12 Expert Tips To Make Your Car Easier To Sell

Due to the pandemic's impact on the automotive industry, the prices of used cars have gone up by 50%. So, if you have been planning to sell your old car, now is the time as you can get a higher price than ever before.

However, used cars can be a huge pain to sell. You have to advertise your car, meet with potential buyers, and haggle over price. The process can take weeks or even months. And once it's finally sold, you may feel like you could have gotten more money for it.

So to help make your car selling experience as smooth as possible, we have compiled a list of 12 expert tips to make your car easier to sell. From cleaning out your trunk to fixing that pesky noise, we've got you covered. So whether you're selling your old car through a dealership or privately, follow these tips and increase your chances of making a quick and easy sale.

One of the best things you can do to make your car instantly more valuable is to get it properly serviced. This shows potential buyers that you have taken care of your car and that it is in good condition.

Imagine if the buyer takes the car on a test only to find that there are some minor issues with it, like the windshield wiper making too much noise, one of the indicators not working properly, or the air conditioner not cooling as best as it should. Now even though these issues may be minor, they can have a negative impact on the buyer as they might feel like they will have to put in a lot of money after buying the car to get it back in mint condition.

The worst part is that they can also use these points as leverage to negotiate the price of the car. On the contrary, if you plan on selling your car to a direct buyer or even a second-hand car dealership, presenting a well-serviced car will help you fetch a better price for it.

So don't shy away from spending some money on brake pads, engine oil, coolants, or anything that the buyer can notice on the first test drive. At the same time, you don't really need to go too overboard with fixing each and every detail of your car.

For example, fixing things like your car's suspension bushings won't really affect the price it gets you, and the buyer already knows that it's a second-hand car, so they can't expect it to be in the perfect condition anyway.

Getting your car serviced to ensure that it is in proper working condition is the bare minimum. But if you want to make your car easier to sell and also fetch a good price, you'll need to do more. Like replacing your car's floor mats or at least making sure they are clean, fixing any noticeable wear and tear on the seats, patching up the paintwork, removing old scratches, and even restoring your foggy headlights.

However, the most important thing to consider while making these value upgrades is to change your tires. If your car's tires are nearing the minimum legal tread depth, that is 2/32 of an inch or less, it's time to replace them anyway as you wouldn't want the tires to fail even after the buyer pays you for the car.

But keep in mind that the legal thread count is not the only thing that you need to look for when deciding to change the tires of your car. You also need to consider how old your car's tires are, if they have cracks between the grooves, or if there are any other signs of damage or wear.

However, you don't necessarily need to get a brand-new set of tires for your car. Instead, you can find old tires that are in great condition for really cheap from your local workshops, eBay, or sites like utires.com.

Presentation is everything! If you wouldn't like to buy a car that seems like someone's been living in it instead of driving it, then so will any other prospective buyer. So, the first step is to make it presentable  — and to do that, you need to thoroughly wash and clean it, both inside and out. However, it does more than just make your car "look good."

The presentation and appearance of a product are massively important for good marketing as well as help you establish an image of a responsible car owner. In fact, it doesn't matter how well you have maintained your car's engine; if your car looks dirty in the photos you post in your ad, your potential customers are most likely to just scroll past it thinking that it has been neglected by the owner and is not well maintained.

While you can take it upon yourself to wash and clean your car, it is always a good idea to hire professionals. They have the latest tools, powerful chemicals, and skills that can make your car look its best. Additionally, getting your car deep cleaned by professionals will also help you flag the issues that might need to be taken care of before you sell your car.

According to the neuro-cognitive tools expert Lucia Carriero, the power of smell is under-appreciated in sensory marketing. Since olfactory senses are directly connected to the brain, deodorizing and using fragrance can be a powerful tool to make an impact on your potential buyers on a subconscious level.

This is why ensuring that your car smells pleasant can have a big positive impact on your prospective buyers. For this, the first step is to deodorize your car in order to eliminate all unpleasant smells. Good washing and cleaning should take care of most of it. But if you still find any unpleasant odor, discover its source and eliminate it rather than just masking it by spraying an air freshener.

