With the cost of motoring increasing, you’ll want to get as much money as possible when you sell your car.
Car maintenance
Buyers want a reliable car in excellent condition. Carry out a few essential car checks to ensure everything is in working order:
• An oil change won’t cost the world, and can make a big difference when the buyer checks under the bonnet – make sure you fill to the correct level using the dipstick
• Check tyres – make sure their pressure is correct, any punctured tyres are replaced and tread depth is at least 1.6mm deep – at least 3mm is strongly recommended
• All lights should be examined, cleaned, repaired or replaced if necessary
• Repair or replace any damaged car part which affects driving
• Check your car’s brake fluid, windscreen washer and coolant levels and fill accordingly – use sweet-smelling washer fluid for maximum impact
• Buy replacements for missing trims or badges
• Consider replacing any wheel trims - especially if they've been kerbed. Damaged alloys can often be repaired.
Exterior
There are a number of cleaning jobs which can make your car gleam with pride, ready for the all-important advert photograph.
Wash the car from the roof down with car shampoo and a sponge. Avoid using washing-up liquid, as this can cause rust.
1. Clean the car from top to bottom, not forgetting minor details such as wheel arches, bumpers, outer skirts and inner door panels
2. Scratches can be covered with special fluids such as T-Cut
3. Clean the wheels last. Use a special alloy wheel cleaner if dirt is particularly stubborn to remove
4. Rinse the car thoroughly with a hose or bucket of water
5. Dry with a chamois leather
6. Use car wax or polish to create the perfect sheen. Don't worry if paint residue appears on the cloth; this is just a layer of ‘dead paint’
Interior
A car’s interior is just as important as its exterior – car buyers want a comfortable drive which looks great inside as well as out.
1. Vacuum the carpets, mats, seats, dashboard and any dusty crevices
2. Use low-gloss cleaner on the dashboard (avoid household polish)
3. Wipe glass with window cleaner and a damp chamois
4. Get minor damage or holes on the dashboard fixed by specialists
5. Empty the ashtrays; spray and wipe them clean
6. Use a light air freshener or odour neutraliser if the car smells of smoke, but don’t use too much…
Pricing
Look on our website or in your local Auto Trader magazine for relevant adverts. Find out your car’s asking price with What Car’s ‘What's it Worth?’ valuation tool.
Expect buyers to haggle – set your price a little higher than expected. If you’ve properly cleaned and repaired your car, buyer may be inclined to pay more for it.
Placing your advert
You can place an ad online or in your local Auto Trader magazine.
Use bullet points to accentuate the car’s best features – it could be climate control, alloy wheels or low mileage (cars usually travel 8,000 to 12,000 miles a year).
Keep online adverts between 50 and 75 words long and magazine adverts around 20 to 30 words. Minimise use of block capitals – these can be difficult to read.
Avoid vague phrases such as:
• Lovely driver
• Good car
• A joy to drive
• First to see will buy
Take a front three-quarter angled picture of the car and up to eight other photos.
Article Source: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/how_to_sell_your_car.html
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
10 Steps to Selling Your Car
Step 4: Where to Advertise Your Car
Now that your car is looking great and running well, it's time to advertise it for sale. Traditionally, people advertise in newspaper classified ads. These ads can be expensive, but they get results. On-line classified ads, such as the Edmunds.com Used Vehicle Locator, are becoming increasingly popular. On-line ads are particularly effective with hard-to-find or collector cars. In most cases, on-line classifieds reach a geographically wider area of buyers.
Here are the main markets for advertising used cars:
* On-line classified ads such as those on Edmunds.com
* Daily newspaper classified ads
* Weekly "shoppers" and giveaway newspapers
* Bulletin boards at your office, a local supermarket or a college campus
* Word of mouth — tell your friends and family you have a car for sale
* Put a "For Sale" sign in the car window
Creativity is required when it comes to advertising. Think of unusual places to put ads (skywriting is probably too expensive), and you will get results.
