How to sell a used car correctly

How to sell a car faster and most importantly for more money: 10 useful tips

Sooner or later, car owners are faced with the question of selling their car. Naturally, they all want to find a buyer as quickly as possible and at the same time get as much money as possible for a used car. What do you need to know in order to sell a car not only quickly, but without selling it too cheap?

Blogger Dmitry Mashkov, who, due to the nature of his activity in recent years, has bought and resold more than one car, has undertaken to answer this question and now decided to share his accumulated experience, from which he came up with 10 tips on how to quickly and expensively sell a used car, at this without deceiving the buyer.

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Check your car's history

First of all, the blogger advises all potential sellers to first check the history of their car. For owners of cars purchased new from car dealerships, such a proposal may seem ridiculous, since, it would seem, they should already know everything about their vehicle.

However, sometimes it turns out that specialized verification services contain information that is radically different from what is known directly to the owner. For example, the mileage displayed on the portal may be higher than actual, or the driver may be surprised to find out that his car is in collateral or under arrest (for example, due to a previously unpaid fine).

You can check the history of your car on services such as Autocode or Autohistory, which will also be useful to you when buying a car on the secondary market. The report contains information about all owners, cases of accidents and the cost of repairs if any, outstanding traffic fines, mileage information, and whether any restrictions have been imposed on the car.

Thus, by hastening to place an advertisement for sale, the owner risks scaring off the lion's share of potential buyers who will definitely be interested in the “ins and outs” of the car and will run it through inspection services. If the data they receive somehow diverges from what is indicated in the ad, then they may well suspect the seller of deception and will prefer to refuse the call.

Carry out diagnostics of the technical condition of the car

Most car owners are accustomed to their cars and sometimes do not even notice significant shortcomings, so before selling it would be a good idea to conduct a thorough technical inspection. Otherwise, it may turn out that one of the potential buyers, during a personal inspection of the car, will begin to make claims regarding its current condition.

It is possible that his claims will indeed be justified, but sometimes there are people who deliberately lie about the defects they allegedly noticed in order to receive a significant discount from the seller.

By having your car serviced at the nearest service center, you will protect yourself from such incidents, since you will know 100% what condition your car is in.

Take care of the car during operation

When buying a new or used car, the new owner should handle it as carefully as possible, avoiding smoking and eating inside if possible.

Some time will pass, and the owner will want to sell the car, and if all this time he has literally been “blowing away specks of dust” from it, then potential buyers will definitely notice this and will be quite willing to pay a price higher than the market average for such a car.

Conduct pre-sale preparation

If the motorist operated the car carelessly, then this is immediately evident. For example, a buyer may notice scratches on the glossy surfaces of the front panel or dirty seat upholstery.

Naturally, all this reduces the seller’s chances of quickly and expensively selling the car, however, the so-called “pre-sale preparation” is intended to partially correct the situation, during which the car will be washed/vacuumed both outside and inside, hiding or even eliminating its most obvious shortcomings.

Pre-sale preparation is not a cheap pleasure. Professional dry cleaning of the interior along with polishing the body will cost 10-12 thousand rubles. However, the owner himself can do general cleaning, although it is best not to skimp. Believe me, potential buyers will appreciate it if your car is cleanly washed and there are no traces of dust or dirty spots on the seats in its interior.

Evaluate the car by trade-in

Before putting your car up for sale, it would be a good idea to visit your nearest dealer and ask for a trade-in assessment of your car. This procedure does not cost money, but you will be able to find out exactly how much you are willing to pay for your “swallow” at a car dealership.

After this, you should look through private advertisements for the sale of similar cars. It is possible that the dealer’s offer will turn out to be quite good, and then the hassle of selling the car can be avoided by simply turning it in for a trade-in and thereby saving yourself a lot of time.

You can also contact CarPrice, which buys cars through an auction system. Information about the sale of your car will appear in many dealership centers at once, and each of them will place bids. If the final cost does not suit you, then the entire procedure is absolutely free, although you will have to spend several hours of your time. If the price turns out to be attractive, you can receive the money on the same day.

Be honest

If the car has certain problems/deficiencies, the seller should indicate them in the ad. It would be a good idea to upload several photos with dents/scratches on the body (if any), telling how they appeared.

