SnapAutos | Easily find your car's value & sell your call online

How Do I Get the Best Price While Selling My Car

by SnapAutos Dec 8, 2022 Blog 2022

There are a few different avenues to consider if you want to sell your car for the most money possible. The route you take will depend on the details of your vehicle (make, model, year, mileage, condition, etc.), where you live, how quickly you want (or need) to sell, and whether you plan to purchase another vehicle at the same time.

Calculate Your Car’s Value

To start, you need to figure out how much your car is worth in the first place. Trusting your gut won’t work – you need to do research to get an informed idea of how much to ask. Year, make, model, mileage, and condition are the primary factors that determine your car’s value. Variables like number of owners and crash history could also drive it lower or higher. Options like leather seats, built-in navigation, or a sunroof should increase your asking price. New wheels, stereo equipment, and other aftermarket extras also add value. Do the research, and look at cars comparable to yours to get an informed asking price.

The best way to determine a car’s worth is by using valuation guides like SnapAutos and looking at live prices online and at dealerships. It is vital to know a car’s value before you start any transaction to sell, trade in, buy or refinance a vehicle.

#Tip: Get the most when you sell your car. With SnapAutos Compare and choose from multiple offers all in one place.

How It Works

1. Share your vehicle information

2. View your offer

3. Get paid

Organize The Paperwork

Getting together service records and obtaining a vehicle history report will improve your transparency with interested buyers. It’s a way to show that you’re not hiding anything and makes the buyer more confident that they’re not getting a lemon. Service records are proof that you’ve maintained your car and addressed any problems.

If you have the records – for everything from oil changes to engine rebuilds – organize them chronologically. You’ll have to pay to get a vehicle history report, but it’s a worthwhile investment to show that you’re not trying to pull a fast one on the buyer. You might also want to get a pre-purchase inspection to uncover any issues you didn’t know were there.

Clean Your Car

Clean the car inside and out. Clean the tires, wheels and rims. Remove any stickers or decals from the car. Clean windows to show off your beautiful ride! Clean interior of vehicle including seats, dashboard, door panels, headliner, console and carpets/rugs/mats as needed if they have been sitting in a garage for several years. Clean engine bay – remove all dirt & grime from underneath hood including under intake manifold & air filter housing – don’t forget about those hard to reach spots with extensions!

How To Advertise Your Car For Sale

If you want to use the power of the Internet in our increasingly digital world, there are all kinds of options to advertise your car for sale ranging from free to surprisingly expensive. One advantage of online listings is that you typically have the option of uploading a series of photos to really show off both the outside and inside of your vehicle. Here are some of the most common options for online advertising.

Craigslist: When you list your car for sale on Craigslist, you get to write up your best description of your vehicle and also add in as many photos as you’re allowed. Right now, Craigslist allows up to 24 photos of your car, and since it’s free there’s no reason not to include all 24. Visit any car dealership website and you’ll see the series of photos for each car people are used to browsing through, so just mimic those with your own car. And your listing is completely free.

Facebook Marketplace: One advantage of using Facebook for a free listing is that when a person expresses interest, you’ll be able to visit their Facebook profile, giving you a way to vet a potential buyer more than you can in the very anonymous world of Craigslist. The same is true from the buyer’s perspective – they’ll be able to see if you’ve sold other things on the FB Marketplace and what kinds of reviews you’ve received.

Wait For The Right Buyer

Don’t be afraid to negotiate with the buyer even if he or she has offered an amount lower than what you expected. The buyer may not know how much they can actually offer and they might end up paying more than they should have if they do not negotiate with them well enough during negotiations. So don’t hesitate in asking for more money when negotiating with potential buyers because this will help both parties agree on something beneficial between them.

While selling your car online can be tricky, it doesn’t have to be. You just need to know what you’re doing and put in the time upfront. If you follow these tips, you should have no trouble selling your car in no time!