One last word of advice about advertising: if you run an expensive classified ad, be sure you are available to take phone calls from possible buyers. Many people won't leave a message for a return call. So answer the phone — and be polite. Creating a good first impression is the first step to getting buyers to come and see the car in person.
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Article Source:http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/articles/
Now that your car is looking great and running well, it's time to advertise it for sale. Traditionally, people advertise in newspaper classified ads. These ads can be expensive, but they get results. On-line classified ads, such as the Edmunds.com Used Vehicle Locator, are becoming increasingly popular. On-line ads are particularly effective with hard-to-find or collector cars. In most cases, on-line classifieds reach a geographically wider area of buyers.
Here are the main markets for advertising used cars:
* On-line classified ads such as those on Edmunds.com
* Daily newspaper classified ads
* Weekly "shoppers" and giveaway newspapers
* Bulletin boards at your office, a local supermarket or a college campus
* Word of mouth — tell your friends and family you have a car for sale
* Put a "For Sale" sign in the car window
Creativity is required when it comes to advertising. Think of unusual places to put ads (skywriting is probably too expensive), and you will get results.
One last word of advice about advertising: if you run an expensive classified ad, be sure you are available to take phone calls from possible buyers. Many people won't leave a message for a return call. So answer the phone — and be polite. Creating a good first impression is the first step to getting buyers to come and see the car in person.
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Article Source:http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/articles/
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Selling a Car Tips
Selling a car is a lot like buying a car in the sense that there is a lot of work that should be done before the actual sale. When you sell your car you ideally want as much as possible for it, but often cars seem to sell for a lot less then people expect. A used car isn't something that can have a high price tag in most cases and basically once you drive a new car off of the lot it's already lost 10-20% of its value. After a few years it will have lost 30-40% of its value and this isn't to say someone would pay that much either, it's just a rough configuration. As you can see selling a car isn't very valuable but if you have a used car that is sitting doing nothing then it could definitely help add a few dollars into your pocket.
Before you list your car for sale you'll want to give the inside and outside a quick clean so that it's not filthy from sitting there for years. You should also make sure everything is working and if it isn't then either fix the problem or list the problem in the ad. You cannot not list a problem with your vehicle as it could come back to haunt you. The best thing to do is probably fix it unless it's something minor, but if you fix it you'll definitely have a better chance of selling the car. People buying a used car aren't looking to spend money fixing the car there only looking for a quick means to transportation most times and they won't even look at anything that needs work done to it. Especially since hundreds of used cars are for sale all the time in cities and there is a lot of choice, which means not many people would be willing to buy a used car that didn't run.
Once you have everything organized and the car is in running condition then you should determine how you'd like to sell the car. The first option is to sell it in an auto trader magazine in your local region and another option would be to sell it online. Many websites allow you to sell cars and a lot more people are beginning to search for there used cars online now. The chances of being seen are a lot more likely online then in an auto trade magazine nowadays and it's also free advertisement. The most popular websites don't charge any money to sell things which means you can post an ad completely free with your cars details and your contact details.
Lots of people have had success selling their used cars online and it's been a great means to some extra cash for many people. If you have a used car sitting around doing nothing then you might want to clean it up and make sure it's running and then sell it. You will be surprised what a car online could sell for, it may not be thousands of dollars but you can get a couple grand for a nice used car.
Car Shipping and Auto Shipping
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
By Brenda Williams
Before you list your car for sale you'll want to give the inside and outside a quick clean so that it's not filthy from sitting there for years. You should also make sure everything is working and if it isn't then either fix the problem or list the problem in the ad. You cannot not list a problem with your vehicle as it could come back to haunt you. The best thing to do is probably fix it unless it's something minor, but if you fix it you'll definitely have a better chance of selling the car. People buying a used car aren't looking to spend money fixing the car there only looking for a quick means to transportation most times and they won't even look at anything that needs work done to it. Especially since hundreds of used cars are for sale all the time in cities and there is a lot of choice, which means not many people would be willing to buy a used car that didn't run.