Most buyers like this kind of honesty, but overly “sterile” ads that only present the advantages of the car can scare people away. In addition, by hiding information about the most obvious shortcomings of your car or the facts of its participation in an accident, you risk wasting your time.

When inspecting the car “live”, the buyer will definitely pay close attention to inspecting the car body for damage. Having discovered defects not specified in the ad, he will simply refuse to purchase, rightly deciding that the seller is trying to deceive him.

Washing the engine compartment

In most cases, when inspecting a car “live”, the buyer will not only inspect the car from the outside and look into its interior, but also ask the owner to open the hood. If he sees dirt, dust and oil stains inside, it may scare him away. Therefore, the seller should tidy up the engine compartment, but the main thing here is not to overdo it.

If you are selling a car with a high mileage (for example, more than 200 thousand km), then too pure technical “filling” may confuse him. He may well decide that by thoroughly washing everything inside, the seller is trying to hide some significant defects, so this procedure must be approached wisely.

Auto pick-up services

In modern realities, buyers are increasingly coming to inspect their car in the company of a so-called auto picker. The latter is a savvy specialist who, with the help of a trained eye and special instruments (for example, a thickness gauge), is able to determine the true condition of the car for sale, no matter how the seller tries to hide it.

Most often, the inspection of a car begins with documents, so the seller should check in advance that all the necessary papers are on hand. Next, auto pickers inspect in detail literally every detail of the exterior and interior, after which they drive the car onto a lift, studying its technical condition.

It will not be possible to hide a single defect from experienced car pickers, but if you followed the previous tips, then the buyer will be aware of the condition of your car, and the expert’s conclusion should not radically change his decision about whether he should purchase this car.

Take high-quality photos

The sale advertisement should include several high-quality photographs in which the thoroughly washed car will be captured from different angles. A photo session should be held exclusively in daylight somewhere in a picturesque place (for example, near local attractions or against the backdrop of nature). At the same time, it’s not worth photographing a car near a dirt road, or even near a garage.

It is best to attach 10-15 photographs to the ad. You shouldn’t limit yourself to appearance alone, so the pictures should include at least a few photos of the interior. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to capture the condition of the engine compartment.

As for the text of the ad itself, its drafting also needs to be approached competently. You should write when the car was purchased and where you had it serviced. If the car has been repaired or modified, then this is also worth mentioning.

Selling a car

If the buyer is completely satisfied with your car, and he is ready to pay the specified amount for it, then it is recommended to make the payment through a bank teller (or ATM) in order to be completely sure that all the bills are genuine.

It is also worth recalling that according to the law, after signing the purchase and sale agreement, the newly-minted owner of the car has 10 days to re-register it in his name. Some unscrupulous buyers are in no hurry to do this and even violate traffic rules, while fines from cameras continue to be sent to the name of the previous owner of the car.

To avoid problems in the future, it is recommended to stop registering the vehicle 10 days after the sale. The date and time in the purchase and sale agreement will protect you from having to pay fines issued after your former car has changed hands.

How to sell a car quickly?

Tip #1. Where to sell a car?

Do you want new experiences or is your car outdated and you want to change it?
You are interested in many questions: how to quickly sell a car, how to carry out your plan safely and as profitably as possible, how to avoid a number of problems (where to place an ad, how to prepare a car for sale, what price to set, how to protect yourself from possible scammers, etc.)? Then we present to your attention some useful tips in the area of “How to sell a car correctly”, which will be published on our website within a month, and we hope they will be useful to you.

So, you have decided to sell your used car. And, of course, you want everything to go quickly, as profitably as possible and without problems. You have several options:

Tip #2. How to find a buyer?

Tip #3. How to prepare a car for sale?

Most often, the operation of a car does not pass without leaving a trace. During operation, both the appearance and the condition of the internal parts and mechanisms of the car deteriorate, which can significantly reduce its value.

As a rule, a potential buyer must conduct a thorough inspection of the car and, often, requires inspection by specialists.
Therefore, in order to sell a car at an adequate price, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis, which includes: - checking all electrical equipment (alarm, central locking, low/high beam headlights, audio system, power windows, air conditioning, etc.)
- suspension check;
- checking the transmission;
— checking the brake system;
- engine check.

