks of accidents. You can consult your close friend circles and know about the estimated price you could fix for your car. Or you can just Google for information.

7.Post advertisements:
Now it's time to choose the method of selling. The easiest and simplest way is to sell online. There are so many online selling sites. One of the best and simplest is the Carz4Sale . Some websites will charge you. Here at Carz4Sale, the service is free of cost. There is no registration fee or hidden charges. It is free out and out. You just have to put an advertisement here. (that too is free). Interested buyers will contact you. The rest of the deal can be done offline. The site will not interfere in it. So simple. So good. Make use of it.

Whichever mode you choose, do not forget to highlight the key features of your car. Take as many pictures as possible and show them that you are honest and you have nothing to hide. Take the pictures of both the internals and externals of the car.

Do not forget to mention the model, colour and features of your car. Do not hide anything. The buyers will lose trust in you if they found out what you were trying to hide from them.

8.Learn the procedure of selling and documents:

Documents for Selling a Car

Once you started getting responses from the clients, learn about the legal procedures of selling a car. Take an expert friend with you if you need some helping hand. Make sure you haven't missed out anything. Do not do it in a haste. Take your on time and do things properly.

9.Showing your car:

Show Your Car to the Buyer

Once the deal seems interesting for any buyer, they might ask for a test drive. It is quite natural that they would want to test and see the car that they are gonna buy. Analyse the person first. Try to find out what kind of a person he is. Some persons just do not like much talking and interfering. They just want to assess the car by themselves. On the contrary, some might need your comments and experiences with the car. Do not jump in to non stop talking without knowing what type of a person the listener is.

10. Test drive tips:

Test Drive Car

Allowing the interested buyer for a test drive is good. Before that, you should make sure that you do all these steps.
Get as much details of the buyer as possible. Name, address, mobile number, land line number etc. A genuine buyer will not feel hesitant to give these.

• Make sure you have checked the license of the buyer.
• If you have a trust worthy friend with you, ask him to accompany the buyer for the test drive.
• Keep in mind the car theft incidents and never be a victim yourself.
• Keep the duplicate key with you.
• Make them comfortable. Do not be hesitant to give the vehicle for test drive, as the buyer might doubt that you are hiding something.

11.Fix a place for meeting:

Apt Place for Meeting

The preferred place would be your home itself. But if you are not comfortable there, fix any public place. Better don't go for a deserted place. Remember, you are gonna meet a stranger. Why take risk? You can ask one or two of your friends to accompany you. Do not choose an over crowded place either. The buyer might want to test drive the car. Better choose a less crowded place with good road.

12. Negotiate:

Negotiate Your Car Price

Negotiation is an art. If you are skilled in it, you will never regret selling your used car. After the test drive, you can figure out whether the client is impressed or not. If you get to know that he enjoyed driving, you can have a positive view about the sale. Do not start with the exact amount you expect. Start with vague ranges first. Let the client clarify their stand too. You should be flexible a bit, but should not give up to the client's demand so easily. If the client is quoting very less amount than your expected price, never be hesitant to deny it with a polite “No”. They might be bluffing it. There are chances that they might come back the next day and buy the car on your price.

Never be hasty in taking decisions. Take time, think over it and then only decide. Let the buyers know the price only after the test drive. If you decrease the amount before that, there are chances that the buyer will point out some faults after the test drive and demand further reduction.

13.Finalise the deal:

Once you both have come to an agreement of the price, it is time for finalising the deal. Make sure that you are following all the rules and regulations implemented by the Motor Vehicle Department of your country.

Once you have collected the money, you should cross check that all the documents have been transferred to the buyer's name. If there is something missing, there are chances that the new owner drives the car to some accident and you will be charged of it. So, be really careful. You should record the odometer reading and sign the car's title to the buyer's name. In most states, a release-of-liability form can be downloaded from the Department of Motor Vehicles Web site or filled out online. This will clearly record the time of handing over the car so that you will have no responsibility of the car any longer.

