Sell A Car In Australia: Helpful Hints And Tips

 

Trading in your car may be the best way to get rid of your old car, but that’s going to make you take a hit on the value you receive for the vehicle.

Luckily, there are many other avenues where you can sell your car. You could list it online and make a private sale, or you could consider selling your car to one of the many cash for car services.

Regardless of the sales avenue you choose, these helpful hints and tips will ensure that you make the sale quickly and get top dollar for your car. Or another short way for you is to find a reliable dealer in Australia, like CarPlanet, to sell your car.

How to Prepare Your Car for Sale

You need to prepare your car for sale by maximizing its appeal, even before you list it for sale. Don’t wait around for the last minute or for a buyer to actually show an interest, for you to drag your clunker to the cleaners.

You need to stay focused and aggressively tackle any issues or repairs required in your vehicle.

1. Think of investing in a professional to have your car detailed. For a couple hundreds, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and have your car come out, shining like new. Professional detailing jobs take care of the whole vehicle, from top to bottom, inside and out.
2. If you don’t want to spend the extra bucks or take a hit on your profits, then you could consider cleaning the vehicle yourself. However, make sure you put in some serious elbow work and use the right accessories and cleaners.
3. Never use dirty rags to clean your vehicle. Also, pay attention to all the hard to get areas, like door openings, engine bay, and boot openings.
4. When you have a buyer come to look over your vehicle, make sure you remove any personal effects from the car. Don’t leave anything lying around the boot, seats, or floor, which may make the car look untidy.
5. The objective here is to give a potential buyer the ‘new car’ feel. Additionally, loose items also ruin the test drive by rattling and banging around the sides.
6. Take care of any leftover parking tickets or finance charges owing on the car. In case, there’s something left, then be upfront about it with the buyer.
7. Consider getting new accessories for your vehicle to get that new car feel without shelling out too much. New accessories can spruce up your vehicle in an instant and cover up signs of wear. If you’re selling a Honda HRV SUV, find affordable, quality car accessories here.

How to Take Photos of Your Car?

If you are thinking of making an online sale, then you need to click some decent shots of your car to actually reel in a buyer.

There are thousands of cars listed on Australian classifieds and you really need to make sure your vehicle stands out from the rest. Here are some tips and hints to taking the best pictures of your car.

1. You don’t need to buy or borrow a professional camera. If you bought your smartphone after 2015, the camera is up to mark.
2. Avoid harsh shadows from ruining the photos. Click early in the morning or right before sunset. You could also pick overcast days. Avoid shooting during rains. It makes the car look shiny and bright.
3. Turn off your flash and wipe the camera lens to prevent lens flare or blurring.
4. Landscape (horizontal) oriented images make the perfect shots. Vertical (portrait) images will make your car look boxed in.
5. Make use of all the image space allowed by the ad. Take different angles and include shots of interior as well. You don’t need to click what’s under the hood as long as it’s not exceptionally clean or has some modification worth flaunting.

How to Write Your Ad?

Your advertising needs to be clear and concise if you really want to sell your car fast. A well-written advertisement goes a long way in attracting attention from multiple buyers which allows you room to negotiate and aim for the best price.

Make sure all details are correct and follow these tips to write the best advertisement for your car.

1. You need to be precise about the make and model of your car. Also, add in detailed information about the year of manufacture, variant, engine and transmission, odometer reading, major options, and other general conditions.
2. Make sure you highlight all the good points, preferably in bullets, towards the beginning of the advertisement.
3. For instance, you could mention if the odometer reading is low for its age, or if you have added any company accessories. You should also mention if you have recently changed the tyres since those are a major bargaining point.
4. Keep the words to a minimum and avoid jargons and abbreviations, wherever possible. Don’t forget to proof-read your entire write-up and conduct a spell-check.
5. Many people forget to attach photos and wonder about the lack of response. Also, be honest about anything that is wrong or imperfect with your car. Disappointed buyers are just going to waste your time.

How to Set a Realistic Pricing?

You will almost certainly waste your time and efforts if you set an unrealistically high price. You would spend your weekends waiting for the phone to ring and keep yourself available to no calls.

That said a low price may not necessarily bring the horde to your doorstep. Potential buyers may be sceptical to the unusually low price and think it to be a scam. Your pockets will be lighter even if you get a buyer to make a quick sale.

Follow these tips to set the right price for your car.

1. Research current industry prices using the various online car guides or pricing tools available.
2. Check classifieds to look for other cars that are of a similar make, model, and condition. You should also discuss with your friends and relatives about what they would like to pay for your vehicle. This will help you set realistic expectations.
3. You should keep your price around what others are pricing theirs for. If time is on your side and your vehicle is in a good condition, then think of pricing your car higher, otherwise, keep the price a little lower than other asking values.

How to Identify Genuine Buyers from Scammers and Unscrupulous Characters?

There are a number of digital liars online who prey on car sellers. You should also be aware of dodgy buyers once you publish your ad.

These tips will help you do your best to minimize the risks associated with online sales.

1. Always be wary of every buyer who comes looking for a test drive. While you want them to purchase your car and give you the best value for it, you also need to protect your interests. Hence, don’t worry about niceties.
2. Don’t trust offers that look too good to be true. They are probably fake offers made by fraudsters who are looking for a way to scam you. The email could also be a phishing scam.

Never click on any links you receive from potential buyers. Simply ignore these emails. Be careful and maintain complete online vigilance while dealing with buyers.

What to do When a Potential Buyer Wants to Inspect the Car?

You must always ring back on a number you got a call from to make sure it’s a person’s real number.

There are a number of things you can do to protect your vehicle and yourself when meeting with a complete stranger for the purpose of selling your car. While a meeting is inevitable, there are certain do’s that will protect you from harm.

1. Before you give out your car for a test drive, make sure you check with your insurer that the person test driving your vehicle is covered. You also need to make sure that you record their name, number, and possibly license number. In any case, ask to see the license number, so you know the person is legit.
2. Under no circumstance should you ever allow anybody to test drive your vehicle without you in the car. If you are not comfortable accompanying the person, then make sure you retain something of value of theirs. For instance, you could ask for their car keys to hold on to.
3. If you have any doubts about the person taking a look at your car, don’t rush into the sale or the test drive.
4. If you are confused and don’t know which way to lean, ask for a second form of identification. In fact, this is vital when you decide to complete the sale. This identification should preferably be from a government agency, such as passport, original copy of utility bills, or a Medicare card.
5. Payment should never be collected through Western Union or PayPal. Cash and bank cheques are the safest mode of payment. Avoid using escrow companies.

Final Thoughts

Don’t be pushed into a sale if you have doubts about a person. Remember, you should only always deal with authentic people or you could be putting yourself and your property in harm’s way. These tips are meant to help you make a quick and easy sale.

Make sure you follow all the hints listed here (especially while preparing your car) to get top dollar for your vehicle.

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