How To Prepare Your Car For Selling

It’s been a difficult year for many financially as well as emotionally and with many people now working from home, one thing you could do to save on money is to sell your car. You won’t just get the money from selling the physical car but you’ll also save on the running costs each week and month. Alternatively, if you want to treat yourself then sell your car and put the money towards a new one, you deserve it after this year. So how can you get your car ready to sell?

Decide How To Sell It

These days it could not be easier to sell your car, but first of all, you need to decide where and how you’d like to sell your car. Do you want to sell it privately? Would you prefer to trade it in as a part-exchange deal, maybe you want to sell it for parts? Or perhaps you would like to sell it with one of these companies who are guaranteed to buy it off you and keep things simple or somewhere like Sell My Car Direct which secure a great price for your old car and guarantee a quick sale. Whichever way you decide, make sure you have done your research and know what needs to be done. For example, if you’re selling your car for parts then there’s no point making it look good or getting the tires pumped up. Other ways of selling it don’t require you even to clean it, so find out exactly what is required. 

Clean your car

If you are selling your car privately then you’ll want to make a good impression on buyers and the best way to do that is to make sure that your car is clean. You could either have it professionally valeted or wash it yourself, but making it clean and shiny will make it more desirable to potential buyers. Make sure you clear out the glove box and the door bins too. This not only makes it look good and shows your car in the best possible light, but it’s one less job for the buyer to do when they get it home. They’ll also know that you’ve looked after it so probably won’t try to haggle too much on price. 

Check Everything’s Working

As mentioned, if you’re selling for parts and getting rid of the car because it needs fixing then this doesn’t apply. However, it is good to know what exactly is working and what isn’t. If selling privately though, make sure that you have checked all the lights, warning symbols, and seatbelts, etc. Check every tiny detail and if you’re not confident in doing this then get a professional to do it for you. 

Check the paperwork

When you sell a car you also need to include the paperwork that goes with it. You will need the logbook, V5 Certificate, spare keys, service history documentation, and MOT certificates. Make sure that you have these and that they are fully up to date. Potential buyers will need to see them as they are just as important as checking the car itself. 

Selling For Parts

If you decide you’d like to sell your car for parts rather than fixing it, then there are several ways to do this. Call junk yards in your area to see how much they would offer you for your car in its current condition. Alternatively, you could advertise your car online and make a private sale but do make sure that you state that it is just being sold for parts. If you’re handy under a car bonnet then you might have more options if you can take parts out of the car yourself and sell them individually. You will of course need the tools and skills to do this and then a good camera to take photos of each part and list them online to sell. 

Have a look for websites and forums for your car’s specific make and model as this is where people will be looking for the parts you’re selling. Or you could try selling them on the Facebook marketplace which is especially useful for the large and heavy parts as you’ll want to sell them locally rather than trying to post them to the buyer. 

Do your research to make sure that you get the right price for your junk car or car parts. Look up prices for other used car parts to determine how much you should sell yours for. Look at a few places as prices may vary so try to find the average. Also, look up the prices of used parts for your specific car’s year, make and model. Finally, make sure that the car parts you want to sell are clean and that your photos show the true condition of the part your selling.