Top 10 Tips for Selling..the autoa2z way!

So you have decided that you want to sell your current car. But how do you receive the best price for your vehicle? How are you going to persuade buyers to select your car rather than choose another?

Well, firstly you must out yourself into the position of the potential buyer. Would you really want to buy a dirty car that’s tatty and grubby inside? Probably not! So why not put a bit of effort into preparing your car? It’s definitely worthwhile as you’ll gain a much better price for vehicle.

If you can spare the time, clean the car thoroughly using a decent car cleaning kit. Use clean warm water, perhaps with a little car cleaning shampoo or even a drop of washing up liquid may do. With a chamois leather or sponge wash away any grime starting from the roof of the car working down its glass and bodywork to the sills and finish with its wheels. Remember to include hidden areas such as door jams, wheel arches and under the doors. You may need special alloy wheel cleaner to remove tough carbon stains from its wheels.

Vacuum your vehicle’s interior and remove any accumulated rubbish. You could use an upholstery shampoo on the seats and if there are any stains why not try to remove them with one of the proprietary brand stain removers. Dust and clean the dashboard, plastics and glass and to finish things off place an car air freshener inside as there’s nothing more off-putting than stale or damp aromas. Give your car’s paint finish a decent polish and if there are any minor chips and scratches visit your local car accessory store and find matching colour touch up paint.

Not all of us have the time to prepare our cars for sale properly, in which case why not leave it in the hands of the experts by investing in a full valet for your car? It’s likely to pay dividends later. Other things to consider would be obtain a new MOT if it’s nearly due. Remember too that if you knowingly try to sell your car, and it has a dangerous defect that in effect renders the vehicle unroadworthy, you are likely to be breaking the law.

Finally, check your car’s engine oil level, brake fluid, radiator coolant and cleaning solution in its windscreen washer reservoir. Then, check out its tyres for wear and tear and any damage to the sidewalls and tread.

And the Top 10 Tips are:

1. Prepare your car properly and makes sure it’s thoroughly clean and tidy. Try to remove minor chips and scratches, clean, if you can, any stains inside the car and if possible remove small paint chips with matching touch up paint applied carefully, and eliminate light scratches by using T Cut. Check the car’s fluid levels too including oil, the coolant in its radiator and brake fluid. Top them up as necessary and then check out its tyres for wear and damage.

2. Make sure that your car is fairly priced. You can check out prices here on the website by using What AutoA2Z Valuation which will give you the average asking price for your car.

3. Make sure that you have all the car’s documents readily available including its service book, which by the way should be stamped by the garage carrying out servicing. You’ll need the V5 vehicle registration document too along with all MOT certificates. Remember to hand all the paperwork over when your vehicle is sold.

4. Any outstanding finance payments should be settled before you can sell your car. Make sure that you gain permission from the finance company first or best of all settle the finance before the sale. Finance also includes outstanding conditional sale agreements and hire purchase plans.

5. Check that any potential buyer is insured to test drive the vehicle that you wish to sell. You may find that your own current insurance policy covers them but don’t assume that this is the case.

6. A new MOT certificate will go along way to reassuring a potential buyer that your car is in safe and reasonable condition.

7. If you are trying to sell your car and it has a defect that renders it dangerous you are likely to be breaking the law. The best course of action have the repair work performed by technicians yourself. Alternatively, be honest and describe the fault clearly and accurately to the seller. This may lose you the sale but it’s possible that providing you have priced your car accordingly, they may get the work carried out themselves.

8. Be honest. Describe your vehicle accurately and do not make false statements about your car’s condition. If substantial repairs are needed say so as this will not only keep you on the right side of the law but should prevent an angry buyer knocking hard on your front door spoiling for a fight.

9. Keep to the facts that will be of most interest to any potential car buyers. Once you have sold the car and the buyer knows what he or she is getting, don’t forget to include any repair work needed on the receipt.

10. Stay safe when you sell. Never agree to meet someone in a dark car park or somewhere out the way. Don’t let the buyer drive off in your car on the pretext that they want to take it for a test drive. If they wish to test the car make sure that you go with them even if they hand the keys to their current car to you. You never know. It’s possible that the vehicle they arrive in might be stolen.