The appearance of the car is also important to a potential buyer. A decisive role in making a purchase decision is played not only by a clean body, but also by the condition of the paintwork. If there is any damage, it must be repaired before sale.

Thus, the pre-sale preparation of a car requires quite a lot of time and financial investments, because to identify shortcomings, and even more so to eliminate them, you will have to turn to specialists.

If you sell your car through the trade-in system, you will be spared unnecessary hassle and cash costs.
Professional specialists will carry out pre-sale preparation at the proper level. Not only will a comprehensive diagnosis of the internal parts and mechanisms of the car be carried out, but also measurements of the paintwork will be carried out, which will help determine whether the car was damaged in an accident and what parts were replaced. If there are significant deficiencies in the body, the body will be painted or polished (depending on the intensity of the damage).

After comprehensive diagnostics and pre-sale preparation carried out by professionals, an inspection sheet is issued, which indicates the vehicle’s condition. This document will serve as a guarantee for the buyer of the reliability of the purchased car and will be another compelling argument in favor of you as a seller and your car as a product.

Tip #4. How to properly write an advertisement for the sale of a car?

At first glance, this is a simple task that does not require any special sophistication. But on the other hand, why do some advertisements receive a large number of requests, while others do not provoke a reaction from potential buyers?

The secret is simple: it is necessary that a potential buyer can get as much information as possible from your ad. But this does not mean that you are required to write long memoirs about the life of the car. You just need four structured points in your ad:

1. Technical characteristics
In this paragraph, we recommend that you indicate in detail the following data: make, model, year of manufacture, mileage, gearbox, drive, engine displacement, cu.m. cm, engine type, body type, body color, interior color, presence/absence of warranty, number of owners, location of the car (i.e. where the potential buyer will have to go / or indicate that you are ready to come and show the car yourself at a time convenient for the potential buyer place).

2. Equipment
Here you need to indicate in detail the equipment that is included with the car (for example, anti-lock braking system (ABS), on-board computer, alarm, etc.).

3. Photos of the car
Competent visualization in this case can also speed up the process of finding a buyer.
But, to achieve the desired effect, it is necessary that the photographs be of high quality, corresponding to the season of sale (photos of cars against the backdrop of snowdrifts look quite funny when selling in the summer season), and they must also be attractive from an aesthetic point of view (at least the car on them must be clean and not stand in front of trash cans). Several photographs are required and in each of them the car must be shown from different angles. Color rendering is also of great importance.

4 .
Additional Information. This point is not mandatory, but if it is in your ad, it will increase the chances that the ad will be highlighted from the crowd.
Here we recommend that you indicate in detail information such as: the presence of additional equipment, what pre-sale preparation was carried out, the presence of additional decorative elements (airbrushing, stickers, etc.), window tinting. In general, you need to write down all the details that, in your opinion, are advantages.

BUT, if there are defects, this fact should not be kept silent either. The location and nature of damage/defects must be briefly and clearly indicated. This will save you and the potential buyer from fruitless meetings, during which initially undisclosed details are revealed and the potential buyer begins to persistently reduce the price or leaves without purchasing.

Thus, the rules for creating a competent, effective advertisement for the sale of a car are simple: maximum information about the car, structure and good visualization.

Tip #4. Precautions when selling a car.

1. Deposit
If the potential buyer is satisfied with the car in all aspects, but he asks for a time-out to make a final decision - for your peace of mind, ask for a deposit.
Typically, the deposit amount is 5-10%, but not less than $100, and if the buyer refuses to purchase, it remains with you as compensation for the penalty. Upon receipt of the deposit, you need to write a receipt confirming receipt of money from the buyer. It is worth noting here that the receipt indicates exactly “deposit” and not “advance” or “prepayment”, since other types of advance payment (except for the deposit) are subject to return to the buyer.

2. Meeting place
It is better to schedule a meeting to complete a transaction during daylight hours, in a crowded, familiar place. It is advisable to arrive half an hour before the appointed time at the meeting place and inspect it to see if there are any suspicious people or other factors that confuse you. If something seems suspicious to you, it will be safer to leave the area immediately.

