How to Sell an Old Car to a Dealership for a Great Price

How to Sell an Old Car to a Dealership for a Great Price

Posted on July 30, 2021

Planning to sell your car to a dealership? You’re not alone. More people than ever before are choosing to sell to a dealership rather than sell privately. With dealers paying more than ever, the difference in price between the two is now very narrow, meaning the pros outweigh the cons significantly.

If you’re planning to sell your old car to a dealership in Grimsby, we have a few tips to help you get a little more for it.

Find out its value

Before you spend time or money on your car, find out how much it’s worth. Dealers use market data to assess value so you should do the same. That means checking Kelley Blue Book, eBay, Craigslist, Auto Trader and other sources to see what your car is worth.

Make sure to check like for like. The same make, year, model, trim and mileage. If there are enough examples, choose a similar colour too as that can make a difference with some models.

Once you have a value, you can assess whether it’s worth spending time, money or effort on your car.

Clean the car thoroughly

This is the #1 tip for anyone selling a car. Give it a thorough clean inside and out.

You may be used to dusty paintwork and a grimy interior but nobody else wants to see that. Cleaner cars look more appealing and will sell more easily. Even if you don’t get more for it, you stand a higher chance of selling the car when it’s clean than dirty.

Clean the outside as much as possible and give it a quick wax. Clean the wheels, tires, glass, lights and everywhere you can see.

Clean the inside too. Remove trash, wipe down every surface, remove any stains if you can, vacuum everywhere including the trunk and generally make the car as presentable as possible.

Check the tires, lights and soft parts

Soft parts wear quickly and will be the first thing an appraiser checks when you’re at the dealership.

Check tires for wear or damage and replace any that are close to the legal limit. Check wipers, engine pipework and other soft parts for wear, cracks or damage and replace as required.

Check all bulbs and make sure all lights work properly. Change any that need changing and clean up the lights as much as you can.

All these things cost more time than money. Pipes, wipers and bulbs are only a few dollars each but could make a real difference to the sale.

Collect all the paperwork

Finally, keep receipts for everything you do and put them in a folder. The more complete the car’s history, the higher the price you’ll get.

The same for service history. Make sure the garage stamps the book where required and keep all invoices for parts, servicing and repairs.

All this helps paint the picture of how well the car has been looked after. The more complete the picture, the more the car is worth.

Then, when you’re ready, contact one of our team to book your appraisal. We’ll pay top dollar for good quality used cars!

Contact Unique Chrysler for help, advice and competitive Grimsby car finance and leasing.

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