What is the best time to try to sell your car? Well, believe it or not, that depends on the weather. In fact, good weather means a good time to sell, because people tend to buy more cars in late summer or early fall. The time to go on a late vacation is running out by then, and the itch to go somewhere spurs on the desire to have a decent set of wheels to do so. This makes summer and fall the best times for selling your car yourself.
The thought of winter coming gets people in the car-buying mood as well. For someone wanting to sell their car, it’s a good idea to try to get into the mind of the buyer. A really great car won’t sell as well or for as much money in the dead of winter as it will in nicer weather. How do you get your car ready to command the best price? Here are some tips on selling your car yourself: the first is paint, polish and prime. The second tip is to clean, vacuum and shine. The third tip is to collect all records and reports.
Painting, polishing and priming is all about the exterior of your car. A clean car makes a better impression, and when it comes to selling your car, first impressions are everything. Sometimes it’s not worth painting your car right before selling. You must weigh out the costs. If you really think you can get the cost of a sell used car paint job back out of your car when selling it, and still make money, then it may be worth consideration.
Carefully and meticulously wash, clean and polish the exterior of your car, from the rubber to the roof. It doesn’t cost much more than time to get the outside of the car looking its prime. This is the first part of the car that a potential buyer sees, and some people buy cars just for the looks. The shinier the car is, the newer it looks.
The next tip involves cleaning, vacuuming and shining the interior of your car. Make sure there is no junk hiding under any of the seats. If they remove easily, take them out to do a thorough cleaning job. Vacuuming is important, and should be done throughout the entire car including the trunk. Next, use a mild cleansing solution to wash down all the plastic parts of the interior, including the dash.
Clean and shine all windows and mirrors on the inside of your car so that no fingerprints remain. The potential buyer will sit in your car, and you want them to think, “wow!” when they do. Something that is often missed is making sure the steering wheel is clean and doesn’t feel sticky.
The third tip for selling your car yourself is to gather all records pertaining to your car. If you have the owner’s manual, that’s a bonus to the new owner. Find other receipts you have kept for oil changes and any repairs made to the car or the engine. This shows the owner you have been taking care of the car and makes a good impression.
Before you make the actual sale of the car, make sure you have obtained all the necessary documents to make the transfer of ownership. Check what the laws and regulations are in your area before completing the transaction. This could save you a lot of grief later and make the sale go very smoothly for both you and the prospective new owner.