The buyer may want to have the car diagnosed. This is a natural desire when buying a used car and it is your right. However, here you have the right to demand that diagnostics be carried out at the buyer’s expense. You also have the right to refuse a trip to an unknown service located somewhere outside the city and insist on carrying out diagnostics at an official service center or invite the buyer to come to a meeting with their specialist.

For your safety, it would be advisable to ask one of your friends or relatives to go with you to hand over the car and money. It is advisable that your companion also has a car, so that you can leave with the money calmly and safely.

3. Transferring the car - receiving money

You need to make sure that you are not deceived at the stage of transferring money and processing documents. All operations must be carried out in the presence of a witness - ideally, this should be a familiar lawyer or lawyer.

Until the buyer pays for the car, do not demonstrate the location and operating features of the anti-theft systems.

If you receive payment in cash, in order to eliminate the possibility of receiving counterfeit money, you need to carry out the procedure at one of the bank branches, where you can ask employees to promptly check the cash for authenticity.

The safest options for transferring money include:

2. The second safe way to transfer funds is to transfer them to your personal account. In this case, the risks are also minimal for both you and the buyer, because the money will be transferred by the bank from the buyer’s account to your account only after you present the necessary documents for the sale of the car (exact information about the list of necessary documents for using this service must be clarified in advance in the bank).

How to quickly sell a used car: some useful tips

Selling a used car is a difficult task. Before this, the car must be brought into perfect condition. Experts share recommendations that allow you to properly organize the process of selling a vehicle.

We evaluate the car

First of all, you need to give an objective assessment of the condition of the car. This can be done by comparative analysis with other advertisements. Such an assessment will allow us to determine the adequate cost of the machine. In this case, you need to take into account several important factors that directly affect the cost of the car.

Car make and model

With popular brands such as Renualt, Kia, Skoda, Opel, etc. there won't be any problems. There will most likely be little demand for cars of brands that are not common in Russia due to the fact that it is more difficult to get spare parts for them and find specialists for servicing. Of course, this does not apply to rare cars, which are highly valued by enthusiasts.

Year of manufacture and mileage of the car

Be sure to indicate the age of the car and mileage. Everything is clear here: the higher the mileage, and the older the car, the more you will have to give up when selling.

Buyers are looking for all-wheel drive. Due to this, the cost of the car increases significantly. This is especially true in our country, where roads are often not in the best condition.

Body condition

If there is rust on the body, the value of the car decreases.

Preparing cars for sale

Before putting a car up for sale, it is necessary to carry out pre-sale preparations and make the car presentable.

Exterior and interior

In some cases, even washing a car leaves the impression that dust remains on the body. This is due to the fact that the paintwork is in unsatisfactory condition. This plaque can only be removed by polishing.

It is worth paying attention to ensure that the lighting equipment in the car is in working order. You also need to take care of the interior of the car. Only a specialized service center can handle this efficiently.

Body work

Experts believe that before selling a car it is necessary to carry out body work. The car service will remove micro-scratches that appeared on the bumper and hood. Specially designed tubes will allow you to touch up defects. This is important, as they can subsequently cause rust to spread.

The hood must be opened to remove accumulated debris. Professionals do not recommend washing the engine to perfect condition. Such actions alarm buyers. It is quite enough to simply remove oil stains. Don't forget to fill your car with oil and coolant.

Chassis

Any suspension defects are also not in your favor. They are indicated by creaking in the cabin while driving or turning.

If these signs are detected, you must contact the service center specialists. They will check the wheel alignment and secure the wheels. They will check the air pressure in the tires. It should be borne in mind that if the shock absorber fails, the car may noticeably move to the side. A worn CV joint or wheel bearing can cause insufficient controllability when cornering, even on a flat section of the road surface. The occurrence of extraneous noise during braking indicates possible abrasion of the working layer of the pads. The car can pull to the side when braking, even if they are worn out on one of the wheels.

Choosing a site for sale

The more sites you use, the faster you can sell your car. Here are some of the most effective options:

Selling via the Internet (bulletin boards)

This is the most popular and effective method today. Here are a few sites where you can post your ad for sale:

Experts advise posting ads on several sites simultaneously to expand the circle of potential buyers. You should not neglect motorist forums, where you can also post advertisements.

