Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Selling Your Used Car: Consider Your Options

cash for carIn large part due to the tools available on the Internet, selling your car today is a different experience than it was just ten years ago. The following are some simple and effective steps that can help you turn your used car sale into a cash-producing effort in no time. Whether you sell your car through a private, owner to owner transaction or go to a professional auto buyer company, the principle is the same in selling your vehicle at a good price.

cash for cars market. Will your car going to be easy to sell? Will you have multiple offers? Is it a hot commodity? Or will you have to drop your price and search out additional ways to sell it? Be sure to check other online car ads, and also seek out quotes from auto buyers who will come to you to give you an estimate.

Use an online tool to determine the general market value price of your car. This figure is adjusted for a number of factors including mileage, condition, options and the region in which the car is being sold. When you are done configuring the car, you can print out a "For Sale" sign to put in your car window. Be sure to leave a little wiggle room when setting your asking cash for cars price by asking more than what you want to sell the car for.

Clean your car. Wash, wax and detail the car. Inspect it to make sure it is mechanically sound and free from dents, dings and scrapes. Shovel out all the junk from the inside of the car. Wipe the brake dust off the front wheels and clean the tires with a product such as Armor All. Thoroughly clean the windows (inside and out) and all the mirrored surfaces. Wipe down the dashboard and empty the ashtrays. Put your maintenance records in a neat folder ready to show interested parties. Taking these extra steps will fetch maximum cash for used cars in a majority of cases.

Make the right ads. When creating your "For Sale" signs or putting an ad in the paper, you have an opportunity to communicate how eager you are to sell the car. "OBO" ("or best offer") indicates that you are willing to entertain offers below the stated price. "Asking price" communicates the feeling that you will negotiate. It means you are asking a certain price, but might accept a lower price. "Firm" is less common, but it can be used to rebuff attempts to negotiate. It indicates that you aren't in a hurry to sell the car — you are most interested in getting your price. Think about what you are telling people by the way you phrase your ad.

Promote your car. Traditionally, people advertised in newspaper classified ads but now online ads are becoming more popular. However, you should also consider other ways of advertising such as calling an auto buyer to come out and give you a quote. Creativity is required when it comes to advertising. Think of unusual places to put ads, and you will get results. For additional information on effectively selling your used car, visit www.cashfortrucks.com to learn more.