How to Sell Your Car

The economy is floundering and many people are losing their jobs. Those without jobs are struggling to find them. When income cannot pay the bills, what can?

The answer is often to sell a car—perhaps one’s most valuable asset—in favor of cheaper transportation, be that a cheaper car, a scooter, a bicycle or public transportation. Tony from Peoria, Az., is in the process of selling his 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning. “I do not want to sell this truck,” he says, but “my work is so slow it has forced me to look for other employment and to sell my truck to avoid the payment I can no longer afford.”

The economy has not been easy on anybody—“it’s been pretty brutal across the country,” says Ron Stokes of the Charlotte Observer. But that doesn’t mean selling your car is impossible. Here are some things to keep in mind that will give you the best shot at selling your car quickly.

Pick your avenue(s)

This is one of your first and most important choices. Pick the avenue that will maximize your car’s exposure.

• Print media: Placing ads in the newspaper classifieds is still a viable option, but all of your eggs should not go in this basket. Print readership is declining, and the costs of advertising here can add up quickly

• The Internet: “More and more car buyers are telling us that they’re going to the internet,” says Mark Scott of Autotrader.com Take some time to look at the many different Web sites that provide car sales services, like Autotrader.com and Cars.com. “Do your research ahead of time,” Scott said. “Go online and see what similar cars are being priced at so you don’t over-price or under-price your car.” Consider, too, free options like Craigslist.com Remember, the more places someone can see your car, the more likely you are to find your buyer.

• Both: Some newspapers collaborate with these Web sites, and offer ad placement in print with the purchase of an online ad. The Charlotte Observer, as Stokes points out, offers print ads coupled with exposure on Cars.com.

Grammar and spelling

This may seem like a no-brainer, or it may come as a shock. Simply put, poor grammar and spelling hurt your credibility. An ad wherein the seller has misspelled the car’s name does nothing to inspire confidence in potential buyers.

• Write your ad carefully, and proofread it. Have a friend proofread it. A fresh set of eyes never hurts, especially when it may mean the difference between selling your car quickly and incurring the mounting costs of advertisement.

Be realistic, be honest

Give your potential buyers any information they might want. Excluding information, even by accident, gives the impression that you have something to hide. Be concise but descriptive. Brevity is the soul of car sales. Also, don’t try to convince yourself that your car is worth more than it is.

• Mileage: This is one of the first things a buyer looks for. A car with high mileage for its age raises a red flag. A good rule of thumb is that an average driver travels approximately 10- 12,000 miles per year. If most of the car’s miles have been on the highway, say so. This means less stop-and-go driving and less engine wear, and will help assuage anxiety about six-digit mileage.

• Condition: List any accidents, flood damage, theft recoveries, or anything else you know about.

• • Give the car’s Vehicle Identification Number. There are computer programs that will give a car’s detailed history based on this number, so you should be sure to include it. In many cars, the VIN can be found in the driver’s-side door jamb. If you cannot find your car’s VIN, a dealership will be able to tell you where to look.
  • Describe the overall condition of the paint and interior. If a buyer comes to look at your car, he or she should find no surprises.

• Maintenance: List any recent maintenance. This grows more important with the mileage of your car. A car with more than 100,000 miles can run as well as a car with 100 if it has been maintained properly, and a buyer wants to know this.

• • Have you had your oil and other fluids changed recently? Say so. If not, you should do so as quickly as possible.
  • List any other recent maintenance, planned or unplanned.
  • Let the buyer know if he or she will need to fix anything soon. It’s a nasty surprise to pull onto the highway and adjust the rear-view mirror to a cloud of smoke.

• Price: Here is where you must be realistic

• • Sentimental value does not equal monetary value. Your first car is worth no more than any other car of the same make and year because of the stories you might tell about it.
  • Money spent in modifications to your car does not necessarily equate to increased value to your buyer. Modifications may work in your favor, however, to attract a broader range of buyers. Advertising online affords you “an opportunity to really call out the special features” of your car, says Mark Scott. “Talk about the options you’ve had installed: the great stereo, the awesome tires, the great rims.”
  • Consult the Kelley Blue Book. This excellent resource will give you an accurate idea of what your car is really worth based on information you provide. It will give you the market value for cars like yours in ‘Excellent,’ ‘Good’ and ‘Poor’ condition. Again, be realistic about your car’s condition.
  • Know what you want out of your ad. “What are you trying to accomplish,” Scott said. “Do you want to get as much money as you can for your car, or do you want to sell it quicker?”
  • If you need to sell your car yesterday, price it under the Kelley Blue Book value and your car’s competition. “The best thing you can do,” says Steve Nolan of Cars.com, “is be as aggressive as possible with pricing your vehicle.”
  • If getting the most money possible out of your car matters more to you than selling it immediately, you have the luxury of pricing it higher. Still, don’t overshoot the KBB value or the prices of similar cars by much

Photography

If you decide to advertise online, you have at your disposal a very powerful tool: photography. “The beauty of the online piece,” says Ron Stokes, “is you can upload multiple photos and really show off the vehicle.” A good photograph of your car can grab a buyer’s attention and even persuade him or her overlook some of the car’s flaws. Looking at a well-composed picture and realizing that ‘this could be my car—wow’ is powerful.

• Wash your car first. Even a quick run through the local automatic car wash is enough to knock loose that unsightly dirt and dramatically beautify the photo’s subject.

• Get the whole car in the picture. A photo of half of your car, aimed mostly at the ground, does not help your cause. Be sure to photograph the entire vehicle, unless you’re trying to explicitly show a certain aspect. Frame it well.

• If a flaw deserves mention in your ad, it deserves inclusion in your photos. A large dent or fading or cracked paint can make for a surprise just as unpleasant as that cloud of smoke coming from the tailpipe.
Sell it to a dealership

For some, this is a last resort. But if you don’t have the time, motivation or means to brave the process of selling your car yourself, this is good alternative. Chains like CarMax will buy your car regardless of whether you, in turn, buy one from them.

• You will not get to name your own price. In some cases this will be a bigger drawback than in others. You will typically receive close to the value assessed by the Kelley Blue Book, however, which is what you should be asking anyway.

• They will buy your car. There are quality-control inspections, but unless the car is on its very last legs, you will have a buyer. To someone who needs cash now, nothing is quite so appealing as, well, cash.

The last thing is to be patient. You simply can’t control the market. However, put together a well-conceived ad for your car and that buyer who has tired of seeing ads for ‘Toytoa Camyrs’ and pictures of dirt with a bit of car in the background may just become your buyer.