For odor elimination, one of the best things you can do as a part of routine cleaning is to wipe your car's interior with a mixture having fifty-fifty proportions of vinegar and water. Though vinegar's smell may take a while to dissipate, this solution can eliminate various strong odors like those caused by smoking, food, dampness, and so forth.

The next step is to give a pleasant smell to your car, for which you can use an aerosol-style air freshener. According to a study conducted by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, people tend to spend more money if there's a flowery smell present in the environment. So you might want to consider getting an air freshener that's based on a flower like a raspberry blossom, red magnolia, or jasmine.

People buy what they see. When you list your car for sale online, the images you use are responsible for its first impression on your prospective online buyers. If you fail to make an impression at this stage, most people will not be interested in learning more about your car and will skip right past your listing.

That's why it is crucial to take good pictures of your car. And don't worry — you don't need to have any professional photography skills to click eye-catching and impactful photos of your car. There are just a few things you need to keep in mind.

For one, you should never upload just a single picture. Instead, document it extensively. Take photos from different angles showcasing all the sides of the car. And don't forget the interior. Take plenty of images of your car's dashboard, seats, flooring, accessories, and speakers, and also take pictures of the meter readings on your car's odometer. This will help the buyer feel more educated about your car and more confident to initiate the buying process.

Lighting and background and picture quality are some other important factors that can have a significant impact on how the images for your car turn out. Ideally, take some good photos during noon when the sun is overhead to avoid unwanted shadows in the images. Also, to make sure your car is the main highlight of the image, try to take these photos in front of a plain wall.

Before you list your car for sale anywhere, make sure all its paperwork is up to date and in order. You may think that you can get it in order after you have finalized the deal. But generally, paperwork-related matters are time-consuming and the selling window for a used car is really short, especially if you're trying to sell it through an online listing.

So, when you let the paperwork take its sweet time, it also gives your potential customer the time to explore more options, which reduces the chance for them to honor their part of the deal. That's why, to make your car easier and quicker to sell, have all its papers and documents organized and ready beforehand. This will allow you to close the deal before the buyer starts doubting his/her decision or finds a better option.

Your car's logbook, proof of reservation and purchase, service history, MOT certificate (if you live in a country that uses the MOT system), insurance policy, car warranty, and car parts receipts are some of the essential documents that you need to get in order when selling your car.

But the most important document is the service history of your car. That's because one of the most common myths about used cars is that they're unreliable and have a ton of issues. However, having a clean record of all the repairs and maintenance you've done for the car over the years will instantly help you win the buyer's trust.

When you're selling a used car, it's important to make sure that the car is clean and free of any personal decorations or themes. This can be anything from air fresheners to bumper stickers. Not only will this help the car appeal to a wider range of potential buyers, but it will also help you get a better price for the car.

There are two main reasons why you should depersonalize your car before selling it. First, potential buyers want to be able to envision the car as their own. It's difficult for them to do that when they see it covered in your personal belongings.

Second, by removing these items, you make it look like the car has been well-cared for. This encourages potential buyers to believe that you have maintained the car well and that it's in good condition overall. Of course, you don't want to go overboard and strip the car of everything that makes it unique.

Just be sure to remove anything that is too specific to your taste or that could turn potential buyers off, like political bumper stickers or offensive decals. And it is best to seek help from a professional to remove stickers and prints, as they're generally difficult to remove and leave behind a sticky residue.

Once you feel you have done everything on your end, it is time to get your car inspected by a professional mechanic. It has manifold benefits that can make your car sell a lot quicker. For one, a professional will be able to help you spot and rectify any hard-to-notice flaws in your car. This will help you present your car to your potential buyers in its best state.

While selling a car, it's a moral duty to make the buyer aware of each and every factor related to the car. And what is a better way of doing so than to share a detailed inspection report with the buyer? Additionally, most buyers would prefer to have a car inspection before buying it anyway.