If you sell through the car market, the buyer will be able to evaluate the product on the spot. This method, despite the costs, which involves paying for a seat, is chosen by many car enthusiasts. Due to this, the vehicle will be sold quickly.

Information on the rear window of the car

The sale advertisement placed on the car and contact information attract potential buyers. It works especially well if you move around the city a lot. The buyer will immediately assess the condition of the car and will be able to make a decision regarding the purchase.

Advertisements in newspapers

Works especially well in small towns. People often purchase printed publications. Although this method is not widespread enough now.

How to write a sales ad correctly

First of all, you need to indicate basic information about the car (make, year of manufacture and engine parameters). The following describes the equipment in detail and indicates the country. When this information is presented, additional information is indicated, implying a detailed description of the equipment in the car (air conditioning). It is worth indicating in a separate paragraph what has been changed in recent years. You can also indicate gifts if they are expected (for example, a set of tools, a jack, etc.). The last paragraphs should indicate the cost and contact information.

The information in the advertisement must be presented as clearly and truthfully as possible. It is important to outline the advantages and disadvantages of the car and the conditions under which the transaction is expected to be concluded. You can count on the success of the event if specifics are outlined. The issue of bidding should be separately identified, suggesting the possibility of reducing the cost of the car.

When placing an ad on the Internet, you need to take a responsible approach to the product photo. To present it from the best side, you can order the services of a professional photographer. Due to this, the photo will clearly show the condition in which the vehicle is located. But you can simply take a few photos yourself with your phone or camera.

Selling cars through a specialized company

You can sell your vehicle at a profit by turning to the Fresh Auto car buying service. The salon provides free diagnostics and legal inspection of the car. Based on their results, the expert sets the ransom amount. Showrooms are open in various regions of the Russian Federation, so cars are often priced higher based on the region in which they plan to sell it.

This is the most convenient way if you need to sell your car as soon as possible.

The company buys a car of any brand. At the request of the customer, an exchange for a motorcycle, commercial and passenger car is carried out. The company has achieved the goal of creating a civilized market for used cars. This is confirmed by the company’s partners: ROSNEFT, VTB Leasing, ALD Automotive and others.

Required documents

Since 2016, the procedure for selling cars has been changed. According to the new rules, the procedure has been simplified; there is no need to deregister a car before selling it. This rule applies only to resale abroad. When concluding a purchase and sale agreement, passports of both parties and a passport for the vehicle are required. Sample forms can be found on official legal resources.

How to bargain and negotiate: useful tips

If the car number is difficult to read, then a forensic examination is carried out, and this takes several months. This must be taken into account when wanting to sell a car. In order not to spend money on checking money through the bank (interest charged), it is better to deposit it into an account. You can cash out at any time without any problems.

Insurance of the vehicle should also be provided. If the insurance period has not expired at the time of sale, it will be terminated by the insurance company. It is not recommended to sell by proxy, since all sorts of fines and claims will be brought against the old owner. Experts recommend that car owners with significant mileage be honest about this. This tactic will prevent you from ruining the reputation of a potential buyer by deception.

It is necessary to sell a vehicle taking into account the season. As practice shows, people are most likely to buy cars in the spring. This is due to holiday travel. The autumn period is still preferable, but the cost is slightly lower. You should not sell cars in the summer. Most people go on vacation, so they don't want to enter into a sales contract.

Conclusion

Selling a vehicle is a complex matter. Before doing this, you should evaluate your actions and the condition of the car. You can do everything quickly, with knowledge of all the nuances of this process.

Instructions: how to sell a used car

According to the analytical agency Autostat, the volume of the Russian used passenger car market in the first seven months of 2019 amounted to almost 3 million units. And at the end of 8 months, the share of the secondary market was almost 78%, that is, 3.5 times more used cars are sold in Russia than new ones. We tell you what ways there are to sell your old car and what you should pay attention to.

What is valued on the secondary market

On online sites you can find advertisements for the sale of almost any used goods - from summer cottages to paper bags of famous brands. It would seem that every product has its own buyer - but with at least one caveat: something practically does not lose in price and has high liquidity, while something can lie on a virtual counter for months, waiting in the wings. This is also true when selling a car.

