Selling Your Car Fast
If you’re ready to swap your old ride for something flashy and new, you want to sell your car as fast as possible. Trading it into a dealership is the easiest option, but you’re bound to get a better price if you sell the vehicle to a private buyer. For the best success, follow these tips for selling your car fast.
List the Car at a Fair Price
Nothing turns prospective buyers off more than an unreasonably high price. You can count on people wanting to haggle, but don’t list the car higher than its actual value. To find out what this is, check Kelley Blue Book, NADA Guides, or Autotrader.com.
Include an Accurate Description
If you provide an incomplete description, most buyers will look elsewhere rather than digging for answers. If you hope to sell your car fast, make sure the description includes:
- Mileage
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- Accident history
- The car’s overall condition
- Any aftermarket modifications you’ve made
- Recent repairs or new parts
- Whether you are the original owner
Clean the Car Inside & Out
People judge books by their covers; it’s as simple as that. To make a good first impression, and maybe even increase your asking price, clean your car inside and out before taking pictures.
Take Photographs from All Angles
Once your vehicle is sparkling clean, take pictures from multiple angles to go with your listing. Make sure your shots include:
- All sides of the vehicle’s exterior
- The dashboard and meters, including the odometer to prove the car’s mileage
- Front and back seats
- Trunk
- Tires
- Engine
Give the Car a Pre-Sale Inspection
Give potential buyers peace of mind by having a trained mechanic perform a pre-sale car inspection. Don’t attempt to hide any problems – savvy car buyers will request this inspection if you don’t provide one up front.
Scott’s Fort Collins Auto is a great place to have your car inspected before selling it. We’ll sign off on your tires, suspension, radiator, battery, brakes, and other components – or we’ll recommend repairs and replacements to help you sell your car fast.
Prepare a Sales Pitch
In your listing, talk up your vehicle – without being dishonest, of course. Let potential buyers know the benefits of this particular make and model by including this information:
- Fuel efficiency (city and highway)
- Cost and availability of replacement parts
- Engine performance specifications
- Towing and hauling capabilities, if applicable
- Vehicle reliability, safety features, and recall information
Provide Maintenance Records & Vehicle Reports
Buyers want a car that’s been taken care of. If you have kept up with scheduled maintenance, use this to your advantage. Assuming you held onto service records, show prospects your receipts as proof. Otherwise, look up your car’s VIN for a vehicle history report you can provide the buyer.
NOTE: Remember to black out your personal information before handing out copies of your vehicle maintenance records.
Don’t Fall for Scams
It’s easy to get overly excited when someone shows interest in buying your car. However, this can make you more vulnerable to fraud. You want to sell your car fast, but not to a scam artist. Here are the signs you should turn a buyer down and wait for another fish to bite:
- Offering to buy your car without seeing or test driving it first
- Paying with a check or money order
- Underpaying now with a promise to deliver more than you asking price in a few days or weeks
- Requesting a monthly payment plan
- Using an unknown escrow service to complete the transaction
- Asking for your bank account information on the premise of wiring money to you
Visit Scott’s for a Pre-Sale Car Inspection
When it comes to selling your car fast, nothing is better than having a pre-sale inspection to show buyers proof of your vehicle’s condition. To schedule this service at Scott’s in Fort Collins, please contact us online or call (970) 682-4202 today.
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