Selling Your Used Car
Preparing a car for a sale.
Whether you plan to sell your car to a private individual or a trading company It’s
always better to do some things to make it more presentable before you show it to
your Potential buyers, which would certainly improve the return on your investment.
Follow the guide lines given below to make the most out of your sale.
1. Make the car presentable
Clean the car thoroughly, use a vacuum cleaner and clean the interior, remove the
carpets and clean them with A good car cleaning detergent, if your upholstery is
in leather then you could shampoo and wipe clean the seat covers as well. If not
a good vacuum job should do. Clean the exterior of the car using a car wash detergent
and use a good quality wax only after the exterior is thoroughly dry If there are
visible dents and scratches in the car it’s always better to give it to a good body
shop and get the Dent’s evened out and painted over. You might have to pay a few
pounds for it but it would save you a lot when the buyer Tries to bargain with the
flaws in the body of your car. if your car has a bad odor try and use an air freshener
to make the car smell nice, and see if you have any fast food left over's Under
your seats, (one of the common causes of bad smells inside a car) If you really
don’t have the time to do any of this we suggest you to put your car through a full
service car wash, where they would Vacuum, wax and polish your car for a fee.
2. Fix all other noticeable problems with your car
Headlights, signal lights, breaklights, windshield wipers and other electrics of
your car are easily fixable, so don’t give the buyer a reason to Reduce the price
or to look for a different option altogether, fix them before you show it to the
buyer, long cracks on the windshield can be A real negative point, if you have a
crack on a windshield its better to replace it, this would increase your chances
of a quick sale. Does your car have engine trouble or cold starting issues? Then
better to fix them as well, you wouldn’t want the car to choke up when the buyer
is sitting in The driver’s seat.
3. Keep the records clean
Keep all of the documents (logbook, Car’s service history, registration details,
Document of Tax payment. etc) Of your vehicle complete and neatly arranged, this
would instill confidence in the buyer because he can see the cars history clearly.
Honesty is the best policy, if you have had any serious issues with the car its
better to inform the buyer before you make a sale, and sell your car on an "as is"
basis Do not give any warranties or guarantees about the cars performance. Because
no one really knows what would go wrong on a used car and at what time it could
Happen.
4. Letting the buyer test drive your car
When going for a test drive, let the buyer choose his own route, and always be in
the car with the buyer, never give the car to anyone to drive off alone, Chances
are you wouldn’t see your car again if you do so, for extra safety if you have a
friend tag him along on the back seat of the car. And make sure that the buyer Is
insured and has a valid driver’s license, if not you might have to end up paying
for any accidents that he may cause, if you think that he's abusing the car by over
revving the engine or being too Hard on the breaks, you should ask him to calm down.
5. Payments and price negotiations
Have a good reasonable price in mind for your car before starting negotiations with
the buyers, if you are not sure how much you should ask for your car you can get
a valuation from a local dealer or you can check out the prices of a similar make
and model which has done approximately the same mileage as yours and start your
pricing from there If the buyer makes an offer which is 50 to 75 quid’s less than
what you had in mind don't hesitate to sell it as re-advertising and waiting for
another buyer Is likely to cost you the same, When collecting the payment for the
car insist on cash payments directly at the bank, so that you can deposit the money
immediately and check for counterfeits, personal cheques are a bit risky to accept.
direct bank transfers are the best option, either way keep the buyers Full name,
Permanent address and Land Phone numbers for future reference, if the buyer hesitates
to give these details be wary, create 2 copies of a reciept stating The details
of the transaction along with the signatures of you and the buyer with the date,
give a copy to the buyer and keep one for your reference.
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