There are several factors that determine the demand for a particular car in the secondary market:

Make and model. Cars in the premium segment, oddly enough, lose value faster. This is especially true for flagship models (executive class). Such machines have serious power characteristics, and they are filled to the brim with complex electronic systems. Because of this, they are very expensive to maintain - and even more so to repair. Therefore, those who can afford to purchase such models new update their fleet once every 3–4 years with the advent of a restyled modification, or once every 6–7 years with the release of a new generation. To buy such a car in used condition and not tear your hair out later, you need to have serious experience. At the same time, when purchasing a car with a capacity of more than 250 horsepower, you become the owner of not only a large reserve under the accelerator pedal, but also a transport tax of at least 37 thousand rubles per year. Therefore, budget segment models are more liquid.
State. Even the most liquid car model on the secondary market will sell for a very long time (or quickly but cheaply) if its condition leaves much to be desired. Moreover, mileage is not always the most important parameter: if a car has traveled 200 thousand kilometers on German autobahns and was serviced by a dealer in Germany, its condition will be an order of magnitude better than that of a car that has driven 100 thousand kilometers on Russian roads, occasionally receiving updated lubricants in garage workshop. The external condition of the car is important, because it is by this that the owner’s attitude towards the vehicle is usually determined: a situation in which a car whose body is half eaten by corrosion is in perfect technical condition is, frankly speaking, unlikely.
Year of manufacture, number of owners, equipment. The fact that an old car does not mean a bad one is not obvious to everyone. Selling a car with a 10 or 15 year history is very difficult. Especially if you want to get an adequate amount for it. Here you will have to either look for a connoisseur of the model, or learn to restrain the pressure of those who like to bargain. The number of owners also plays an important role: if you are selling a car that is accompanied by a duplicate vehicle passport, you should be prepared for a large number of inconvenient questions and checks. Finally, the vehicle's equipment is important. The hardest thing is to sell cars in the basic and maximum versions (if we are not talking about premium models): few people want, on the one hand, to purchase an “empty” car, and on the other, to overpay for sometimes unnecessary options.

“I sell it myself. Sites, resellers - please do not disturb"

Such lines are easy to find in many private advertisements. Today there are two main resources for selling a car yourself - auto.ru and avito.ru. Moreover, posting ads on these sites is free of charge. Conditionally - because there are a number of restrictions. For example, on both sites you will have to pay for posting an advertisement for the sale of commercial equipment. Avito allows you to post only one active offer for free. Avto.ru - no more than one within 60 days, and no more than 4 per year. Moreover, the second platform went further - for Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, as well as for the Moscow, Leningrad and Sverdlovsk regions, there are special lists of brands and models, information on the sale of which can only be published for a fee. True, these modifications include only fresh premium cars.

The sites also request the vehicle’s VIN code. It is not necessary to indicate it, but a note about it will be in the ad. This is done so that moderators can check for restrictions on registration actions, the actual number of owners and registered accidents. If you have nothing to hide, these procedures will not make the sale difficult.

It is worth mentioning additional selling tools - raising the ad to the top, color marking, etc. Naturally, all these privileges are paid separately. For example, the “Turbo Sale” package on Avito will cost almost 2 thousand rubles. With Avto.ru everything is somewhat more complicated. Here a lot depends on the cost of the car. For example, a comprehensive offer for a car whose price does not exceed 300 thousand rubles will cost 6.5 thousand rubles, and for a car valued at more than 1.5 million rubles - 8.3 thousand rubles.

Selling your car yourself has a number of advantages.

You determine the price yourself. Of course, in order to sell the car quickly enough, the price must be adequate. If the car has some features (for example, non-standard equipment or tuning) that only understanding buyers will appreciate, the cost can be significantly increased. On the other hand, if there is a need to quickly sell a car (or, as they say, “throw it away”), setting a minimum price will help.
No intermediaries or commissions. If you do not want to use additional services when placing ads, selling your car will be completely free.
You are using a car. That is, during the period of sale you are not left without a vehicle - convenient for those who are used to traveling by car, and those who need a car for work.

However, there are also disadvantages.