Finally, after the deal. Do not forget to contact your insurance agent and let him know that the Car is no longer in your custody. You can either transfer the policy to the buyer's name or can cancel it.

14.After selling:

After Selling

In most of the states, you will have to obligations of the car's state after the selling. That means, if the car breaks down or get damaged after selling it, the buyer can't ask for a refund. Neither will you be affected by it in any ways. The matter between you and your old car is done and you are free of the responsibilities. If you had been honest and sincere, there will not be a single thing that worries you after the selling. You will have the peace of mind. If you had hidden some damages, that will bug you for sure. So, always be honest.

Some Don'ts

1. Don't show a dirty car:

Dirty Car

Remember, in the case of auto mobiles, “First impression is the Best impression”. Though it is not completely true, the look of the car can make a lot of difference in the deal. Make sure that your car is in “presentable” form before the buyer comes to see it and test drive it.

2.Don't try to sell a car that is utterly hopeless:

Useless Car

Honesty has a big role in selling pre owned car. Remember, nobody will ever wanna get cheated. You should not try to sell a piece of rusted crap. Sell the vehicle only if you are sure that it will run. Be honest with the clients and reveal the damages/ drawbacks of your car.

3.Do not exaggerate your car's capacities:

Remember, you are selling a pre owned car. It can never perform like a brand new one. Do not try to portray your car as a super car. Be realistic. Do not exaggerate the capabilities of the car.

4. Do not put a heavy price:

You might be in need of a huge amount of money. But remember, the price that a pre owned car can get you has a limitation. Brand new cars are available right out there, with new offers and attractive loan/ EMI offers. Those who come to buy a second had cars would either be the ones who can't afford it, or those who want for the rough use. Be market conscious. Do some researches on the previously sold same cars and get the price from the sellers. Put a reasonable price tag.

5.Do not Photoshop your Car's pictures:

Photoshopped Car Picture

When you are advertising, do not put “photoshopped” pictures of your car. Remember, the clients will come to see it and test drive it. They can easily figure out whether you uploaded original pictures or not. If you put some good pictures and the client sees an old junk, all your credibility will be lost.

6.Do not be hasty:

You might be in need of money or you want to sell the car so soon that you don't have to take it your new home. But remember, selling a used thing, whether it is a car or a furniture or house, will take time. If you wanna get the best price, you might have to wait for some time. Hasty decisions and deals only give you loss.

7.Do not hold back just because you don't like the buyer:

Never have an attitude like “I won't sell my car to that man, he has acnes all over his face”!!. There are so many cases where the owner held himself back from the selling just because he didn't like the buyer. Later, if nobody comes with better offers, you are gonna regret. So, keep away your personal prejudices about the person coming to test drive your car.

8.Do not cling on adamantly with the price you fixed:

“Take it or Leave it” is not the right attitude for getting the best price for your pre owned car. You must be a little bit flexible. It is true that you have a certain amount in your mind. Smooth, polite, yet clear cut words are there to use than mere Take it or Leave it. There are chances that the buyer might try to quote a very cheap amount. They might be trying to get the car at the cheapest rat. Politely make it clear to them that you have certain expectations. They might say that they don't want the car at this price. Then bid them a decent farewell. They might change their mind and come back the next day! Who knows!

9.Do not be an ignorant owner:

The buyer might be coming with a mechanic. He might have some technical questions to be cleared. Be thorough with your car or take a friend with you who knows it. At the extreme case, call your mechanic. Make sure he talks in favour for you. Do not let them think that you know nothing about the car and it will be easier to grab the car at a very low price from you.

10.Do not give up:

Do not be disappointed if the first two or three deals break up. Patience will have its own reward. If you are sure that you have set a reasonable price tag and your car is not in that much damaged, a better choice will come. You just wait.


Hope these tips were informative to you. Keep these in mind and grab the best price for you!

Best of luck!
Written by .
Last updated on 13-03-2017. Published on 25-09-2013.
Published by Carz4Sale in category Tips

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