How to sell your car guide
When it comes to selling your car, you’ll find that you have a few avenues to choose from. The two most common ways are to sell privately or to a dealership, both options that we’re going to explore further in this article.
What to do before you sell your car
1. Clean your car
Whether you decide to sell privately or to a dealership, it’s best practice to ensure that the car has been thoroughly cleaned both inside and out. By doing this, you can really show off any modified features that could result in a higher valuation amount.
Cleaning your car so that it’s like new can be done by yourself, but if you’d rather have a professional handle it, you can always have it valeted.
2. Determine the price of your car
Once your car has been thoroughly cleaned, you’ll want to get it evaluated. By doing this, you can get an idea of a realistic asking price, whether you decide to sell to a dealership or sell privately.
When seeking a valuation, you’ll want to be as detailed as possible about your car. Aspects like age, mileage, and demand for the model are taken into account when determining its value, providing an accurate description means that you can get the best valuation possible.
3. Gather paperwork
So your car is cleaned and you’ve received the valuation, now you need to make sure you’ve got all the correct paperwork so that the sale can go ahead smoothly.
Here is a list of essential paperwork needed for selling your car
V5C logbook
Service history
MOT certificate history
Repairs and parts receipts
Proof of purchase
Number plate retention form if needed
Any remaining car warranty
Should you sell privately or to a dealership?
Well, this depends on your motivation for selling your car. A private sale gives you more control over the process, and there is a chance that you’ll be able to get more from the sale as you can negotiate with prospective buyers.
However, it can be a time-consuming process, which isn’t ideal for individuals with busy lifestyles. You could also potentially experience “tyre-kicking” which is when a potential buyer will point out any minor faults with the vehicle in the hopes that you’ll reduce the price.
By comparison, selling to a dealership can be a smoother process. This is because car dealers like Essex Car Company have experience evaluating vehicles, meaning that you can receive a fair price almost instantly.
You may then be required to bring your car to the dealership for it to be assessed further, which can affect the valuation; however, if you’ve properly prepped your vehicle, this isn’t likely.
What if you want to part exchange your car?
If the reason for selling your current car is to upgrade to a different one, then part exchange is more suitable than selling privately or outright. This is because the value of your current car is deducted from the cost of your next one, meaning that you will only need to pay the difference.
You can take a look through our cars and if you’ve found the one for you, you can apply for a part exchange valuation to get the process started.
Why sell your car with Essex Car Company?
As a used car dealer based in Essex, we’re always looking for quality cars to add to our stock which is why we will consider all makes and models.
We can also consider buying cars even if there is outstanding finance, we would simply need a settlement letter stating the outstanding payment which would be deducted from your valuation.
For more information about our car buying process, you can get in touch either by phone or on our website.