Communication with potential buyers, resellers and sites. After publishing an ad, you are unlikely to be able to avoid intrusive offers to buy the car or place it on the site. And, frankly, the buyers are not always pleasant.
Waste of time showing the car. As a rule, the car has to be shown twice: the first time for a visual inspection, and the second time for a technical check. This does not always happen on the same day and in a convenient place. And it’s not a fact that they will buy the car.
Bargain. Not all motorists know how to competently defend the advertised price. Meetings with resellers are especially difficult - their work is largely based on reducing the cost of the car as much as possible during the auction. And many owners, trying to quickly sell their old vehicle, follow the lead of such buyers.
Preparation of documents. You will have to independently draw up a purchase and sale agreement, and also check the funds if the payment is made in cash. Mistakes here can be very costly.

Essentially, a trade-in is the exchange of a used car for a new one with an additional payment. Such operations are carried out by official dealers. But each official has its own restrictions. For example, most often domestically produced models (VAZ, GAZ, etc.) are not included in the trade-in program. Dealers then sell used cars themselves or through partners. It turns out that such an operation seems to be beneficial for everyone: you quickly get rid of your old car, and the dealer, in turn, sells you a new one. However, there are some nuances.

Saving time and nerves. You do not need to show the car yourself or communicate with potential buyers. That is, you can sell your car right on the day you contact us without any announcements or waiting. Managers of dealerships are no less interested in you than you are in them, so communication takes place as correctly as possible.
Bonuses. Typically, the dealer is willing to offer an additional discount on a new car when you sign up for a trade-in. It is often quite significant.
No red tape with documents. The employees will complete all the paperwork themselves. So the likelihood of making a mistake and getting into an unpleasant situation is minimized.

Car price. In order to get a discount on a new car and not be left in the red, the dealer tries to underestimate the cost of your car. Even minor flaws are taken into account, which many private buyers will not pay attention to. When journalists from the Autoreview portal conducted an experiment and tried to trade-in a car that, according to their estimates, could be sold on the secondary market for 850 thousand rubles, the showrooms’ offers turned out to be 4–18% lower.
Not all models and modifications are included in the program. Even if it is stated that the dealer is ready to accept any car for trade-in, he, as a rule, has an internal list of parameters that the car must meet. He will not purchase something that is extremely difficult to resell later.
No bargaining. Most often, the amount that the dealer is willing to offer you is final. And arguments that the price is below the market average are not taken into account.

If you do not plan to purchase a new car, then a trade-in is obviously not suitable. Then, in order not to have to deal with selling yourself, you can use the services of platforms. Most of them offer to display your car for a certain amount (it depends on the size and location of the site). One of the largest venues is the Moscow ATC. There are also companies that are ready to buy your car and then resell it themselves.

The positive aspects of this method:

You don't need to show the car yourself. The inspection takes place on site. Here you can check the technical condition of the car and take a test drive.
There is no need to communicate with potential buyers and bargain. Until the actual sale, all contacts occur remotely, through the company manager.
Preparing the car. The sites provide pre-sale vehicle preparation services. It allows you to hide traces of use and bring it into the most attractive form for a potential buyer.

But there are also some disadvantages:

Price. If we are talking about buying a car, the price will be lower than the market price, since the site makes money on resale.
Commission. Naturally, there is a fee for placing a car on the site. However, no one will give you a guarantee that the car will be sold. So there is a non-zero chance of wasting money. There are salons that charge commissions only for successfully completed transactions. For example, the Auto-Start salon indicates on its website that its commission is 1.5–5% depending on the cost of the car and what its buyer pays - but it is clear that the chances of selling the car above the market value are limited.
Distrust of sites on the part of buyers. Many consider private sellers exclusively, since they consider such offers to be more honest and want to communicate directly with the owner.

Resellers

They purchase cars from private individuals for resale. At the same time, preparations are carried out to eliminate traces of use: dry cleaning, repair of seat trim, steering wheel and gearshift lever, as well as windshield replacement. Sometimes after this the mileage is reduced, which is why some experienced motorists do not like resellers.

The main advantage of selling a car this way is saving time: often the car can be sold on the day of the first inspection.

The downside is the unfavorable selling price. Some resellers begin to actively bargain directly over the phone, and not very experienced drivers give in under the pressure of their arguments.

