There are many reasons to replace a car. Usually, a new car is looked at when you want to get more space, comfort, and power or when visits to the service center become too expensive. In this case, it is necessary to part with the old vehicle competently. We tell you how to sell a car quickly and most get the most money for used car.
Ways of selling a car
- Through resellers. You can get money for your car on the same day. But get ready that the car will be estimated 30-60% cheaper than its real value.
- Through an auction. The advantage of selling through an auction is that the seller does not need to spend on advertising and paperwork. The car owner also does not pay anything for participation in the auction. The disadvantage of this method is a lower price than, for example, in an independent sale. The company organizing the auction earns on commission, which, on average, is about 5% of the amount of the car sale.
- At a car dealership. The money is paid out within a few days. The car is usually valued at 10-25% below the market price.” If you don’t feel like selling the car yourself, this is the best option.
- On a commission site. The money for old car is paid upon sale. The company charges a percentage of the transaction or a daily fee if you pick up the car. The cost is set by you, but the site employee will convince you to lower it.
- Trade-In. When you come to a car dealership for a new car, you surrender your old car, eliminating the need to sell it yourself. In return, you are given a substantial discount or a bonus in the form of a package of additional equipment. This is convenient, but not always profitable.
- Selling to friends and relatives. This is usually the quickest and most profitable option to get cash for old car. But your reputation and relationship with these people is at stake. If the car shows hidden faults, subconsciously they will blame you.
- Self-sale of the car. With the right approach, you will get the maximum amount without any catch. But the process can take a long time. On average, a budget car sells in 14-18 days, and a premium car in 30-50 days.
How to speed up the sale of a car and get more income?
Set the right price
Use portals for selling cars. In the search, enter all the characteristics of your car – make, model, year of manufacture, engine, color, and, if possible, equipment. If there are at least five cars in the output, you can calculate the average market value. If there are fewer, you will have to adjust the figure depending on the condition of the cars shown.
To sell the car as quickly as possible, lower the price by 5% of the market price. There is no point in going any lower. Too low a price will arouse suspicion. Besides, there will always be people willing to bargain and lower the price even more.
If the terms are bearable and you are confident in the good condition of your car, add 3-5% on top of the “market”. Popular models are sold even in such conditions. By waiting a little longer, you can get additional benefits.
Maximum information
Describe the condition and equipment of the car in detail. To sell your car as quickly as possible, don’t hesitate to read several similar ads. Look for a distinctive feature of your offer, such as a Bluetooth car stereo, self-contained heating system, or official tuning. Put this “exclusive” at the top of the text portion of the ad.
Good photos
Statistics from sales sites show that cars with 10-20 high-resolution photos sell the fastest. Take photos of the car’s body, interior, and trunk from different angles. If you don’t have a suitable camera, ask a friend with a good camera or an expensive smartphone for help. Even if the pictures are compressed, the difference will be visible to the naked eye.
Check the information in advance
Use specialized websites in your country. It is advisable to check the car yourself before selling it. Sometimes fraudsters “steal” the VINs of cars by entering them in advertisements. After that, incorrect information appears in the databases. Having discovered the forgery, write a complaint to the administrator of the sites: the one where the ad was placed and the one you checked. When the false data will be removed, the chances of a profitable sale will increase.
Ignore resellers
As soon as you place your ad, calls will start coming in. In the first 2-3 days, there will be a particularly high proportion of resellers who want to profit from the resale of your car. It is easy to recognize them – they start haggling on the phone and offer to pick up the car today at a very low price. If you set the price within the market, a real buyer will ask for a discount of no more than 5-10%. The rest can be ignored.
Pre-sale preparation
Get your car looking its best. Dry-clean the interior and polish the body, change burned-out light bulbs, and replace damaged trim parts. After that, you will be able to sell your car faster and more profitably. After seeing the sparkling surfaces, smelling the freshness, and feeling the pleasant softness of the upholstery, the potential buyer will not want to bargain much. He will want to buy the car as soon as possible.
Sandwich rule
It is not worth hiding the disadvantages of the car like past accidents, high fuel consumption, and cramped interior. The buyer will still find out about them when inspecting the car before the sale or reading reviews on the Internet. But the disadvantages can be nicely wrapped up with advantages. During a phone conversation, first name the pros, then briefly go over the cons, and at the end make a summary that the positive in any case outweighs the negative. “Small, but economical.” “Spend a lot of fuel, but you won’t get this kind of comfort anywhere else.” This is the basic rule of professional salespeople, which they call the “sandwich” principle.
Conclusion
The most profitable way to sell a car is to place an ad. To get the maximum amount quickly, follow these rules:
- Set a reasonable price within market value;
- Provide maximum information;
- Bring up the exclusive benefit;
- Take good photos from different angles;
- Check the VIN information in advance;
- Ignore greedy resellers;
- Clean up the car before you sell it;
- Talk about the cons, but cover them with the pros.
