Selling Your Old Car: Top 5 Things to be Careful About

Selling your old car is quite a complicated process and requires a focused approach to get a desirable result. Especially, when you are selling your car privately, you need to be extra-vigilant and should do proper homework before putting out the car for sale. The challenges while selling your car are many though some of them are more crucial and critical than others. To help you out, we have prepared a list of the top five things that you should be careful about once you decide to sell your car. Selling your old car is quite a complicated process and requires a focused approach to get a desirable result. Especially, when you are selling your car privately, you need to be extra-vigilant and should do proper homework before putting out the car for sale. The challenges while selling your car are many though some of them are more crucial and critical than others. To help you out, we have prepared a list of the top five things that you should be careful about once you decide to sell your car.

1) Fix the Mechanical Issues and Obtain the History Report

Before you put out your car for the sale, make sure to get rid of any kind of mechanical/technical issue. One easy way to do it is, get your car serviced and if your service manager advises changing some parts and bits, don’t hesitate to spend the money. You should see this exercise from an investment viewpoint rather than from the prism of the cost incurred. Remember, the prospective buyer is bound to notice any kind of discrepancy in your car (more so if the problem happens to be mechanical) and hence, it is important for you to get all the issues fixed before the sales. Now we consider the second scenario when the cost of repair happens to be on the higher side and you don’t feel that it is feasible to spend the money to carry out the repair. In such a case, you should get an estimate of the cost and then appraise the prospective buyer about the repair cost during the deal negotiations. In addition, we also advise you to keep the maintenance/history report of your car handy as this document will boost your credentials as a person who has taken good care of his/her car. This, in turn, will help you to get a good deal for your used car.

2) Fix Dents and Remove Scratches for flawless exteriors

The saying “first impression is the last impression” certainly applies in case of selling a used car. Exteriors of your car cast the first impression and you can’t afford to mess it up. For getting a positive response from the buyers, make sure your car don’t have any visible dent or scratch. It won’t cost you much to sort these external damages and we guesstimate that within a budget of Rs 5k-7k, you can fix all these dents and scratches. Again, see this cost from an investment standpoint as the amount you spend in the bodywork of the car can be easily recovered in the higher resale value for your car. Even in some cases involving minor body dents and scratches, you don’t require visiting a body shop as these can be removed at home by applying toothpaste on the surface. Simply clean the surface of dent and scratch and gently rub a small quantity of toothpaste against it – and it’s done. However, for repairing deep dents, you have to take the car to the workshop.

3) Interiors, Spare tire, and Toolkit

Like exteriors, the interiors of your car should also feel fresh and tidy. Make sure the upholstery is not soiled and pay special attention to the cleaning of floor mats. Dashboard plastics also tend to lose their sheen and hence, it is worthwhile to invest in professional car service to give a new lease of life to interiors. Remember, the prospective buyer will appreciate your car as fresh car as possible and hence, an investment to freshen up the interiors is surely help you to sell your car at a high price.
Another key area where most of us fail to pay attention is the condition of the spare wheel and toolkit. Both of these things are crucial and informed buyers will always check into the status of spare wheel and toolkit to assess the way the car has been maintained by the owner. Keeping regular care of the spare tire and having a complete tool kit add to the overall value of your car and hence, you should pay equal attention to these components.

4) Get the Documentation Complete

Before putting out the car for sale, you should have all the documents in place. Some of the important documents that you require for sale include registration certificate, valid insurance, pollution check certificate, form 29 and form 30, and address proof. If you are selling the car interstate, a no-objection certificate (NOC) will also be required from the RTO. Also, clearly mention details of your car such as registration number, model year, engine number and chassis number, color, etc. on the deal agreement. Details of the payment, the total amount due, and mode of payment should also be mentioned in the sales contract.

5) Buyer’s Credentials and RC transfer

Before going ahead with the deal, it is advisable that you cross verify credentials of the prospective buyer. This step is important to save yourself from selling the car to a wrong person, a move which could possibly have many security and safety implications in the future. Make sure you deal with the person directly rather than negotiating with his/her agent. Once the deal is done, the next important step is the transfer of ownership which should be completed as soon as possible. It is only when the registration certificate (RC) of the car gets the name of the new owner; you should consider the deal complete and relax.

Experience the comfort of selling at CarDekho Gaadi

If you are planning to sell your used car, we at CarDekho Gaadi can provide you the best value for your used car. In addition to the best deal, you will also avail the facility of free RC transfer, loan closure assistance and more. Reach us at 1800-12345-2323 to sell your car in a single visit.

Also Read:- Quick Way of Selling Car: Things to Consider