Last Updated on February 1, 2024 by John Robinson
So, you’ve finally decided to sell your car?
Fortunately for you, there’s never been a more opportune time to do this. With the current microchip shortage in the automotive industry, production on new vehicles has slowed down which has had a positive effect on the value of used vehicles. In fact, some researchers are projecting that the global supply of legacy microchips won’t catch up to demand for at least three years. As a seller of a used car this gives you some additional negotiating power.
Of course, selling a used car is not a simple process. There are some best practices to follow to ensure that you maximize the amount of value that you get for your vehicle. Let’s break these down one by one.
Four Tips to Follow When Selling Your Car Online
1. Clean, Inspect & Fix
As a seller your first order of business should be getting your vehicle and the absolute best condition possible to make it more attractive to potential buyers. Give your car a bumper-to-bumper deep clean. In fact, you might want to invest in professional car detailing to give it that showroom appearance.
Next, you should take your car in for a comprehensive inspection. Make sure the car is up to date on all routine maintenance services such as oil and filter changes, topping off fluids, and ensuring the tires are good on tread and rotated. This is also your opportunity to take care of any mechanical problems that the vehicle may have. Trust us, it is much harder to sell a car that has the “check engine” light on or is showing service messages. You want your buyer to feel comfortable and the fact that you’re selling them a reliable vehicle. Additionally, having the paperwork to prove that your vehicle is up to date on all service and maintenance will inspire confidence with your buyer.
2. Take High-Quality Photos
Now that your car is clean and spotless you can now move on to one of the major marketing portions – taking photos. Make sure to get multiple angles that capture both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. It’s also a good idea to get photos of the engine and the trunk space. Photos sell a vehicle, so make sure that your pictures are well lit and high-resolution.
3. Research Your Vehicle’s Value
As previously mentioned, the value of used cars is higher than normal; however, that doesn’t mean that you can list the car for an outrageous value. You still need to be competitive with the market. The best way to go about this is by researching the value of your vehicle. You can go by book value, which will consider year, make, model, mileage, condition, and other factors to determine the car’s value. You can also go to other car listing sites and find vehicles like yours that are being listed in your area.
4. Choose Your Listing Platform(s) and Provide Car and Contact Info
When it comes to you listing your used car for sale there are a couple avenues that you can take. You can either go with a free listing service like Facebook Marketplace; however, just like anything in life, you get what you pay for. Free listing services are usually limited in features and don’t necessarily cast a wide net.
For more professional listing, it does benefit you to go with a service like Auto Trader, eBay Motors, or CarGurus. This type of listing will give you and your vehicle a sense of legitimacy in the eyes of potential buyers.
Once you finally decide on a car listing site, you’ll need to populate your listing with as much pertinent information as possible. Be sure to include your photos, the VIN report, mileage, accident history, and your current contact information. It’s okay to look at other listings to get an idea of the information that needs to be included.
Replacing Your Used Car?
If you’re selling your used car then that probably means you’re in the market for a replacement vehicle. More than likely, you’ll want something that’s a newer model and certified preowned to ensure that your used car purchase is covered by a limited warranty.
The best way to kick off your search is by searching the phrase “used cars near me” or “used car dealerships near me.” This will bring up several used car dealerships in your area along with all of their listings. Once you have cash in hand from your used car sale, you can use that for a down payment with one of these dealerships.