Selling a used car takes work. Whether you’re planning to sell your used car privately, a junkyard or a dealership, you have to do some research, while optimizing your car post. You have to also take time while negotiating the price of your vehicle. These items can help you maximize the amount of cash you get during the sale. So, let’s explore how to sell a used car, and get you a sale that will leave you with a smile!
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
How to sell a used car quickly
You have a used car and you're needing the cash fast. So, how do you sell a used car quickly?
As the seller, there are some great steps you can take to make a great sale happen fast.
Check out some ways you can secure that sale in almost no time flat!
- First, learn the value of your car. You want to have a knowledge of what your car is worth, whether you sell it privately, to CarMax or even to a junkyard.
- Secondly, decide whether you're going to sell your car as a car or by its parts. This is especially for car sellers who don't have running cars.
- Get a good understanding of what is workign and what's not. The engine bad? Starter horrible? Know what you're selling as a car seller.
- Get that paperwork in order. The most important document you need is your car's title. You may have to go and get a duplicate one from your local DMV/ Motor Vehicle office.
- Decide on a price for your car or its parts. Whether you're selling your car as a car or by parts, decide on the price for any and everything.
- Decide how you want to sell your car. Are you going to stick a “for sale” sign on it and hope someone sees it? Or are you going to sell it online?
- Be patient. Whether you're selling your car on Craigslist, or in your front yard, folks like to take their time when they see a car for sale. So, be patient and allow the buyers to come in due time.
How to Sell a Used Car – How much my car is worth?
Once you have the value of your car, you can price your car accordingly, or go into a dealership or junkyard, armed with knowledge of what you should receive.
If you are selling your vehicle and it has some frame of some body damage, you’ll have to price your car a lot less than the Kelley Blue Book value. But getting that KBB value is a great starting point for any car seller.
Whether you’re planning to sell your car or just trade it in, knowing how much your car is worth can help you compare prices as well as offers. Knowing your car’s worth can also help you decide if you need to visit a junkyard and just get rid of it, or not sell it at all.
When you know the value of your vehicle, you are empowered with choices. For car sellers who have a car loan, knowing your car’s worth can also determine whether you owe more on your car loan than the vehicle is worth. There are lots of online tools that provide free estimates of your car’s value. Some of them include:
- CARFAX History-Based Value
- Consumer Reports Car Value Estimator
- Edmunds' Car Value Appraisal Tool, and more!
How to sell a used car online
Maybe selling a car online is the route you are choosing to go. So, if this appeals to you, you are in great company.
Check out some tips we’re sharing that will help you sell your car successfully, online!
- Go online and get the value of your car. Since your car is used and may have a dent or two, you have to factor that into the price of your car. Just look above for some great online evaluator tools that allow you to get a great estimate of your car!
- Next, decide where you want to sell your used car. Are you partial to Craigslist? Do you love eBay Motors? Deciding where to sell is ideal when selling your used car online. Have at least two places that you are comfortable selling your car.
- Write that car up! As a seller, you have to let your potential buyer know all about your car. So, be sure your ad includes your car's: 1. mileage, 2. year, make & model, 3. the kind of gas mileage your car gets, 4. any known issues, 5. and the price you're asking for it.
- Get that paperwork in order! You need a car tile, (a duplicate car title if you lost the original one), a vehicle history report and other documents that your state requires.
How to sell a used car on Craigslist
Craigslist is one of the “go to sites” when it comes to buying a used car online. Every major city has a Craigslist use car section.
From SUVs, to sedans, you can find a great car to purchase, on the platform. But what about selling a car on Craigslist? The following tips offer an outline of what to do, to sell a used car quickly.
It’s important to note that when you sell online on a site such as Craigslist, you’re dealing with people you have never met before. These are strangers who have taken a supposed interest in your used car.
So, you need to take every precaution that you can. OK- let’s get into our tips to you!
- Get a clear and clean title- Since you are selling a car to a total stranger, that stranger needs to be protected, just as you do. You NEVER want to sell a car on Craigslist without a title.
- Get a damage disclosure statement or a vehicle history report. Once again, you need protection and this is part of having all of the important documents we talked about previously.
- Bill of sale is important too. Although not every state requires a bill of sale for the sale of a used vehicle, again… we go back to that protection factor. You don’t want someone coming back to sue you. So, get a bill of sale.
