When selling your car the first thing you must decide is where to sell it writes Suzanne Keane
You may have decided it’s time for a change of wheels or even planned the back-packing trip of a lifetime – but how exactly can you go about selling your car? The first thing you will need to decide is whether you would prefer convenience or extra cash!
1. Dealership
If you’re buying a new or nearly new car this is often the best option – they will take your existing car as a trade in against the new one and it’s usually a quick and painless sale. The price you get will depend on mileage, condition and how it has depreciated. If your car isn’t worth a huge amount certain manufacturers are offering “scrappage” discounts off of new cars to get you on the road in their latest models. However, it’s important to keep in mind that they will have to sell your old car AND try to make profit on the sale so you won’t usually get the full amount of what it’s worth but it will be the easiest option.
2. Used Car Sales
Certain used car dealers will allow you to park your car in their forecourt as if they were selling it – this means you don’t have to deal directly with the buyer but keep in mind the dealer will have to take a cut of the final selling price to cover their costs.
3. Online
You can buy and sell anything online these days and if you’re selling your car online it allows your “For-Sale” ad to be shown to a huge audience for a relatively small fee. This will allow you to generate a huge amount of interest but also leaves you very open to time-wasters and tyre kickers. It also leaves you more open to scams and if you find a buyer make sure that they sign the correct paperwork and that you’re paid in full (cash or wait until a cheque/draft clears) before they get the keys.
4. Local Ads
You won’t have quite the same audience as online but placing an ad in your local paper will allow you to get the full value of your car into your pocket – once again be wary of scams and time-wasters!
Whichever method you choose be sure to check out our guide to prepare your car for sale and be wary of any deal that seems too good to be true!
Suzanne Keane
27th April, 2015
