Selling a used car in times of crisis has advantages and disadvantages as well. On the one hand, there are more drivers willing to buy a second-hand vehicle. But there is also a tendency in the buyers to cut the price of your loved vehicle. How to achieve a successful sale in this context? These are the keys:
Know the market
The first step is to find out how much your car worth and set a reasonable sale price. This must be done in several ways:
- Ask for a valuation to the professionals of the sector (mechanics, dealers, resellers, etc.).
- Consult the insurance company about the real value of the car in the market.
- Find out how much other owners ask for similar vehicles.
To find the final sale price, combine this research. A trick: dealers and insurers generally lower prices, while individuals do so upwards. Calculate an average to have the best-selling price of your car.
Put yourself in the place of the buyer
When a person decides to buy a used car, he not only disburses his money but also take some risk. Unlike new vehicles, used cars have a past that the buyer does not know. Avoid the evasions and answer all your questions in a clear and truthful way.
The buyer needs to know the history of the car: if it has had one or more owners if it has been stored in the garage or outdoors, if it has had a work, or family use, if it has received all the mechanical services in a timely manner. If the car registration renewal has been done or not. All the documentation that can prove the care you done of your car, will be very useful to help the buyer decide.
It is good to reveal that you are up to date with all payments. If the bills for the maintenance and the improvements are there, it is also advised to show them. It favors the transparency and the confidence of the buyer. If you are asked to try the car before you buy it, do not deny it or it will look like you are trying to hide something.
If the model and manufacturing company of your car is in high demand, then you can sell it very easily at a very good price. In order to get the best price of your old car, you’ll have to know its actual worth first. Without knowing the market value of your vehicle, you can be a reason of worry for yourself and for the coming buyers too.
Highlight the qualities
Before creating an ad to sell your car online or showing the car to an offline buyer, you’ll have to mention these qualities. Please have a look.
- Brand and model.
- Know that the vehicle has not suffered accidents.
- Having overcome all mechanical controls.
- The condition of the chassis and the body.
- The number of owners you have had.
- The state of the engine, type of fuel it uses and consumption.
- The state of the interior of the vehicle.
- The safety and comfort accessories.
- The price.
The Overall Image
It is not enough for the car to be good: it must look like it. The cleanliness, order, and care in the details reinforce the sense of care. It is psychology: if the owner is concerned about cleaning, vacuuming, waxing and perfuming his car, he must also be as careful with the mechanical and structural components. In addition to a thorough washing and thorough cleaning of the interior, there are other ways to prepare the car to sell, in order to get a better assessment.
On the photos of the ad (if it is possible to include them), it is advisable to make a minimum of six. Two for the sides, one for the front, one for the rear, one for the interior and one for the engine, with the hood up. So, you see that you do not hide anything.
Where and how to find buyers
Friends and acquaintances
The oldest marketing strategy, but it works. You will not lose anything by telling your friends that you want to sell the car. Closing a deal with a relative gives peace, but the circle of your relatives and friends is sometimes not very huge.
Posters in the windows
Another more traditional option … and effective, because it is the car that promotes itself. Anyone who passes by will be able to see what is sold. The bad, sometimes you will have to ignore details that may be interesting (expensive extras you may have, for example).
General and specialized press
Publishing the advertisement in the newspapers allows reaching more people while doing it in magazines of the sector is a direct line with people who are interested in the motor world. Of course, these ads are usually paid and you can publish little information about the car.
Internet
As you know, selling a car on the Internet is free, you get a huge number of websites or platforms that allow you to include photos and detailed information. It is, without doubt, the future of the each and every market (although there are people who still do not trust it).
There are many ways to sell the car on the internet. You can use classified ad websites, you can use such kind of websites who buy the cars on their own. I mean they are the direct buyers. You’ll do not have to worry to show your car to the plenty of window buyers.
Dealers
You leave the car in the hands of a professional is more comfortable and, often, faster. The bad, that usually earn less money and you have to leave the car.
So, that was a try to give you an overview to sell your car. Obviously, there can be some other ways to do this. Please give your feedback or your own ways to sell your car in the comments section below. I’ll try my best to reply to your questions and feedback as soon as possible.
Have a good day.