subject: Get the Best Deal for Your Used Car [print this page] Get the Best Deal for Your Used Car Get the Best Deal for Your Used Car
You've got a new car, and now you need to sell your old one. With several different methods of selling available to us today, it can be difficult to know which method will give you the best value for your car. There are, thankfully, tricks of the trade that you can follow.
Have it professionally groomed. This includes a wax and polish, which gives it a professional finish. When a prospective buyer sees the car sparkling, it will have them believing that you have taken good care of the car over the years (which hopefully you have, too!), and first impressions count. Buyers will act confident if they feel like they are purchasing a new car, even though they know it isn't new. As long as it looks new and sounds new, then that's good enough for a lot of people!
Try to increase your car's value before you sell it. Buy new tyres - new tyres are a major attraction for potential buyers. Fix anything that needs fixing you'd be surprised at how many people neglect fixing broken tail lights. Take your car to a mechanic and fix any obvious problems you don't want someone to take your car for a test drive and then have them complain about hearing strange noises coming from under the bonnet.
Trading your car to a dealer is a lot simpler and more convenient than selling it privately, however you won't get as much money as you would if you were selling it privately. A used car dealer generally does all the hard work for you such as cleaning the interior and exterior of the car and making sure it is all in top working order. They will vacuum inside the car, clean the fabric on the seats, and wash and wax the exterior. They can make old tyres shine like new, and even steam clean the engine and polish chrome surfaces. They will also make sure the car has a windscreen replacement if there are any obvious cracks.
You will, however, get less for your car if you sell it as a trade-in, so if getting the best deal is important to you, it's best to sell your car to a service that only buys cars and isn't interested in selling you a new one. They will do all the dirty work for you and at the same time get the best deal for you. But if you don't mind rolling up your sleeves, then you may find you get the best return on your car by selling it privately. You can do this by advertising on the Internet, putting notices up in your local shop and even by using social media such as Facebook to get your message out to all your friends and their friends.
Finally, let those around you know that you are selling your car, as word-of-mouth is often the best way to sell anything. Not only that, but they could recommend a good place to sell your car so that you can get the best deal out there.
