Guide to selling your used car

If you’re thinking about getting rid of your car, don’t miss this guide on how to sell your used car quickly and satisfactorily.

Selling a used car can be a very laborious task if things aren’t done correctly and, furthermore, if we don’t do it right, we may end up losing money.

At Top10motor we’ve already given you 10 tips for buying a used car, we’ve told you which are the most reliable used cars on the market and we’ve even suggested the best options for buying a used SUV or for getting your hands on a used hybrid car.

Today we’re going to focus on the seller’s side, that is, you want to sell your car and, if possible, do it quickly and easily. If you want the whole process to be as hassle-free as possible, we recommend you follow all our tips for selling your used car.

Publish a good ad

The ad is the first image that potential buyers of the used car you want to sell will see. In addition, it’s advisable that this image appears in every possible showcase, so it’s recommended that you post it on all the specialist portals you can.

Therefore, the first step is to take good photos, both exterior and interior, paying special attention to the parts of the car that are in the worst condition (scratches, dents or paint defects if it has any). Also, when taking interior photos, it doesn’t hurt to include photos of the parts that suffer the most wear, such as the steering wheel or the gear knob.

It’s very important that the ad answers all the questions the buyer may have about your car, so you can’t limit yourself to just putting the price. Therefore, a good ad for a used car should include the mileage, whether it has any mechanical defect, what its maintenance history is and any defects it may have.

If your car has features that catch the eye and set it apart from the rest (navigation, leather upholstery, sunroof…), don’t hesitate to mention them. It also is essential to state whether our car has a valid MOT/ITV, whether the most important services have been carried out and the condition of the tyres.

Set the right price

Clearly the ad is your car’s calling card, but the price is the first thing the buyer will look at. You must find the fair price taking into account your car’s market value on the used car market, its condition and its mileage.

The easiest way to get an idea is to search the used car portals for several cars like the one you intend to sell and, if possible, with similar mileage to see what they are asking.

If you consider that your car is much better looked after than the rest or that its mileage is especially low, don’t hesitate to raise the price a little. Although you’ll probably take a little longer to sell it, you shouldn’t give your car away, so as our grandmothers used to say: “patience is a virtue”.

You’ll often see ads that say “price negotiable“. We leave this to your free choice, but if you are going to include it, it’s advisable to think about the price you would actually sell the car for and set the ad price a bit higher. It’s practically the same as putting the price directly, but playing with buyer psychology isn’t a bad thing either, and if they think you’ve knocked 300 euros off the price, they’ll probably feel better about it.

Make sure your car catches the eye

The buyer of a used car knows they’re not buying a new car, but if you manage to make your car look well cared for and well maintained, it will certainly catch their attention. Few buyers will keep reading once they come across an endless list of things the car needs. So don’t skimp if you have to have it serviced or replace the tyres; you’ll recover the cost when you sell it.

If your car has a bigger fault, you have two options: fix it yourself, although you may not recover what you spend, or leave it for the buyer. Of course, if you choose the second option, you must let the buyer know and take into account that your car’s price will be lower.

Let them test drive your car

The moment has come when the buyer has passed the filter of your ad and has decided to go and see your car. The first step is to be clear that you must disclose any significant defects your car has and, if the buyer spots one you had forgotten about, don’t hide it.

Just as you would like to test drive the car if you were going to buy it, the potential buyer of your used car will also like to do so. Furthermore, if you have nothing to hide and the car works properly, it’s the decisive selling point. Of course, you should accompany the buyer and remind them that the car is still yours, so they must take care.

Another sign of transparency that appeals to any buyer is if you agree to let them take the car to a pre-purchase inspection. If the car is in good condition or you’ve already pointed out its defects, you have nothing to fear.

What happens if you decide to sell the car to a dealer?

If you’re in a big hurry to sell the car for some reason, this option may be the most advisable. However, you should also bear in mind that you won’t get anywhere near the same money you would get selling it to a private buyer.

Remember that a professional dealer makes their living from this. Therefore, they buy cars below their value and then inflate the price to sell them for more. So don’t be surprised if they buy your car for 5,000 euros and two weeks later you see it advertised for 8,000.

So, if you’re not in a hurry or patience is one of your virtues, we don’t recommend this option at all, since you’ll lose money.

If after all these steps the sale of your car has gone through successfully, the next step is the paperwork. So don’t miss our guide to the procedures you must follow to buy and sell a car.