Sell a car - Advice
Sooner or later, the day comes when we need to make a decision and sell our car, if we have one of course. The reasons for selling a car can be different of course. Basically they sell a car because it is outdated, there is a new model, you like another brand car or model and you decide to get rid of your friend on wheels - sell your car and buy another. But there are times when people are forced to sell a car due to debt for example, or maybe a person decided to become environmentally neutral, decided not to pollute the environment and sell his car with diesel or gasoline motor. There can be many reasons for selling a car, as I said, but we will not talk about that today. We will try to help you sell a car and reveal the key points that you should consider when selling your car
Vehicle inspection before sale.
Car body inspection.
Let's start first of all with examination of the body of the car at the time of sale. Look carefully for scratches, dents or dirt at the joints of the body parts. If there are any, sand down the scratches, remove any dents or dirt, and wash the car well if you want to sell the car quickly and for a good price.
Car interior inspection.
Then we will proceed to inspection of the interior of the car. Check the seats, see if there are any coffee stains e.g. take out all the mats, clean them. Check the vehicle floor for dirt and dust. Check the vehicle steering wheel and all controls for sweat stains from your hands. Don't forget the ceiling of the car and of course the smells. clean the interior and ventilate the car well, especially if you smoke in the car. And put in the salon fragrance. The cleaner and nicer the smell in the cabin, the more chances to sell the car successfully.
Inspect engine compartment.
Next, open the hood and see what's going on in your engine compartment. If there is dirt, dust or oil stains, then it's better to wash the engine compartment completely. Don't listen to people who say you can't wash a car engine... etc. Just cover with something battery, alternator belts and starter, and nothing will happen to the motor. A clean, tidy engine bay is still better than dirt, dust, or oil, and it's much easier to sell a car like that.
Car transmission check.
If it is possible to lift the car onto the bridge, do it. And look carefully at what condition tie rods, shock absorbers, muffler, brakes and so on. Check for oil or antifreeze leaks. If there is a serious damage, it is better to fix everything or honestly warn the buyer. Most likely the buyer will not see them when inspecting the car at the sale, but believe me, he will return. It can go so far that the court will cancel the sale and you will have to return the money and pick up the car back. Do you want to sell a car without problems in the future? Be honest with the buyer.
Vehicle diagnostics.
First of all, look at the car dashboard to see if the lights check engine, abs, oil level, airbags ... and so on. If everything is in order, there is no need to diagnose the car. Otherwise, it's best to do diagnosing the car and fix the problem, especially if the warnings are red. Because the buyer will immediately see on the dashboard that the car have problems and the difference in the price of the car will be much less than you spend on repairs. And in general, it will be difficult to sell a car with warnings on the panel.
Vehicle documents.
Checking car documents before sale.
Take all vehicle documents and make sure all required documents are present. And if not, then it’s better to spend your money and time on recovery of documents, because it will not be easy to sell a car without the necessary documents. The buyer simply will not be able to register the car for himself, and it is also unlikely that it will be possible to restore the documents without you. Each country has its own rules and its own list of documents required when selling a car, so check again if all the documents are present.
Vehicle mileage confirmation and service book.
Vehicle mileage greatly influences the selling price. The lower the mileage the better and therefore it is very important that you can verify the mileage of your car if you want to sell the car for more. If your service book is not filled out, then it is better to contact your service center and let them put the necessary marks in the service book. And if there is no service book, then ask for a printout with the history of the service. In some countries, such as Belgium - Car-Pass, there are databases where you can check the history of all cars.
Car price.
How to determine the price of a car?
Now your car is ready for sale. And how now to find out for what price you can sell a car? Each country has websites with car sales announcements such as autoscout24.com, mobile.de, bilbasen.dk, auto.ru, otomoto.pl, ... and so on. Look at these sites how much is the same car as yours, with the same options and approximately the same mileage. But keep in mind, if the same car is sold by a dealer, then your price will be somewhere 10-15% lower than the dealer, because the dealer sells not only the car, but and service, and a guarantee in addition. For example, if a dealer sells the same car for 20 thousand, then your price will be somewhere around 18 thousand, because you have no warranty, no service, but only a car. That's the price you can sell the car for.
Price from a reseller or dealer.
There are times when you need to get rid of the car quickly, you need money urgently or you need to move, ... and so on. In this case, you can sell the car to dealers. Contact them or just place an ad on the Internet, but already the price will be somewhere 30% below the market and this is normal, because they resell your car and this is their income. If you need to urgently sell a car and you are offered to sell the car for a price somewhere 30% below the market price, then you can agree with this price and get rid of the car quickly.
Car sales agreement.
How to draw up a car sale agreement and is it necessary?
Don't never sell a car without a contract of sale. You cannot know about the buyer's plans for the future and what will happen to him tomorrow. Therefore, it is very important to sell the car in legal terms too. Templates for a contract can be downloaded from the Internet in any country and in any language, or even write it yourself in cursive. Fill out the contract in two copies and be sure to indicate who the buyer and seller, make and model of the car, chassis number, mileage and price in numbers and words. Then sign both and put the date at the bottom. And don't forget to de-register the car too. That's the only way you can legally prove that you're no longer related to that car.
Conclusion.
That's all. I hope our advice will help you sell your car for a good price and without problems in the future. You can also post your vehicle for sale on our site autoExus, and it's all completely free. In addition, share your ideas in the comments on the article, maybe I missed something or maybe you want to add something. Any suggestions are welcome.
eXus Dev 3.3.2023