Once you have everything organized and the car is in running condition then you should determine how you'd like to sell the car. The first option is to sell it in an auto trader magazine in your local region and another option would be to sell it online. Many websites allow you to sell cars and a lot more people are beginning to search for there used cars online now. The chances of being seen are a lot more likely online then in an auto trade magazine nowadays and it's also free advertisement. The most popular websites don't charge any money to sell things which means you can post an ad completely free with your cars details and your contact details.
Lots of people have had success selling their used cars online and it's been a great means to some extra cash for many people. If you have a used car sitting around doing nothing then you might want to clean it up and make sure it's running and then sell it. You will be surprised what a car online could sell for, it may not be thousands of dollars but you can get a couple grand for a nice used car.
Car Shipping and Auto Shipping
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
By Brenda Williams
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
10 Steps to Selling Your Car
Step 3: Give Your Car "Curb Appeal"
When people come to look at your car, they will probably make up their minds to buy it or not within the first few seconds. This is based on their first look at the car. So you want this first look to be positive. You want your car to have "curb appeal."
Before you advertise your car for sale, make sure it looks as clean and attractive as realistically possible. This goes beyond just taking it to the car wash. Here is a to-do list that could help turn your heap into a cream puff:
* Make sure it is washed, waxed and detailed.
* Make sure your car is both mechanically sound and free from dents, dings and scrapes.
* Consider making low-cost repairs yourself rather than selling it "as is."
* Shovel out all the junk from the inside of the car. When prospective buyers go for a test-drive, you don't want them to feel like they've walked into your messy bedroom. Let them visualize the car as theirs.
* Wipe the brake dust off the wheel covers and clean the tires with a tire gloss product.
* Thoroughly clean the windows (inside and out) and all the mirrored surfaces.
* Wipe down the dashboard and empty the ashtrays.
* Have all your maintenance records ready to show prospective buyers.
* If the car needs servicing or even a routine oil change, take care of that before putting it up for sale.
* Have your mechanic check out your car and issue a report about its condition. You can use this to motivate a buyer who is on the fence.
* Order a Carfax report and show it to the buyer to prove the car's title is clean and the odometer reading is accurate.
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Article Source: http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/articles/
When people come to look at your car, they will probably make up their minds to buy it or not within the first few seconds. This is based on their first look at the car. So you want this first look to be positive. You want your car to have "curb appeal."
Before you advertise your car for sale, make sure it looks as clean and attractive as realistically possible. This goes beyond just taking it to the car wash. Here is a to-do list that could help turn your heap into a cream puff:
* Make sure it is washed, waxed and detailed.
* Make sure your car is both mechanically sound and free from dents, dings and scrapes.
* Consider making low-cost repairs yourself rather than selling it "as is."
* Shovel out all the junk from the inside of the car. When prospective buyers go for a test-drive, you don't want them to feel like they've walked into your messy bedroom. Let them visualize the car as theirs.
* Wipe the brake dust off the wheel covers and clean the tires with a tire gloss product.
* Thoroughly clean the windows (inside and out) and all the mirrored surfaces.
* Wipe down the dashboard and empty the ashtrays.
* Have all your maintenance records ready to show prospective buyers.
* If the car needs servicing or even a routine oil change, take care of that before putting it up for sale.
* Have your mechanic check out your car and issue a report about its condition. You can use this to motivate a buyer who is on the fence.
* Order a Carfax report and show it to the buyer to prove the car's title is clean and the odometer reading is accurate.
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Article Source: http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/articles/
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
10 Steps to Selling Your Car II
Step 2: Price Your Car Competitively
Once you have surveyed the on-line classified ads, use Edmunds.com True Market Value (TMV®) pricing to determine the fair value of your car. Edmunds.com TMV prices are adjusted for mileage, color, region, options and condition. Once you have followed the prompts and gotten a specific price, you can also generate a "For Sale" sign. An Edmunds.com "For Sale" sign will give your price an air of authority.
