1. Clean it thoroughly
And we mean thoroughly. Clean every little crevice and bit of dirt you can see. All cars are a big turn off for potential buyers. Small details make a difference so make sure you use the correct products on the car to show it off best. Using the wrong products could cause damage to the car so pay close attention to the instructions.
2. Remove clutter
If you haven’t already done so in point 1, remove all extraneous things you have in your car – that means no bottles or cans, leave nothing in the boot, and no loose jackets or tog bags lying on the back seat. Keep it neat and organised. Potential buyers want to be able to visualise themselves in the car so don’t leave personal items lying around. It just creates a bad impression and puts buyers off.
3. Take good photographs, and as a bonus even a video!
If you have a smartphone you can take some pretty good photos of your car with it. Be careful not to alter the images with fancy filters though. You want the photos to look good but you also need to represent the car as honestly as possible.
Take a good quality video of the car or even a few – a nice exterior shot and maybe a few interior shots. The more information you include for prospective buyers the easier it makes their search. Images are of utmost importance in a car search so try to be thoughtful when taking these and give some consideration to the composition of each shot.
4. Design an eye-catching ad
Relating to our previous point, use the best photographs you can for your ad. Concentrate on writing good copy for it, and don’t just put down all the facts and figures. Adding some personality into it will help it to stand out from the rest. The better the marketing, the more likely you are to get more exposure for your ad. Don’t forget to be responsive on your ad platform. Don’t ignore enquiries and get back to people as soon as you can.
5. Get all your documentation together
It is important to get all cars service documents together. The more paperwork you can provide the new owner with, the better. If you have manuals for the car include those too. Provide any other documentation that you may think is useful for the new owner.
6. Speak to knowledgeable people
Getting advice from someone who is car savvy and has some insight into the industry will help you a lot. They may have recommendations you haven’t considered or even connections to people who may be interested in buying the car. There’s nothing that can replace first-hand knowledge when it comes to cars so don’t be afraid to ask for help or get a few different opinions.
The more research you do the better! Do some internet research to make sure you are getting the best price for your car. There are loads of different websites and it may even be worth talking to your car insurance company to get a market value evaluation of the vehicle so you know what similar models are retailing for.
7. Don’t rush it
Don’t be pressurised by pushy salespeople when selling your car. Take a considered approach and don’t rush into any deals. Don’t make any quick decisions, and as mentioned in point 7, speak to as many knowledgeable people as you can before making a decision. There are also tons of forums online where you can get advice from people locally, so do some research into that too.
8. Be honest
If the car has been in any accidents or has had any problems be honest about this with the potential purchaser. It will help them in the long run and save them from doing investigative work should a problem arise. It’s just common courtesy.
If you’re still unsure about what to do and need to sell in a hurry check out these marketing ideas to sell your used car quickly.
