How to Sell Your Car On Your Own

Selling your car privately can be scary. You’ve heard all the horror stories: creeps coming to your house, scammers offering bad checks, test drives that turn into joy rides – or worse, stolen vehicles. The truth is that all those scenarios and others can happen.

If you think about it, the process can be just as scary for the buyer. He or she has heard horror stories from the other end: Going to creepy houses to check out the vehicle, making deals with “owners” who don’t have title to a vehicle, and cars that just plain don’t work once you’ve taken possession.

But with a few precautions, and the proper preparations, you can get a deal that satisfies you and the buyer. And isn’t that what you really want?

Here are some things you can do to make the process safer and smoother:

Be prepared to spend a little

Take your car to a mechanic and get it fully checked out. This will cost you $75 to $100, but it can really help when you’re showing the vehicle to prospective buyers. You’ll also want to spend $35 or so for a CarFax report. The buyer’s probably going to want one, so you’d better know what’s on it and have any mistakes corrected ahead of time.

Do some research on the price

Study the sales prices and established values of vehicles similar to yours. The Kelly Blue Book is a good place to start, and cars.com and AutoTrader.com also can help you see some current pricing. Set a minimum price – you don’t have to advertise it. Understand the seasonal nature of some potential transactions – a convertible will sell better in the summer than winter, for example.

Put the best face on your car
You’ve heard of making sure houses for sale have curb appeal; you should do the same for your car. If possible, spend the $100 or so it will take to have it professionally detailed. If you can’t afford that, then do the work yourself and thoroughly wash, vacuum, dust and wax the vehicle. Empty everything out of it except the owner’s manual and registration. This is a good time to top off oil, windshield, brake, and other fluids as well.

You’re doing two things – making your car as attractive as possible and establishing the notion that it has been well-maintained.

Get it out there

Now that you’ve dressed it up, you’ll need to attract suitors for the car. Take photos – lots of them, and post them and some basic information on social media. Decide what websites you want to advertise on – Craigslist, cars.com, AutoTrader.com are among the places you can select. Take some time to write a good description – you don’t want to sound too desperate.

Meeting prospective buyers

When the suitors start calling, insist on meeting them in a public location. You don’t necessarily want them coming to your home.

The buyer likely will want to take a test drive. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you’ll want to take some precautions:

• Demand to see the prospective buyer’s driver license, and write down the number.
• Insist on going along on the test drive.
• Keep the drive relatively short, and be sure to point out positive features of your vehicle as you’re riding along.
• The prospective buyer likely will want his own mechanic to check out the vehicle. Show him the report you have from your mechanic – that may satisfy him. If he still wants his mechanic to give the car the once-over, that’s fine. Tell him you’ll drive the vehicle there and meet him. Be prepared to use the report from your mechanic to rebut any problems.

Making the sale

If you’ve made it this far, the potential buyer is definitely interested. Don’t talk price until you hit this point. Make your offer, then negotiate. Include any legitimate adjustments you want to make as a result of the inspections by the mechanic, but keep that minimum price in mind.

Once you agree on a price, close the deal. The best thing is to get cash; if not, get a cashier’s check and clear it at the bank. Secure the entire purchase price before you sign the title over. Get an As/Is bill of sale off the Internet and save a signed copy – this will protect you in case the buyer comes back with claims that you promised to fix something.

Don’t expect a sale from the first customer. Don’t expect one the first week. That means you’ll have to work at keeping the car clean at all times. You never know when the right buyer will surface.

But if you take the proper precautions, you can make selling your car a profitable, safe experience for you and your customer. Good luck.