This sale can also be done online. For example, the Car Price service allows you to sell a car to a dealer at an online auction, and receive funds at the site’s office (dealers make money on resale, that is, again, they strive to purchase your car at a price below the market price). The service earns from a commission from dealers of 2–10% of the transaction.

Two car owners in the same city decide to change cars at the same time - due to a new addition to the family, a change in type of activity, or a move to a country house. Therefore, on the Internet, you can find notes in advertisements stating that the seller is ready to consider exchange options. In this case, the coupe can be exchanged for an SUV, and the SUV can be exchanged for a minivan or van. There are two types of such transactions - with an additional payment or “key to key”.

In essence, such a transaction is a trade-in carried out between private individuals. That is, the sale and purchase of a car occur simultaneously in one place.

The downside is that there is a limited selection of such offers: after all, most sellers prefer to exchange the car for money.

Sales for spare parts

The most desperate step of all of these is selling a car for disassembly: the buyer purchases it entirely and uses it as a donor of parts and mechanisms, which are sold separately. This method is used when the car has restrictions on registration actions (for example, documents are lost or the car is not cleared through customs) or when there is serious damage when restoring the car is impractical. In such a situation, of course, there is no need to talk about a profitable sale of the vehicle.

How to quickly sell a used car on Avito?

The role of a selling description when selling a car, how to write an advertisement for the sale of a car

I want to sell my car at a profit...
People! Here your dream rots!

Appearance matters, but it's not everything

Well, enough of the sad jokes. How to sell a car, especially when it is old and its only advantage is that it is running. How to quickly sell a car when it has been in the family for more than one generation? You are not alone in this matter. Let's look at the basics, without which it is really difficult to sell a car.

It should be noted that selling a car includes many nuances and it will not be possible to consider them all. But even those features that will be discussed below will be enough to sell the car. You will also learn how a sales description works.

5 recommendations on how to sell a car yourself through message boards

I do not recommend selling your car through car markets and car dealerships. There are people working there who are known as resellers. Their main task is to buy cheaper and sell more expensive. You need to learn how to find buyers yourself in order to sell a car for real value or a little higher.

Conclusion No. 1. Do you want to sell your car and get more money? Avoid intermediaries and dubious places of sale.

How to sell a car quickly if it looks really bad? Not all cars look great after 6-8 years of intensive use. Especially if there was no time to take care of the car. Pre-sale preparation is mandatory for any car. Dry cleaning the interior, replacing all non-working units (including light bulbs), polishing the interior, polishing the glass and checking the functionality of all components - this must be done.

Conclusion No. 2. Pre-sale preparation is an important step in order to avoid long separations.

Carry out a photo shoot, but before it, wash the car and rub the body with polish.

Conclusion No. 3. High-quality photographs are achieved not only with a good camera.

Decide where you will sell your car. I recommend turning to free bulletin boards where they sell cars (for example, Avito). The Internet is a place where you can quickly sell a car.

Conclusion No. 4. Newspapers and a sticker on the rear window are ineffective ways of selling. Use the Internet (free bulletin boards (avito, drom.ru, avto.ru)), VKontakte groups, automotive sites (blogs) and forums.

Selling your car before winter is not the best option.

Conclusion No. 5. Cars are bought more often in spring and summer, maybe it’s better to wait?

The next question that will confront you is quite deep and it sounds like this: how to write an advertisement for the sale of a car? Not everyone can write a competent selling description or advertisement.

How to write an advertisement for the sale of a car?

A well-written ad attracts attention, provides the necessary information and answers all additional questions.

After posting an ad, do they call you with clarifying questions or not call you at all? This means that you were unable to correctly compose an ad for selling a car.

Don't make mistakes. Make your ad:

memorable;
informative;
unique;
selling;
bright.

It should evoke emotions in the reader, have a competent structure and present information in an easy, relaxed style. Don't forget to include photos in your ad. Without photos, selling a car will be incredibly difficult.

If you cannot write an advertisement for the sale of a car or do not have such skills. If you don’t want to wait months and spend money to get your ad to the top over and over again, then you can turn to a copywriter.

A copywriter is a person who writes selling and advertising texts. It won't cost much. A sales description will cost you less than purchasing VIP status on a free message board. The result of a good ad will be the quick sale of the car at the average market price.

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