There are always some exceptions to the rules of pricing, so you should follow your intuition. And be sure to leave a little wiggle room in your asking price. Ask for slightly more money than you are actually willing to accept. If you want to get $12,000 for the car, you should list the car at $12,500. That way, if you get $12,500 — great! But if you have to go lower, it won't be a terrible loss.
You may have noticed how creative used car dealers get in pricing cars. Their prices usually end in "995," as in $12,995. Are we not supposed to notice that the car basically costs $13,000? There is a lot of psychology in setting prices. A product that doesn't sell well at $20 might jump off the shelf at $19.95.
On the other hand, as a private party seller, you don't want to look like a car dealer. Therefore, you might want to take a simple approach and set your price at a round figure such as $12,750 or $12,500.
from http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Once you have surveyed the on-line classified ads, use Edmunds.com True Market Value (TMV®) pricing to determine the fair value of your car. Edmunds.com TMV prices are adjusted for mileage, color, region, options and condition. Once you have followed the prompts and gotten a specific price, you can also generate a "For Sale" sign. An Edmunds.com "For Sale" sign will give your price an air of authority.
There are always some exceptions to the rules of pricing, so you should follow your intuition. And be sure to leave a little wiggle room in your asking price. Ask for slightly more money than you are actually willing to accept. If you want to get $12,000 for the car, you should list the car at $12,500. That way, if you get $12,500 — great! But if you have to go lower, it won't be a terrible loss.
You may have noticed how creative used car dealers get in pricing cars. Their prices usually end in "995," as in $12,995. Are we not supposed to notice that the car basically costs $13,000? There is a lot of psychology in setting prices. A product that doesn't sell well at $20 might jump off the shelf at $19.95.
On the other hand, as a private party seller, you don't want to look like a car dealer. Therefore, you might want to take a simple approach and set your price at a round figure such as $12,750 or $12,500.
from http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Selling Tips
10 Steps to Selling Your Car
Step 1: Know the Market
Is your car going to be easy to sell? Is it a hot commodity? Or will you have to drop your price and search out additional avenues to sell it?
Here are a few general rules to answer these questions:
- Family sedans, while unexciting to many, are in constant demand by people needing basic, inexpensive transportation.
- SUVs are very popular right now and often move quickly, even older models.
- The sale of convertibles and sports cars is seasonal. Sunny weather brings out the buyers. Fall and winter months will be slow.
- Trucks and vans, used for work, are steady sellers and command competitive prices. Don't underestimate their value.
- Collector cars will take longer to sell and are often difficult to price. However, these cars can have unexpected value if you find the right buyer.
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor
From:http://www.edmunds.com/advice/selling/
To be continued..
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Selling Your Car - By Owner Vs Trading it In
There are a few primary affidavit to advertise your car. You may artlessly be annoyed of it. It may be old. It ability amount too abundant to ample up at the gas pump. Whatever the reason, already you adjudge to advertise your car, you charge adjudge if you appetite to advertise it yourself or barter it in. In this article, we will altercate the disadvantages and advantages of both options.
If you adjudge to advertise your car yourself, you will accept to apperceive what you are doing. There are acknowledged issues that you will accept to be acquainted of. You will charge to be able highlight the appearance of the agent and be able to bargain. Announcement the agent will additionally be a assignment that you accept to booty on. This will accommodate purchasing announcement amplitude in newspapers. If you are added web savvy, you could additionally abode advertisements online. Free classified ad sites such as Craigslist or Backpage are acceptable choices. An bargain armpit like eBay is addition option. Back you auction your car yourself, be abiding to accumulate all of the able paperwork.
Selling you car "by owner," allows you to advertise it for added money again you would get if you traded it in. However, be abiding that you accept the afterward advice readily available: mileage, whether or not there has been any centralized or alien damage, adjustment history and aliment records.
