Best Way to Sell a Car That Needs Some Work

Best Way to Sell a Car That Needs Work

Selling your vehicle can be hard. There are so many steps you must go through. You must get the paperwork together, find the title. Make sure you don’t still have a lien on your title and the repair paperwork.

Selling your car is tough, no doubt about that. The first step is figuring out a fair price. Once you have found this out, you must have the car detailed. This is a step you do not want to go cheap. We suggest you go to a professional detailer and get the best package available. Many times, a lot of people never wax or give their car a super detail. A neat trick is to ask the detail shop to spray paint your carpet. This will add instant value to your vehicle. (They make a special paint for this.) This will bring the color and beauty back to your ride!

Repair any details that you have thought were too insignificant to repair before. These little things matter to a prospective buyer. They will look for the smallest thing there is. Fixing these little things adds value to your car and WILL help you to sell it. This is the best way to sell your car!

You have owned your vehicle for years, and you think you know everything that could be wrong with it. That is not always the case. Take your car to your repair shop and explain to them you will sell it and ask them to go through it with a fine-tooth comb.

Get a written statement from your mechanic on your vehicle’s condition and any repairs you have made in the past. Ask them if any warranties are transferable. If so, these warranties could be a great selling point!

Walk around the whole vehicle. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Do you see anything that would make you not want to purchase the car? If so, fix it immediately.

Check under the hood for oil leaks and dirt. You want it to be clean and free from leaks. The cleaner, the better. Under the hood, the number one overlooked place when detailing a vehicle. It is also one of the places buyers look.

It is important to be honest with yourself, will the repairs cost more than the car is worth? If so, you have to determine if you want to take on the task of selling your car. Keep in mind any money you spend on repairs.

An excellent option is selling your car to a local service that specializes in purchasing vehicles like yours. We are one of these services and offer a great alternative to a way to sell your car.

To figure out your vehicle’s value, the first thing you need to do is not think of it as a car with memory attachments. Look at it as an investment. And what are you willing to put back into it to get the maximum return on your investment.

Look at local car sales ads from individuals. These may be in a newspaper, online, or even on craigslist. It would be best if you looked at people, not dealerships. Don’t just settle on a couple of looks at as many as you can find.

Keep in mind that if your car is older than five years, the repairs are more than likely going to be expensive and cost more than what the vehicle is worth. If your car is over five years old and needs repairs, it is better to sell it to a scrap vehicle dealer. This takes all the costs and hassles out of the process. Scrap dealers purchase these vehicles to use and sell parts from. They hardly ever fix them.

If you Decide to Make Repairs

An experienced shop should do the repairs that you do completely on your vehicle. This way, you know the repairs are being done right. Fixing your car yourself could cost you more money before you sell it. Hand the repairs over to a professional!

Before you hand over the keys, get a quote and be aware of their labor rates, guarantees, and warranties. At this point, you may decide not to get the car fixed but rather to deduct the cost of repairs from your asking price instead.

Remember, you’re investing in the car to sell it. If the mechanic tries to “upsell” you necessary but unnecessary repairs, like a chassis lube or rotor turnings, promptly turn them down.

Once repairs are done and you’re ready to sell, make sure you tell the buyer about all the work you put into the car. New tires and brake pads or topped-off fluids show the customer you put care into your vehicle.

A rebuilt transmission or engine block and other chassis work should also be mentioned as a selling point. If your mechanic had a warranty on the repairs (most have ones ranging from 30 days to six months), be sure to bring that up, too. Make sure you keep the paperwork to prove the repairs were done. Cosmetic repairs probably don’t have to be mentioned – the body should speak for itself.

If you’ve opted out of repairs, be honest and tell potential buyers about the problems you discovered during your examination or the auto-shop assessment.

Mostly, make sure you know your car before you sell it. Finding a car’s weaknesses and strengths, and fixing fundamental problems before you sell, will almost always translate to a better payoff for you than if you did nothing at all.

Sell Cars Online, Requesting a Quote

To receive your no obligations quote, fill in the form to the right or give us a call at 281-813-8815. We ask you a few questions, and based on your answers; we will give you a quote and schedule your car to be picked up for free. This is the best hassle-free way to sell your car!