Advice on Selling a Car Privately
Selling a car privately can be challenging, especially when the economy is struggling. But if you can pull it off, you will net yourself thousands of dollars more than you would if you sold your car as a trade in. It can take several months to sell your car privately, depending on the market, condition of your car and the accuracy of your pricing. Be prepared to put some work into it--the final financial reward is well worth it.
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Instructions
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Clean your car thoroughly before you put it up for sale. Many people buy a new car simply to get that "new car smell" and avoid living with someone else’s mess. You can pay to have someone detail your car if you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself. Wash the outside of your car well and dry it with a sham to avoid streaks. Vacuum the inside, including the seats or wipe down the seats with leather conditioner if you have leather seats. Use old toothbrushes to clean out dirt from small spaces. Buyers will notice the work you put into the details. Wipe down the dash and wash the insides of the windows.
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Clean out any of your personal belongings from the compartments inside the car.
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Smells are a major turnoff for potential buyers. If your car has an odor to it, wipe down the hard surfaces with a vinegar and water solution and leave the windows down to let it air dry. The vinegar may smell strong at first, but it will get rid of bad odors and will fade completely.
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Purchase attractive vinyl letters to place on your car window to advertise that your car is for sale. You can have custom vinyl letters made for your car window for less than $20 or you can buy a sheet of pre-cut vinyl letters from most office supply stores. This is the cheapest advertising optio,n since your car will be seen as you drive around the town every day. Avoid parking your car places just to advertise. This is illegal in many places and can result in a fine or having your car towed. Drive your car the way you normally would but choose parking spaces based on their visibility.
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eBay is a great option to sell your car because the fees are lower than what you would pay to place an ad in the newspaper and you can sell your car quickly (seven days or less) if you start the bidding at a reasonable amount. You will maximize the money you can sell your car for by taking accurate pictures that show off its great features. Be sure to clarify that the buyer is responsible for shipping the vehicle. Many buyers will either opt to have the vehicle shipped through a professional agency or buy a one way ticket to fly out and pick the car up themselves.
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Take advantage of free advertising listings such as craigstlist.org, freebo.com and the online listings for your local newspapers. This gives you the opportunity to get your ad in front of many potential car buyers without spending any money. Use descriptive words in your ad and include plenty of high quality pictures to encourage buyers to look at your car.
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Use paid advertising as a last resort or if you want to sell your car quickly. Newspaper ads can be expensive and are not always successful. If you want to place an ad in the paper, use the Sunday only option to get the most for your money. Many subscribers choose to only receive the Sunday edition of the paper, so using the cheaper weekday advertising option will not be very successful. Autotrader.com offers reasonably priced advertising and its free magazines are strategically placed in many local stores.
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