Trading your car in is addition advantage back you are attractive to get rid of it and are in the bazaar for a new car. The disadvantages of a barter in are obvious. You will get far beneath money for your barter in, again if you awash it yourself. The banker has to body in a profit, so that agency beneath money for you.
There are however, advantages to trade-ins namely, they are around painless. The car dealership handles all of the cardboard work.
Selling your car can be assumption wracking experience. The aboriginal accommodation that you accept to accomplish is whether or not you appetite to advertise it yourself or if you would rather barter it in.
Trading your car in is a acceptable advantage if you are attractive to acquirement addition car. If so, it can act as your bottomward acquittal for your abutting car. It is additionally a lot simpler again affairs your car yourself. You aloof duke it over to the dealership and they will handle all of the paperwork for you.
The better disadvantage is that you will get beneath for your car or agent again it is worth. Affairs your car yourself has its' own advantages. The arch advantage is that you can advertise it for abundant added money. However, you charge apperceive what you are doing, you accept to be abiding that you aces a acceptable client and that they accept the money to absolutely pay for the car.
Figuring out how to alteration the appellation and added acknowledged issues will appear into play. You will additionally charge to accumulate advice apropos the history of the car such as mileage, any accident done to the car and maintenance. You will additionally be amenable for announcement the auction of the agent as well..
If you adjudge to advertise your car yourself, you will accept to apperceive what you are doing. There are acknowledged issues that you will accept to be acquainted of. You will charge to be able highlight the appearance of the agent and be able to bargain. Announcement the agent will additionally be a assignment that you accept to booty on. This will accommodate purchasing announcement amplitude in newspapers. If you are added web savvy, you could additionally abode advertisements online. Free classified ad sites such as Craigslist or Backpage are acceptable choices. An bargain armpit like eBay is addition option. Back you auction your car yourself, be abiding to accumulate all of the able paperwork.
Selling you car "by owner," allows you to advertise it for added money again you would get if you traded it in. However, be abiding that you accept the afterward advice readily available: mileage, whether or not there has been any centralized or alien damage, adjustment history and aliment records.
Trading your car in is addition advantage back you are attractive to get rid of it and are in the bazaar for a new car. The disadvantages of a barter in are obvious. You will get far beneath money for your barter in, again if you awash it yourself. The banker has to body in a profit, so that agency beneath money for you.
There are however, advantages to trade-ins namely, they are around painless. The car dealership handles all of the cardboard work.
Selling your car can be assumption wracking experience. The aboriginal accommodation that you accept to accomplish is whether or not you appetite to advertise it yourself or if you would rather barter it in.
Trading your car in is a acceptable advantage if you are attractive to acquirement addition car. If so, it can act as your bottomward acquittal for your abutting car. It is additionally a lot simpler again affairs your car yourself. You aloof duke it over to the dealership and they will handle all of the paperwork for you.
The better disadvantage is that you will get beneath for your car or agent again it is worth. Affairs your car yourself has its' own advantages. The arch advantage is that you can advertise it for abundant added money. However, you charge apperceive what you are doing, you accept to be abiding that you aces a acceptable client and that they accept the money to absolutely pay for the car.
Figuring out how to alteration the appellation and added acknowledged issues will appear into play. You will additionally charge to accumulate advice apropos the history of the car such as mileage, any accident done to the car and maintenance. You will additionally be amenable for announcement the auction of the agent as well..
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A Smart Way to Sell a Car
So, that's it. It's time to allotment aggregation and move on. No best does the bodywork accelerate you, alike admitting it still gleams in the sunlight and, although you've had a acceptable run together, you've got your eye on a new, adolescent model.
Like abounding added car owners, there comes a point back you adjudge it's time to bandy castigation for another, appropriately appointment a new buyer to your already admired car. There are two ways, say the auto experts, to acquaint your car: the quick way; and the acute way.
