Selling a used car takes time and is often frustrating. And when it comes to owning a car, you own a liability since a car loses 60% of its value the day you buy it.
Also, besides the 60% loss, the car’s value drops based on use time, wear and tear, and other factors. However, you don’t worry as you can still get a fair amount by selling your used car.
So, if you’re living in the Coastal Capital of the Australian state of Victoria, you have two ways of selling a car.
You can either trade a car with individuals or directly sell a car in Melbourne with Cars4us or with a similar reputed car buying company.
And, let’s look deeper into how to sell your used car.
Making Your Car Ready for Sale
Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning your car before selling it makes it presentable to the individual or the car buying company. So, remember the following points:
- Invest a few hundred dollars in giving your car a wash and fixing it for any inefficiency properly. And if you believe in cleaning it yourself, make sure to make the vehicle spick and span.
- Ensure all your owned items are removed from the interiors of the car or boot. Items left can give the vehicle a clumsy look when the user test drives it.
- Washing your car with water is not enough. It would be best if you also polished it. And getting a car-specific polishing wax will do the work. A good lustre on the vehicle will increase its appearance.
Photograph of the Car
- If you’re trying to sell a car in Melbourne with Cars4us or with a similar car buying company, make sure you have invested time in clicking good and distinct pictures of your vehicles to make the buying company a pitch.
- When starting to click a picture, ensure the picture is taken in the morning or late afternoon. It depends on your creativity in how you use the lighting.
- Taking landscape pictures of your car is recommended because it will give your vehicle a more detailed look. Also, take multiple shots of your car because you will ultimately have to shortlist a few good ones in the end.
Writing the Ad
- Don’t use flowery language; be crisp and straightforward while writing the ad. Your intention with the language has to be informing the buyer. Also, use a third-person perspective for the ad.
- Fill in the car details sections with precisions. Parameters like kilometres, vehicle history, make, model, accident history must be filled with accuracy. A buyer will read the information before even reading the ad description.
- Avoid including any personal experience with the car. Meanwhile, you can highlight what you liked the best about the vehicle in your years of use. Besides, don’t use jargon or abbreviations that might confuse the buyer.
Evaluation
- Valuing your car’s condition is the essential part. Get your car inspected by a dealer or the car buying company to know an ideal selling price.
- Remember to get your car inspected after your cleaning and maintenance is done. A used car without wash and care would drop its price more than necessary. Meanwhile, a clean and well-maintained car might increase its worth more than required.
Selling your car is easy, but you have to get the basics right. And remember to spend a few dollars on cleaning and maintenance before selling.
You can recover losses of price considerably through this step alone. Also, negotiate smartly while selling it to the buyer. Prepare how you will tackle questions and conflicts while negotiating. For the rest, you’re covered.