There’s no way of getting around the fact that if your car has a lot of miles under its belt, it becomes less attractive to potential buyers if you’re trying to sell it. But that doesn’t mean selling your car is impossible when it has high mileage. On the contrary, there are several things you can do to make the sales process easier and secure the best deal possible.
Clean Your Car
No matter how well you look after your car, it’s going to look used after 10 or 12 years of driving. Potential buyers won’t expect a used vehicle with high mileage to look as good as new. However, you can impress them by at least giving the exterior a wash, vacuuming inside the cabin, and removing any trash or debris from the vehicle’s storage areas and cubbies.
A clean, well-kept car can make a good first impression on a potential buyer, which may encourage them to give you a fair offer. It also lets them know that you took good care of your vehicle, which certainly won’t harm your chances of getting a good deal.
Conduct Basic Repairs
Whether or not you decide to follow this step will largely depend on the condition of your vehicle. If your car is in decent working order but has a few problems, like a damaged brake light or worn brake pads, paying a little extra money to have these repairs completed is probably a good idea.
Potential buyers will be more attracted to a car that they can get into and start driving right away without having to worry about repair bills. In addition, you have a stronger case to ask for a higher price if you can honestly tell an interested party that everything about the car is in working order.
If your car is in poor condition and requires a considerable amount of work, you may decide that spending a lot of cash on major repairs, like resolving mechanical problems, isn’t worthwhile. That’s not necessarily a problem, because there are buyers out there who may still be interested in your vehicle. For example, someone may be happy to pay for the repairs if it means they get a cheap car.
Alternatively, you may find a dealership that will buy the car off you to repair and sell at a wholesale auction. The only thing you need to bear in mind if you do decide to sell a vehicle that requires a lot of work is that you’ll have to accept a low price.
Prepare a Description for Your Advertisement
If you’re selling your car privately, a detailed description of its condition and features will make a good impression on potential buyers. For example, you can detail the condition of the engine, interior, and exterior, any special features about the vehicle, and any repairs you’ve carried out. In addition, it can help to provide several pictures of both the vehicle’s interior and exterior.
If you include a good amount of information in your posting, it’s more likely to attract interest.
Set a Realistic Asking Price
Before you complete your advertisement, spend some time researching a realistic asking price for your car. You can do this by using one of the many car valuation tools that are available online. All you need to do is provide some basic information about your car, such as the year it was made, the make and model, and its mileage. Alternatively, you can take a look at recent postings for vehicles similar to yours.
Once you have an idea of what the retail price for your vehicle is, you’ll need to think about any specific issues with your car that may require you to adjust your expectations. For instance, if you have a 12-year-old Nissan valued around $4,000, you may have to reduce your asking price to $3,500 if the buyer will need to perform some modest repairs after buying it.
Making sure the asking price in your posting is reasonable is important because it will make your offer seem more credible. Buyers of used cars can do their own research into the vehicles they’re considering, including yours. If your asking price is too high, they’re likely to find that out pretty quickly and look elsewhere for a better deal.
Decide Whether to Sell Privately or to a Dealer
Selling a car privately can require a significant investment of time and effort. In addition to following the steps we’ve outlined above, you’ll also need to respond to inquiries about your posts, set up meetings with potential buyers, and negotiate with them. Many inquiries may turn out to be dead ends, delaying the process further.
One option worth considering if this is a concern for you is selling your used car to an auto dealership. Even if your sedan or SUV has a lot of miles on its odometer, you can still find a dealership to purchase it. Dealerships like ours with a large inventory of used vehicles can offer you a fair price for your car, take care of any repair or maintenance issues, and sell it on to a new buyer.
While selling to an auto dealership probably means you’ll end up receiving a lower price than what you could get on the private market, you benefit from a hassle-free process that can often be taken care of during one quick visit to our showroom.
Our friendly team of auto experts here at the Rydell Outlet Center in Grand Forks will be delighted to help you trade in your used car. In addition to receiving a cash offer from us, you can deduct the value of your used vehicle from our great range of pre-owned cars. That way, you can get behind the wheel of a car, SUV, or truck for a reasonable price.
If you want to get an idea of how much your used car may be worth, try out our valuation tool. alternatively, contact us today if you have any questions about the trade-in process or our fleet of used cars.
Connect with us
