Help Selling Your Car
By Teresa Ambord
If you're selling a car, there's a lot of help for you on the Internet. But before you do anything else, listen to Donald Trump, who wonders aloud why anybody would try to sell a car without washing it first. Incredibly, many people do. According to Trump, a willing buyer will pay $500 more for a car that looks clean than for one that has sat waiting to be sold and grown dirty in the process.
While you're washing the car, experts in the auto-selling industry also advise a few other steps:
- Armor-All the tires for a very appealing look.
- Wipe down the interior for dust and those dog-nose marks on the windows.
- Before you let people test-drive the car, remove all of your visible belongings to put buyers at their ease.
- Have maintenance records ready to show. You'll save time if you get them in date order. Not only does that show the vehicle is cared for, but it can also remove doubt about the validity of the current odometer reading.
- Be aware of small things that are easy to fix. For example, do the tires look low? If the car pulls left or right, it may be as simple as needing to air up one tire. A savvy buyer may pull out the dipstick, so make sure the oil level isn't low. The same goes for coolant and windshield wash.
- It should go without saying, give the car interior a good vacuuming.
- Remove bumper stickers and other symbols. Prospective buyers can be turned off by your world view. For stubborn stickers, heat with a hair dryer.
- Stand back and pretend to be a buyer so that you see the car with new eyes. You're sure to notice things you had long forgotten, like a missing radio knob. You might be able to replace that at the junkyard or parts store.
As you know, some would-be buyers always assume there is wiggle room in your asking price. Saying, "firm" doesn't really help. And professionals say you are better off to build some wiggle room into the price. Here's why: chances are, no matter how perfect you think your car is, it could use some kind of work or servicing. But mostly, people want to win something. If they feel they've beaten you down three hundred bucks on the price, they've got a story to tell.
Here are three ways buyers try to get you to lower your price:
1. They claim the car needs work. You do have to make sure the car can pass smog (in most states) but you are under no obligation to change the oil. On the other hand, it's a quick fix and shows good car maintenance.
2. They claim they know of the same car selling for less. Before you show the car, check the paper or the Internet and arm yourself with some examples of similar sales, especially in your area.
3. They tell you they want the car but don't have enough money. It's your call ...but their money situation is not your problem. Determine ahead of time how much you will negotiate.
Here are some resources to help make selling your car easier:
- You can check the value of your car using Kelley Blue Book at Kelley Blue Book.
- Here's a downloadable "For Sale" sign. You can type in your phone number before printing: For Sale sign.
- You can list your car for sale on the Cars Direct Web site for $25 and get a lot more exposure than you can on your own: Cars Direct.
- Edmunds.com is a great Web site for all sorts of car information. Click here for ten steps to selling your car: Edmunds.com