Used Car Tips

Psychology plays a big role in buying and selling used cars. It is known that perception can become our reality, so what a potential buyer thinks and feels about your used car is far more important than numbers.

Here are the top 21 tips that will boost your chances to sell your used car:

1. Knowing the market

If you want to know if your car is easy to sell or if you will have to lower your price and look for additional ways to sell it, the first step is to browse through other online car ads. For instance, you can filter the ads by the year and trim level of your car, and see how many similar cars are currently on the market. You might want to start looking for similar cars by searching MECarz used cars classifieds collection.

2. Pricing your car properly

One of the most common issues about selling a used car is how much to ask. A high price will discourage potential buyers, whereas a low price means money unnecessarily thrown away. Unfortunately, you won’t find any standard prices for used cars, as they will vary from one region to another and can also be affected by discounts on new cars. However, your price should reflect the mileage and overall condition of your car, demand for your model, reliability history and your area. Compare your cars to other cars posted at mecarz.com would be a good start.

3. Taking the time to detail your car

If a potential buyer sees your car as being dirty inside and out, he is very likely to assume that you didn’t take care of your car in all ways. You should at least have the car detailed, including vacuuming the carpets, cleaning the windows, waxing and armoring the seats. You want your car to look as good as possible and simply because it’s not brand new, it does not mean it shouldn’t feel cool to the potential buyer.

4. Repairing the rust

If the rust has made a hole in the metal, you will need a patch kit to make the repair. After any holes have been fixed, you should sand the body putty so it is smooth and blends with the rest of the case. Then sand all the rust spots with fine sand paper until all the spots are gone and the metal is shiny and smooth.

Then get some touchup paint and lightly paint the areas that have been sanded, if you’re using spray, make sure to mask off the surrounding areas.

5. Improving tire appearance

You can improve the appearance of old tires by painting them with tire black, a special paint that will not dry out the rubber. You can also find paint for the whitewall section of the tires, too.

6. Replacing wheel covers

Another important aspect is the appearance of the wheel covers. If yours are badly damaged you can easily replace them with some fancier ones for no more than $10.

7. Cleaning the medal parts

All metal parts that covered by paint should be cleaned. You should clean the metal wheels with a magnesium or aluminum cleaner using a stiff brush. Then use some metal or chrome cleaner to polish the mirrors, body side moldings, wheel covers, bumpers, and all other exterior metal.

If the bumpers are filled with rust that cannot be taken off with metal cleaner, you can try using some steel wool, but it may dent the bumpers. Finally, you should clean all the glass and the plastic on the outside using a glass polish. Then, check all the lights and broken lenses and replace any burned out bulbs.

8. Improving the paint

If your car is couple of years old, you should have it thoroughly cleaned with polishing/rubbing compound. These very mild abrasive special cleaners remove a minute top layer of paint and restore the original shine. When you’re all done, you should give it a good waxing. If your car has a vinyl top, you should clean it with a vinyl cleaner.

9. Cleaning the interior

The first step is to start with the dashboard and the other non-fabric interior components. You should avoid using strong solvents because the covers of some of the instruments are made of plastic and it may become cloudy. You can use a pipe cleaner on the tighter areas like radio buttons or the heating controls.

You should wash the fabric upholstery and sow any tears by using standard sewing supplies. You can brighten the Vinyl with special cleaner and leather with some saddle soaping. Finally, you should have the whole car, including the trunk, thoroughly vacuumed and the carpets cleaned up if they are spotted or dirty.

10. Cleaning the engine

Cleaning the engine can simply be done by using a special cleaner that removes grease, oil and dirt, which makes the engine look so disgusting.

11. Removing aftermarket modifications

If your car has any modifications that weren’t done by its manufacturer, you should remove those and replace them with the factory parts. If potential buyers see these changes, they may assume that the car has taken too many joy rides.

12. Creating smart ads

When creating the “For sale” signs or writing the ad for the local paper, you have chance to say how eager you are to sell the car. The “Asking price” reveals that you are willing to negotiate. Think about what you are putting out to prospective buyers and write your ad accordingly.

13. Advertising your car

Usually, people put their ads in newspapers, but online ads are becoming more and more popular. However, you should also consider posting a “For sale” sign on the car window. Also, think of unusual places to put ads and you will get results.

14. Choosing how to sell the car

Depending on how fast you want to sell the car and how much money you want, you have two ways to sell your car: wholesale or directly to buyers. If you close the deal online, make sure to use a site with a money back guarantee, in case your car does not sell in a certain time-period.

15. Showing your car

Remember that when you’re selling your car, prospective buyers will also be checking you out. So, leave a good impression and make buyers feel comfortable and try to answer all their questions openly.

16. Posting “For sale” signs

They are a definite must. You never know when the right person will be coming along and want to buy your car. Write them as clearly and complete as possible.

17. Planning test drives

Choose a certain route that will give buyers the chance to feel the car out in several different conditions. Always let buyers to drive the car, as they need to feel like they already own the car.

18. Showing the AutoCheck report

You should put the buyer’s mind at ease by giving them a copy of an AutoCheck Report on, which will reveal significant information, including the fact that your mileage has not been rolled back.

19. Negotiations

Set the minimum price you are willing to settle for, before even starting the negotiations. Always establish the price a little higher than you plan to accept, to make the buyer feel like they made a great deal.

20. Honesty is good

One of the most common questions is “why are you selling?”, so be prepared with a good honest answer. An answer like: “my family has grown and I need a larger car” is definitely better than: “it keeps breaking down and I’m sick of it”. However, be honest and tell the buyer that you have set the price to account for any problems and that your price is fair.

21. Finalizing the deal

When you’re selling your used car, an important issue is to limit your liability. If the new owner drives away in the car and there is an accident, you don’t want to be responsible for that. One last thing, contact your insurance agent and cancel your policy on the car or, if it’s the case, transfer the coverage to your new car.

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