5 Important Things to Consider when Selling a Car Privately

Eventually, the time will come that you make the decision to sell your trusty steed, but sadly, selling a vehicle privately often isn’t the hassle-free process you’d hoped it would be! Here are five important things to consider when selling a car to help you keep the process as smooth as possible:

1. Fixing any mechanical issues – most prospective buyers will want to test drive a vehicle before making a purchase, and they will make a mental note of any flagged issues which they can use to haggle down your asking price, or it may even put them off the purchase altogether! To ensure that this doesn’t happen, ensure that your service history is up to date and get a professional to give your car the once-over before putting it up for sale, that way any mechanical issues can be put right ahead of time.
2. Cleaning up your bodywork – when it comes to selling cars, appearance is everything! Ensure that any visible damage, such as scratches or minor dents, have been attended to prior to the sale, and that the car is visibly clean. Like mechanical issues, bodywork damage can be a great excuse for an interested party to haggle down your price, and a dirty car can give the impression that the vehicle hasn’t been looked after, again putting off potential buyers.
3. Freshening up the interior – like the outside of the car, ensure that the inside is cleaned up too as a dirty interior can also be off-putting. Remove any debris and rubbish, polish any hard surfaces and use a vacuum cleaner and a fabric spray to clean the seats – this will ensure that your car is looking, and smelling, its best!
4. Gathering all necessary vehicle documents – once the vehicle sale is confirmed, its important to transfer vehicle ownership over as soon as possible, so ensure that all required vehicle documents in place. Along with your V5C, you will also need copies of any other relevant vehicle documents, such as paperwork to show the car’s service history, the latest MOT test certificate and any applicable warranty documents.
5. Allowing enough time – the average amount of time it takes to sell a car privately is 34.5 days, so ensure that you list your car in plenty of time and don’t leave it until the last minute!

By taking these considerations into account, you will help to ensure a smooth vehicle sale transaction and that all parties involved will be satisfied with the end deal.