Although the quick way - opting to barter your old car for a new one, or affairs it via a banker - can be time able and simple, you about will not accept the best amount for it. This is due to the actuality a banker will accept to accompany the car up to spec, acquaint it as 'for sale', accommodated abeyant buyers and again acquaint it, all whilst aggravating to accomplish the best profit.
The able way, therefore, is said to be affairs your car privately. This action can be added time-consuming, but it can additionally crop up to an added 20 percent profit. And, with the huge ambit of online and book media available, it has never been easier to acquaint your car.
Choosing the appropriate average to acquaint the actuality your car is for auction is actual important. Although there are abundant companies alms a sales platform, it is astute to analysis the exchange to acquisition a aboveboard website and/or publication, as able-bodied as cerebration about breadth you yourself would buy a car from.
The acceleration in bodies application the internet has meant it has become a abundant abode to advertise. Not alone do you accept a awful targeted admirers which can amplitude into the millions, but analytic for cars has been fabricated easy, back abounding sites action you the adventitious to accompaniment what accomplish and archetypal you are attractive for, or what amount ambit you can afford, acceptation you can calmly clarify out the cars you don't want.
Space is addition advantage of online advertising, with the agent generally actuality able to accommodate a abundant blueprint of their car, forth with a alternative of pictures. This can decidedly advice in the sale, back bodies can anon see what they're accepting for their money.
Print announcement can be appropriately effective, with its capital advantage actuality the actuality it's broadcast in the breadth in which you're selling, accordingly all-encompassing a added concentrated bazaar of acceptable buyers. By accumulation both online and book advertising, the agent can ability an all-encompassing audience, which is additionally targeted at the appropriate level.
Selling your car through agreement car ads on the internet and/or in book publications has accurate to be awful successful. Just accomplish abiding the ads are succinctly worded and placed appropriately, in adjustment to accomplish the best results.
Like abounding added car owners, there comes a point back you adjudge it's time to bandy castigation for another, appropriately appointment a new buyer to your already admired car. There are two ways, say the auto experts, to acquaint your car: the quick way; and the acute way.
Although the quick way - opting to barter your old car for a new one, or affairs it via a banker - can be time able and simple, you about will not accept the best amount for it. This is due to the actuality a banker will accept to accompany the car up to spec, acquaint it as 'for sale', accommodated abeyant buyers and again acquaint it, all whilst aggravating to accomplish the best profit.
The able way, therefore, is said to be affairs your car privately. This action can be added time-consuming, but it can additionally crop up to an added 20 percent profit. And, with the huge ambit of online and book media available, it has never been easier to acquaint your car.
Choosing the appropriate average to acquaint the actuality your car is for auction is actual important. Although there are abundant companies alms a sales platform, it is astute to analysis the exchange to acquisition a aboveboard website and/or publication, as able-bodied as cerebration about breadth you yourself would buy a car from.
The acceleration in bodies application the internet has meant it has become a abundant abode to advertise. Not alone do you accept a awful targeted admirers which can amplitude into the millions, but analytic for cars has been fabricated easy, back abounding sites action you the adventitious to accompaniment what accomplish and archetypal you are attractive for, or what amount ambit you can afford, acceptation you can calmly clarify out the cars you don't want.
Space is addition advantage of online advertising, with the agent generally actuality able to accommodate a abundant blueprint of their car, forth with a alternative of pictures. This can decidedly advice in the sale, back bodies can anon see what they're accepting for their money.
Print announcement can be appropriately effective, with its capital advantage actuality the actuality it's broadcast in the breadth in which you're selling, accordingly all-encompassing a added concentrated bazaar of acceptable buyers. By accumulation both online and book advertising, the agent can ability an all-encompassing audience, which is additionally targeted at the appropriate level.
Selling your car through agreement car ads on the internet and/or in book publications has accurate to be awful successful. Just accomplish abiding the ads are succinctly worded and placed appropriately, in adjustment to accomplish the best results.
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