- Price is important- Craigslist is a platform that is built on solid prices. In fact, when you search the site, you can filter out the cars by the prices. So, if you have a strict budget, you can see which vehicles fall within that budget. As a seller, get that price out front and center! When buyers are looking for cars to purchase, they type in a price. This will help you to sell your car fast!
- Photos- Need me say more? If you are selling a car on Craigslist, you HAVE TO HAVE PHOTOS! No” ifs, ands or buts” about it. Go on Craigslist and look at all of the cars that are for sale. Which ones have no photos? Enough said!
- Description – Craigslist makes it easy to enter the specs about your car. You can enter the mileage as well as if your car has front or four-wheel drive. Be sure to utilize all specs on the platform so that buyers know you are about business!
- Contact information – Now if you do all of the above, and fail to put in your email or phone number on your wonderful ad, chances are your car will not get sold fast. So, be sure to include a way potential buyers can reach you, to see your car!
Should I only accept cash when selling a car privately?
Generally, accepting cash for your car is the absolute safest way to make sure you get the full, precise and exact payment.But you must remember. You are going to receive hundreds of dollars. This means big bills. So here are some safeguards you want to take when taking payments for your vehicle.
- If you tell the buyer of your used vehicle that you will accept cash, you need a way to ensure that the bills are not counterfeit. What is the point of selling a car only to be given some “funny money”?
- Agree to meet at a bank and get those dollar bills verified.
- Once you and the buyer agree on a price, you can head to the post office or another outlet that sells money orders. Postal money orders go up to $1000 and they never expire. Credit unions and banks offer money orders and they are free to members. You may have to pay a small fee if you are not a member though. But get that money order for the EXACT amount of the car.
- A cashiers check may be a better option for a car that costs several thousands of dollars. Once you and the buyer agree on the price, and your car sells for several thousands of dollars, you can ask the buyer to present you with a cashiers check, for the exact amount.
- NEVER take personal checks. You don't want to run that risk of the check bouncing. Money orders and cashier checks can be deposited and or cashed with no problem. They are not drawn on a personal account. The money is there, just in a paper/check form.
How to Sell A Used Car – What is the best way to sell a used car?
When it comes to selling a used car, there are lots of options for you. Whether you are tech-savvy and want to sell it online, or you just want to to an “old school” blast of visiting local communities and sharing you have a car, you have options! Let's sum of the best below:
- Sell it online- whether you sell it on Autotrader, or Craigslist, you will definitely have a great audience of online car buyers, who will see your car.
- Go the private route – stick a “for sale” sign on your car and place it in front of your home and wait for someone to call you.
- Post ads at local community buildings and centers. Whether you head to a local college or a church, you can post ads of your car there and encourage buyers to call about your car.
- Sell it to CarMax– lots of folks sell their cars to CarMax, the nation's largest used car retailer.
- Call up that dealership – you can always sell your car to a dealership. But with that, comes following the rules they have in place.
- Sell it to a junkyard. Junk that old car and get some quick cash. Just be sure to find a reputable junkyard and make sure that you as the seller are respected.
Cash Cars Buyer will purchase that used car, FAST!
OK- enough with the rest! It's time to sell your car to the BEST!
As a licensed, bonded and insured company, we buy used cars!
- We buy the vehicles after the divorce! You got to keep the car and now you want to sell it? Call us!
- Car not running or sitting on concrete blocks? We'll buy it!
- No keys with the car? No problem! Just phone us!
- Is that SUV just too ugly for words? No worries! We'll turn it into cash FAST!
- No car title? In many cases, not having the title is not an issue. But we DO ask that you have your car registration as well as a picture ID for the car sale.
What is the fastest way to sell your car?
Cash Cars Buyer offers sellers a three-step method that is fast, quick and convenient. Here's what you do:
1. Enter your used car's specs and get an instant offer.
2. Call us so we can ask you some additional questions about your car. Then we will make you a cash offer. Like what you hear? Great! We'll come to you, to inspect your car!
3. Once we get to your location, we will appraise your car. When all looks good, we'll put cash in your hands, FAST!
Sell Your Used Car To Cash Cars Buyer because:
- We pay cash on the spot!
- You can take advantage of our FREE used car removal!
- You can get an instant offer on your car 24 hours a day, even on Sundays or Saturdays!
- We provide local service right to your front door; you never have to come to us; we'll drive to you!
- We've been buying used cars for over a decade now. We LOVE what we do!
So, forget the online ads, CarMax, junkyards and hassles. Let Cash Cars Buyer pay you cash for that used car, NOW! 844-663-7286!