12 tips to prepare your car for sale
There’s more to selling a car than just uploading an ad. These 12 tips can help you prepare your vehicle for sale and may increase how much you’ll get for it.
1. Check if your car insurance is up to date for test drives
Before creating a sale listing, check whether your car insurance is current – especially if you’re offering test drives.
The last thing you need is an accident when a potential buyer is behind the wheel, or a garage burglary right before a sale. AAMI Comprehensive Car Insurance covers test drives if the car is being demonstrated for private sale and you or a listed driver are a passenger in your car – even if someone else is driving.
Explore AAMI Comprehensive Car Insurance
2. Give it a good clean
Presentation matters. Give your car a good clean, whether it’s DIY detailing or through a serviced car wash.
Not a cleaning tip, but one that can also help your vehicle shine: make any necessary repairs and prepare your car for a roadworthy certificate, if required by your state.
3. Put effort into your photos
You want your photos to pique the interest of potential buyers’. Invest the time to take high-quality images. To show your car in its best light, try the following:
- Choose a clean background.
- Take your photos on an overcast day or at dusk – this can help you remove the sunlight glare.
- Avoid having your car positioned half in the shade and half in the sunlight, as it can make it difficult to see the colour of the paintwork properly.
- Take photos from all angles to give potential buyers a 360-degree view.
- Stand back far enough so you get the entire car in – never cut off the edges of your car.
- Use your photos to highlight special features, like big boot space, or the engine if it’s a performance vehicle.
4. Check your facts
Double-check all the information about your car, such as:
- make
- model
- badge
- year, and
- other features.
5. Price your car accurately
Before you put a price on it, do a bit of research. Find similar cars and see how much people are asking for them. Some car sales sites have a pricing tool that can be helpful. Be open to negotiation, and don’t feel pressured into accepting an offer you don’t think is fair.
Also, take into consideration the value of your time and effort. Would you prefer to take months to sell your car and have to talk to 100 potential buyers, or sell it for $1,000 less but be done within a few weeks?
6. Stick a sale sticker in the window
Increase your car’s chances of being seen in real life with an old-school “for sale” sign. Some online car sales portals even offer tools to help you create a “for sale” sticker.
These portals can provide a for-sale sticker that allows interested buyers to SMS your rego number and get an instant link to the ad.
7. List your car online
There are plenty of platforms you can use. Choose one or more that suits you best. Reading reviews might help you decide.
Be honest when describing your vehicle. On top of correct contact information and car specs, list any extra details that might interest a buyer, such as:
- if your car has a service book and full-service history
- when the tyres were last replaced
- if the car’s kilometres are high
- if you are the first owner, and
- if this is a non-smoker’s car.
Make sure your contact details are correct. It can be disappointing for a potential buyer to try to get in touch with you, only to find out your contact details don't get them through to you.
8. Share with your own networks
Buyers love to know a car’s history and trust the seller. So spread the word around – and you can use your social media accounts for the job. You can also get a flow-on effect if a friend shares it with their friends.
9. Make sure you are easy to contact
Be ready to answer texts and calls. You don’t have to respond immediately, but make sure contact attempts don’t go unanswered.
Try to schedule visits and test drives for when you’re already home to avoid changing your plans. Make the most of your time and book a few visits in a row. But be prepared for no-shows, late arrivals and lowball offers. It’s part of the process.
10. Prepare to negotiate
Negotiation is part of the thrill of a sale. Keep in mind the lowest offer you’ll take – which should be front of mind thanks to your thorough research. Stand firm, but also allow a bit of wiggle room. A couple hundred off could save a lot of stress.
11. Ensure you receive a secure payment
When it’s time to close the deal, don’t flinch when discussing safe payment options. Some of the choices you have are:
- cash
- direct bank transfer – usually a safe and fast method, and
- third-party platforms like PayPal.
Whatever you choose, keep the following in mind:
- Be cautious of buyers claiming to have transferred funds without verification.
- Confirm that payments have cleared in your account before finalising the sale.
- If you receive payment in instalments, have a written agreement signed by you and the buyer, and consider hiring a lawyer to review the contract.
12. Switch your car insurance policy over to your new car
Selling your old car to make way for new wheels? Don’t forget to update your policy.
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Insurance is issued by AAI Limited ABN 48 005 297 807 trading as AAMI. Read the Product Disclosure Statement before buying this insurance. Target Market Determination is also available. This advice has been prepared without taking into account your particular objectives, financial situations or needs, so you should consider whether it is appropriate for you before acting on it.
The information is intended to be of general nature only. Subject to any rights you may have under any law, we do not accept any legal responsibility for any loss or damage, including loss of business or profits or any other indirect loss, incurred as a result of reliance upon the information. Please make your own enquiries.