While water is one of the best resources for human life, it can cause a lot of damage is if it's extreme. Did you know that Hurricane Harvey was one of the worst in history? And affected people's homes, cars, and other valuable properties.
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
Once you are in this situation, selling a flooded car can be a huge challenge, and without proper guidance, you might end up without a buyer and with the vehicle in your face forever.
If you're looking to sell flooded cars and wondering how to sell a flooded car for the most cash, this article is written purposely for you.
What is a flooded car?
Before we dive into the different things you need to consider when selling a flooded vehicle, it's very important to understand a flooded car's correct definition.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, a flooded vehicle is defined as “a flood vehicle has been completely or partially submerged in water to the extent that its body, engine, transmission or other mechanical parts have been damaged.”
Therefore, if your vehicle was exposed to a lot of water and you're not sure about the extent of damage, it's recommended that you never attempt to start the vehicle. You need to consult a professional mechanic and have him inspect the car immediately.
Your professional mechanic will tell you whether the flood damage got to the electrical system, the transmission, and other major components of your vehicle.
There are some chances where a vehicle exposed to a lot of water might be repairable, but, in most scenarios, a flooded vehicle usually ends up a total loss.
Whether your vehicle got submerged in water or not, once it faces a lot of water, it's recommended that you're a professional mechanic takes the vehicle's components apart and make sure to clean them properly to remove any water. This way, you can save the car if it's savable. Otherwise, unfortunately, your vehicle will end up totaled.
How to sell a flooded car for the most cash?
Now we understand what it means when the vehicle is considered flooded, and it's time to get ready and prepare for selling this vehicle for the most cash quickly.
Here's or summary from automotive experts about how the process should be done:
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Understand the real damage
Before attempting to sell your flooded vehicle, your first step would be to evaluate the actual damage and understand what's going on with the vehicle.
You need to have a good idea about how much your vehicle needs to get repaired if any. You need to have a background number in the back of your head about what would be a good deal for you and what would not.
The ideal situation would be to take your vehicle to a professional mechanic and inspect the vehicle to tell you what exactly is happening with the car.
If you don't want to spend money on an inspection, you can do it yourself to get a rough estimate of the damage's severity. To do so, you need to disconnect the battery and make sure there is no electrical current running in the vehicle to avoid any risk of electrical shocks.
Pop-out the hood and look, checking for damage signs in your vehicle's components. You can also look at your vehicle's exterior and see whether there are significant damages in the electrical windows or doors or the funk.
After you understand the extent of the damage, it's time to take out personal belongings and other valuable items.
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Put your documentation together
To be realistic, when your vehicle is flooded, it's most likely that you will have it sold to someone else. You don't want to expand high repair costs that could get as high as your vehicle's value, if not more.
If that's the case, you need to get all the required documentation together.
For example, if your vehicle has a title, get it ready, and have a warranty, liability paperwork, and others.
On the other hand, if you don't have a title, you might need to prepare paperwork to show ownership, like your photo ID and valid car registration.
You never want to leave this step till the last minute because finding a good buyer with the best deal shouldn't be lost just because you don't have your paperwork ready.
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Get in touch with junk car removal companies
When it comes to selling a flooded vehicle, you won't find a private buyer who is interested in risking and purchasing such a vehicle because most private buyers are looking for drivable vehicles that they can drive immediately.
You will most likely end up with a junk car removal company or a salvage yard. We recommend spending some time and research for a good company with an online presence and is considered legitimate. Look at their customer's reviews, and if they have any bad reviews, you need to walk away and never waste your time dealing with them.
Make sure to receive multiple quotes from different companies and never rush the process. As you look for quotes, keep in mind that there might be some hidden fees. For example, some junk car removal companies might provide you with free towing but at a lower price. On the other hand, other junk car removal companies might provide you with a higher offer, but they have their hidden fees.
Once you have your quotes, we recommend that you sit down and evaluate each quote to select the one that works best for you.
How can cash cars buyer help you sell your flooded car?
If you ready to sell your flooded car, you are in the right location!
Our company provides the fastest, easiest, and safest car removal service.
We don't mind buying flooded vehicles if you're upfront with us and provide us with all the details. All it takes from you is a couple of steps, including:
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Describe the type and condition of your car
You could either visit our homepage or get in touch with us by phone telling us about your vehicle type and condition. For example, we will ask you about your car's make, model, and year.
We will also ask you other questions regarding your vehicle's overall condition besides it's being flooded.
Usually, our questions don't take more than a couple of minutes, and you can move forward with the process and get your instant offer.
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Receive and accept your instant offer
Immediately after we get the information, we will provide you with an instant offer within 30 seconds of your call.
Our offers represent the maximum cash you could get for your flooded vehicle around your area.
We used the most advanced technology to evaluate your car and compare it with the most recent transactions in your area.
Even if your vehicle doesn't have a title, our company is willing to purchase it and take care of old paperwork. However, if you decided to go without a title, you will receive a significantly lower offer.
That's why we recommend that you, as a legal owner of the vehicle, attempt to get a title replacement from your local DMV office. While it might be straightforward to get a title replacement, things might be a little challenging when replacing a title for a flooded vehicle.
It doesn't hurt to give it a try and ask your local DMV office about what can be done in this situation.
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Schedule a pickup time, get your vehicle removed, and receive your cash payment on the spot!
Once you're happy with the offer, we will work with you to schedule a pickup time and location that works best for you.
At the pickup time, we will ask you to show your vehicle's title if you have one, or we might ask you to provide paperwork to prove ownership, like your photo ID and valid registration.
Once we see these documents and perform a quick inspection of your car, we will hand you the cash payment right on the spot and safely remove your vehicle.
We recommend that you take a second look at your car and make sure that you removed all personal items, even those affected by water. They might be useful at some point.
It's also recommended that you inform your local DMV office that you got rid of this vehicle, so you won't be reliable before anything happens to the vehicle.
Finally, you need to inform your insurance policy that your vehicle was sold and get advantages of any remaining balance in the policy.
Conclusion
Dealing with used vehicles can be challenging, and things get more complicated if you're trying to sell a flooded vehicle.
Flooded vehicles usually end up as a total loss, and your insurance company might not pay any penny to get it repaired because it's not worth it.
This article provided you with detailed tips on how to sell a flooded car for the most cash.
We recommend that you get in touch with our team today and receive your instant offer that doesn't take more than a couple of minutes and is free of charge.