Simple Steps to Sell Your Car
Posted on | 26 Apr 2017 By Anita Gaal
Selling your car sounds like a simple concept when you finally decide to take the plunge; however, selling a vehicle the right way involves research and investment of time and energy in order to be sure that you get the highest value, among other things. Selling your car for quick cash may seem appealing to many people, yet they don’t always take the time to be sure the process is done in the most beneficial fashion. Getting top dollar for your vehicle should be the priority in a car sale, and this requires a little bit of research on your part. Here are some helpful tips and ideas that will help you once you have decided to begin the process of selling a vehicle.
Refer Blue Book value
The first thing you should do is look up the Blue Book value of your vehicle. You will be required to enter some basic information about your car including mileage, model, make, year, etc. that will give a general calculation of what other cars similar to yours sell for these days. While this is a helpful guide of how to set the price of your car, it is also important to take into consideration the condition and wear of your vehicle—for instance, if you know that your car has had upgrades or recent engine work done, this could increase the price of your vehicle. However, if your car has been in several accidents, has worn parts, and the interior is torn up, you may end up lowering the price you set.
Know your car’s sell ability
Another factor that may influence the price of your car is the sell ability of the vehicle itself; for instance, if the vehicle is not very popular, or if it is notorious for spontaneous combustion, it may take longer to sell—in this case, the seller usually will lower the cost of the car if they wish to sell it in a timely manner. The current demand of the vehicle you wish to sell plays a role in the price that it will go for, but keep in mind that the lower the cost, the more likely it will sell quicker. Depending on the urgency of your situation, this may be something to consider. It is not uncommon for people to sell their vehicles in order to extinguish credit card debt or lower a monthly payment. In any case, taking the time to research the value of your vehicle is crucial.
Get your car cleaned
Take pride in your car! These are the last few moments you may have with it, so get it looking its best; give it a bath and clean it out of dirt and debris, at the very least. Especially if you are listing your car online, you should take pictures of the car once it’s cleaned up—it should look in as good of condition as possible for the photographs, or in person. Maintaining honesty and credibility is an important moral quality; get your engine inspected and perform any low-cost maintenance or repairs that you can afford. If a car comes across as well-taken-care-of, it will likely sell quicker. If you are selling your car at the dealership, it usually is not necessary to wash the car or vacuum it out; dealerships will usually wash the car anyway, and a dirty car is not unfamiliar to them, nor will it factor psychologically into the price of the vehicle.
Make arrangement for title transfer
After your car is cleaned up and ready to go, the next thing you will need to do is dig out the title of your vehicle. After the money transaction is finalized, you will need to sign over the title to the new recipient and be sure to include the current mileage of the vehicle. This step is important, because it releases liability to the new owner of the vehicle. You can then go online through your state DMV and communicate to them that you have sold your vehicle, which, again, legally transfers the liability associated with the vehicle to the new owner. In other words, you are to notify the DMV that anything that happens to or with the car is now the responsibility of the person you sold it to. Overall, selling your car can be a simple process, as long as you are an informed seller!
