Frugal Living

How to Get the Best Price for Your Old Family Car

So, you have decided it is time to sell the old family car and get a newer one? There comes a time when your family is grown up, or you need more space, and you decide that this is the best time to go for another car. However, you might well be thinking of using the money from your old car to go towards your new one. In that case, you want to get the best price you can for your old vehicle. All you need is a little care, and attention and your old car could go up in value.

Make it Clean and Tidy

Just as when you go looking at houses to buy, you don’t want to see lots of debris, rubbish or dirt from other people when you look to buy: it puts you off. Spend an afternoon giving the car a good clean; it is an easy thing to do, and it will make your vehicle more sellable. You can always make it a family affair by asking your kids to help clean your old car. Some soapy water, a vacuum cleaner, and some music to inspire will soon get the car looking just like new.

Try Fixing Minor Issues

You don’t want to be spending a lot of money on your old car, although you do want it to look appealing to the buyers. For that reason, you might want to replace any blown bulbs or worn out wipers, so everything works well. Any minor scuffs on the paintwork might be fixable with some scratch remover, but, avoid painting over bigger scratches.

Where to Sell Your Car?

Once you have got the vehicle looking great, you can think about where you are going to sell your car. You can consider trading it in for your new one, although you might not get as much for it as you hopedbut it would still be far better than enquiring about junk cars near me if it gets traded. Advertising online or in local media might get you a better price as you are dealing with people directly. For example, if you have a Mini Cooper for sale, check the local listing to see what price they are selling privately. If they are selling for more than you would get at trade in, then this is the way to go, although the car you purchase may not come with the guarantees of trading with a dealer.

Be Prepared to Haggle

People who are looking to buy cars are looking to get the best value deal that they can get. You also want to get the best price, so you need to agree on a price that is good for the both of you. Set yourself a minimum amount that you are prepared to accept and stick to it, if you don’t have a minimum figure in mind, then you may get pushed lower than you wanted. Don’t be worried if some people walk away, there will be others who will be interested, so it is best to persevere.

When you have your old car sold, you can get on with the fun job of looking for your next car. Hopefully, if all has gone well, you should have the money you wanted from your old car to help you.

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