Selling a vehicle through private sale doesn’t have to be a pain. Making sure you take all the required steps and keeping detailed records are the easiest way to ensure a good sale. The following steps may help you determine how to sell a car.
- Decide what medium you are going to use to sell your vehicle. You may choose something as simple as putting a “for sale” sign in your car, running a classifieds ad, putting up info on a community board such as one at a local grocery store, church, etc, placing an ad online (which may charge a fee), or even an online auction site like Ebay. You may also choose a combination of these.
- Get together all the basic information about the car, like the year, make, model, mileage, and features, including factory and ones you may have added, like a stereo system or custom tires. It’s also a good idea to find proof of the care of the vehicle, like receipts from maintenance and repairs, and put them someplace easily accessible in the vehicle.
- Find out from your local Department of Motor Vehicles or other state agency what documentation is needed to sell your vehicle, like a title transfer or emissions report.
- Try to come up with a good selling price for your car. You might use a Kelly Blue Book or NADA Guides price guideline to give you an idea, or read ads on other vehicles similar to yours to get an idea of what a fair price may be. Remember, if you ask an unfair price, you may not be able to sell it. You may also want to put out the extra expense of getting a CARFAX report on your vehicle to show potential buyers that your car is in good shape.
- Take at least one good picture of your clean car from the front bumper, in good lighting, with a clean background to include with your ad. If you can, take pictures of the interior and anything special about the vehicle as well.
- Try to write an interesting, thorough but concise ad. You may want to read other ads to see what you do and do not want to include and to get ideas. Try to find something unique (but true) about your car to write about. Mention anything you’ve had worked on recently or any non-factory add-ons. Remember to be detailed, and above all else, honest. Make sure you provide a good phone number, preferably one you can be reached at, including what times are best.
- When the calls do start coming in, having someone (if not you) answer the phone ready with the information on the vehicle will be very helpful. You may want to write it out and put it next to the phone. If you have an answering machine or service, you may want to change your message so callers know they got the right number. It’s a personal choice about whether you want to leave information on the vehicle on your machine.
- When you sell the vehicle, make up a detailed sales receipt, including date, names, and vehicle information. This will cover both you and the buyer, but you also need to fill out any documents required by your state. Private sales are “as is” in most states, so be sure to discuss any issues with the buyer beforehand to prevent headaches for you both.
Hopefully, at the end of this process, you will have a bit of extra cash to buy a new vehicle or save up for a rainy day. And you will have learned how to sell a car successfully.
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