Articles LifestyleMotoringGetting your car ready to sell
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Getting your car ready to sell

By Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor Nov 10, 2015

With plenty of competition in the second hand car market, getting your car sold quickly and for a fair price can feel like a challenge.  

A successful sale is all about playing the game right; today we’re sharing a few tips and tricks to help you get your car ready to sell and attract the right buyers.

  • Clean up – It may seem an obvious place to start, but so many overlook this simple trick when selling their cars. A deep clean of your car will help it look fresh and new – wash the upholstery, polish the windows and clean the dashboard, glove box and any other compartments. You wouldn’t accept a car from a dealership anything less than sparkling clean, so why should someone looking to purchase your car second hand?
  • Tune it up – Now is the time to get your car serviced and working at its best; make sure any little scratches are buffed away, the oil is changed, tyres checked and any other repairs done before it goes on the market. Seeing the car has been recently serviced will not only help potential buyers feel confident, but also limit how much they can negotiate the price down. 
  • Research the market – Before it goes on the market, research how much you can reasonably sell your car for. Car valuation websites are helpful for this, but it’s also worthwhile looking at other listings in your local area that you may end up competing with. Knowing what similar cars are selling for means you can enter negotiations confidently and won’t feel pushed into accepting a low value price.
  •  Decide how to sell it – If you’re experienced in selling used cars or have the time and inclination to do it yourself, you might be more comfortable listing your car on Gumtree or another similar local listing. On the other hand if you’d like the process to go as quickly as possible, a used car dealership might be a more straightforward option for you. You can find out more about some of the different platforms available to you in our guide to buying and selling your car online.
  • Sweeten the deal – If you are finding you’re struggling to get any interest in your car, consider using an age-old trick from the car dealerships: throw in a sweetener. Small gestures like a full tank of petrol or new car mats for example can be helpful, or you could go even further with vouchers, offering to pay the next MOT test or even covering first months’ insurance or tax.

What do you do to get your car ready to sell?

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Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor

Hello there! I’m Rachel and I’m the Assistant Editor for Silversurfers. I work behind the scenes to bring interesting, informative and entertaining subject matter to the Silversurfers community. I hope you enjoy the features we have shared with you. Please feel free to comment below and share your thoughts with us, we love to hear from you!

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