Activ Watford Guide To Selling Your Car

The easiest way to sell your car would be to have it accepted as part-exchange for a new or newer model. Selling your car this way can leave you out of pocket as you will only be achieving the ‘trade' value or less.

Advertising your car for a private sale gives you the greatest chance to sell your car for the value you want. With a little effort, you could be saving yourself hundreds of pounds!

While advertising your car in your local paper is a good way of attracting buyers, you are limiting it to those that receive the paper and actually see your advert.  

Advertising online with Activ Watford is a great way to sell your car.  Instantly you are increasing the number of potential buyers as your advert will be available to the whole country.  It is a fact now that people are willing to travel further to find their ideal car.

Heres a few tips to follow.

Preparing the car

Follow these simple points to attract buyers and  ensure you obtain the best price for your car.

1.  Use professional cleaning products to give your car a good shine, and consider sprays that bring back lustre to plastic body parts and tyres.

2.  Spruce up the interior. Remove all of your clutter, and give it a good vacuum and wipe-down.

3.  Get rid of any smell of cigarette smoke or evidence of dog hairs.

4.  Steam-cleaning the engine is a step too far. A sparkling engine bay is more likely to raise buyers'suspicions than put them at ease. Change the oil so it's clean when the buyer checks, though.

5.  Cover stone chips with some touch-up paint.

6.  If the MoT has only a few months to run, have the car retested to reassure the buyer.

7.  Collect together the V5C registration document, servicing schedule and MoT certificate.

8.  If you have receipts for work done, show them off - it demonstrates that you've cared for your car.

Writing Your Advert

Obviously it needs to be catchy as well as containing essential information so its a good idea to consider the following :

1.  Make, model, engine size, number of doors and body type year and registration letter/number.

2.  Whether you have a copy of the full service history. This is especially good to mention if all the servicing has been carried out by a franchised dealer.

3.  Mileage, so the buyer can gauge whether the price is reasonable.

4.  Details of any recent MOT or service, and the length of remaining any road tax time and MOT.

5.  New parts, but only if they are substantial - for example, tyres or a clutch.

6.  Colour, especially if it's a popular one or is in metallic paint.

7.  Any features that make your car stand out from others.

8.  Avoid abbreviations - many buyers won't understand them. If you really must, stick to the most common, such as FSH (full service history), PAS (power-assisted steering), A/C (air-conditioning), EW (electric windows), RCL (remote central locking), or VGC (very good condition).

9.  Include all the relevant information, but be precise, accurate and honest. Avoid clichés such as ‘first to see will buy', or ‘one careful lady owner'.

Dealing with Buyers

Bearing in mind the majority of buyers will be a complete stranger to you, it is therefore worth considering the following points:

1.  You must look after your own security and your car. It's always sensible to have a friend or relative around with you.

2.  Try to meet potential buyers at your home in daylight hours to give them plenty of time to examine the car thoroughly.

3.  Ensure the buyer has at least third-party insurance cover. If they have comprehensive cover on their own car, then they'll have third-party cover on your car. Alternatively, you could change your policy to cover any driver during the selling process.

4.  Ask to see a driving licence, and make a note of the licence number.

5.  Make it clear to the person driving that any speeding fines incurred during the drive will be their responsibility. Keep a log of who's driving the car and at what times - and be sure you have their name and contact details in case they commit any driving offences.

6.  Never allow a potential buyer to drive your car without you. When it's time for the test drive, get into the passenger seat and then hand over the keys.

7.  Allow the buyer to drive on a variety of roads and for a decent amount of time. If you try to cut the test drive short, they might think you have something to hide.

Payment

Its worth considering the following points:

1.  Never hand over the car until you have been paid the full price.

2.  Wait for a cheque or banker's draft to clear before handing over the keys - inform the buyer that this will be the case.

3.  Prepare two copies of a written sales agreement, and make sure you both sign and date each copy. If you write your own, include the following:

Make and model

Registration number and VIN

Year of registration

Mileage (if genuine; if you're not sure and have no way of finding out, say ‘mileage not verified')

Agreed sale price and deposit paid

Buyer's name and address

Your name and address

Note that the vehicle is ‘sold as seen'.

The Paperwork

1.  You must inform the DVLA of the sale by filling in and sending off the form on the vehicle's V5C registration document, once you have given Section 10 to the new owner of the car.

2.  The new owner should also take the MoT certificate and the car's service book.

3.  If your car is listed with a security register you must inform them of the sale, too. The forms you need to fill in and send off should be with your car's documentation. If not, call the number on the car's windows.

4.  Call any company providing a warranty on the car - either a manufacturer or an independent - to inform it of the new owner's details.

Finally............  Good Luck!

Comments :

Ivan (09/03/2012 16:44:52)

I've been looikng for a post like this forever (and a day)

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