Selling an older car can be challenging. With the used car market flooded with available vehicles, unloading one that’s a bit rough around the edges may require some selling savvy. If yours requires costly repairs to keep it roadworthy, this adds to the difficulty of finding an interested buyer. However, a junk car can be sold for profit, but sellers may need to switch up their strategies to ensure a successful sale.
Tips for Prepping Your Used Car for a Fast Sale in Fresno
Selling a hard-to-sell vehicle requires some work before attempting to find a buyer. If you’re trying to free yourself from a less-than-desirable clunker, sell your junk car in Fresno to a specialized dealer who purchases hoopties, jalopies, and wrecks. A junk car dealer doesn’t care about excessive mileage, age, or costly repairs, and they’ll pay top dollar. It’s the best way to get quick cash for your junk car.
Newer used cars may sell fast, but those with mechanical issues, cosmetic damage, and their fair share of dings and dents could make the selling process that much more difficult. However, if you’ve been struggling to sell yours, here’s a look at what you can do to trigger a quicker sale.
Clean and Detail
Clean used cars, no matter how old or how many miles they have, will sell much faster than those that look well-used and lived in. Spotless cars give the impression that their owners took the utmost care to maintain them, regardless of whether it’s true or not. Consider having yours professionally cleaned and detailed, especially if it shows signs of age. Of great importance is to ensure that the interior is clean and shiny. Getting a decade’s worth of dust and grime out of each nook and cranny can sometimes trigger a sale.
Determine the Right Price
Older cars can be difficult to price. Ask for too much, and all you’ll hear are crickets. Ask for too little, and you’re leaving money on the table. But how do you price your clunker to get buyers interested without asking too much?
To determine the right selling price for your used car, the best way to do so is to use one of the many free vehicle online value calculators. Plug in the vehicle’s VIN along with some other information regarding its condition, and you’ll be given its estimated resale value. Armed with this information, you can price your ride appropriately.
Repair the Little Stuff
Sometimes, it does pay to plop a small amount of money into your used car to make it more desirable. Consider fixing its minor but obvious issues. Little things like repairing a squeaky door hinge, replacing a broken side view mirror, or repairing a cracked tail light could be enough for skeptical buyers to take a second look. These types of easy fixes can go a long way to improving your vehicle’s perceived value.
Remove All Personal Items
Almost everyone personalizes their car. However, what you see as cool and fun may turn off a somewhat interested buyer. Remove anything unnecessary. A cluttered rearview mirror with your favorite dream catcher or other things could prove to be too much of a distraction and won’t help your efforts to sell your vehicle. Ensure the interior, including the back seat, is clear and clean.
Sellers of older cars should consider removing any bumper stickers, especially if they are a controversial topic. Political bumper stickers can turn off a buyer incredibly fast, as can other taboo topics. They can be removed rather easily by using a few different methods.
Take Good Looking Photos
When placing ads for your used car on any of the popular online selling platforms like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, do the best you can to show the highlights of your car. Lighting is important, so try not to post any that are dark or unclear. Used car buyers will be more interested in a vehicle whose ad has plenty of photos. Show the vehicle’s exterior from a few different angles, and don’t forget to include a photo of the driver’s seat.
Provide a Detailed Description
While many sellers feel that “short and sweet” is the way to go when placing an online ad for a used car, buyers may want more details. Those who buy used, older cars already expect them to have some flaws, so there’s no need to go overboard describing them. Not disclosing a much-needed and expensive repair won’t help you sell it. It will, however, waste a lot of time.
An honest description of the vehicle that points out any major flaws along with its good points is always the best bet. You don’t need to write an essay-length description, but do give as much information as necessary. Mentioning frequent preventative maintenance or any new parts is a plus.
Prepping Your Junk Car Explained
Selling an older car can sometimes be a difficult task. Presenting a clean and well-maintained vehicle could provide a quicker sale than one that’s been obviously neglected. Fixing its small issues could be worth a couple of dollars spent, but for less-than-desirable cars, finding a private buyer could prove to be impossible.
If you’ve been unable to sell your used car, your best bet for a fast and profitable sale is to sell it to a junk car dealer. They’ll offer you more than a junkyard, haul it away, and leave you with cash. It’s the easiest and most secure type of sale for hard-to-sell wrecks.