So, when you already have a condition certificate readily available for your car, it will not only speed up the whole process but also help you establish trust and gain the confidence of the buyer.

Okay, so you decide to sell your old car, but the question is, how much do you sell your used car for? You may have a price range that you're happy to trade your car for, but what if you are overvaluing your car? Or worse, what if you're undervaluing it?

To steer clear of such situations, make sure to do your own research by exploring the online and local markets of used cars and observing the value of your car's model. You can also look up the Kelly Blue Book value of the car to get a good idea of its current value.

If you're not familiar with it, the Kelly Blue Book value takes into account factors such as the age of the vehicle, its mileage, its condition, and its features. This will give you a good idea of what your car is worth.

If you've done your own research but are not confident about your findings, it's time to get a professional opinion. Take the car to a trusted mechanic or dealership and have them inspect it. They will be able to give you an estimate based on their experience and flag any hidden issues that could affect the car's value.

Valuing a second-hand car's price can be tricky. However, by doing your research and talking to experts, you can get a good idea of what the car is worth. This will help you become more confident during negotiations and help you get the best possible value for it.

You can sell your car at pretty much any point in its life and any time of the year. However, if you want to make your car easier to sell while also getting the best possible price for it, you should sell it at the best time as well.

According to Edmunds, a brand-new car experiences its first significant drop in market value after 2-3 years of purchase. But it's still expensive, so people avoid buying such cars. Then the second drop comes after 4-5 years, and this is where the sweet spot lies. At this point in its life, a car is the easiest to sell. After that, the major depreciation occurs around the 8th year, but by this time, most buyers wouldn't want to invest in your car.

Apart from the age of the car, the distance traveled also contributes to the depreciation of a car's value. Generally, the first major depreciation in a car occurs when it completes around 30,000-40,000 miles. Then there is the second depreciation benchmark at 60,000-70,000 miles, where your car is the easiest to sell. After that follows the 100,000 miles benchmark, which significantly dips your car's market value.

That's not it. Even seasons can have an impact on your car's sale price. Most people plan summer vacations, road trips, etc., around spring and summer and buy cars, making it the best time of the year to sell your used car.

As a used car seller, you'd be competing with a plethora of other listings, and a well-designed ad can set you apart from the rest. Luckily, it's pretty easy to create a solid car listing. All you need to do is include plenty of images and add a detailed description, and you're good to go.

According to Direct Line, the recipe for a good advertisement starts with clearly listing out the vital details of your car. This will set a tone for the viewers regarding what they should expect to get. As a result, you will get more relevant leads from people who are genuinely interested in your car.

Also, vital information tends to get lost in longer ads. So, make sure to keep it short and crisp. If the buyer is interested in your car, they will contact you for more information. You could also make it easier for the ad viewers to contact you by adding links or QR codes in the ad that lead to your DM.

So before hitting "post" on your listing, take some extra time to make sure your ad looks its best — it just might make all the difference in making your car easier to sell.

As we mentioned earlier, while listing your car for sale, you need to write a detailed description of all its features, strengths, and weaknesses. But do you know the order you choose to present this information can have a significant impact on your car's image?

Let's do a quick experiment. Imagine if you were to judge a car's condition based on the keywords used in this description: brand new tires, well maintained, high mileage, slightly noisy fans, the air conditioner needs a little work, worn out brakes. Would you have a positive impression of the car or a negative one?

However, what if the keywords used in the description were recorded in this manner: worn-out brakes, the air conditioner needs a little work, slightly noisy fans, brand new tires, well maintained, high mileage. Now, would you feel differently about the car? The catch is that even though both lists have the same items, the order they are presented can have a significant impact on how we picture them.

Based on an experiment conducted by American psychologist Solomon Asch. The first list has a higher chance of being perceived as "positive," while the other one can come by as "problematic." That's why while crafting a description for your car's listing, make sure to smartly list out all the positives about the car, followed by the weaknesses.