With millions of cars all over the world, it’s no surprise that there are hundreds of thousands of cars being sold each and every day. You may actually be one of these people, looking to sell on an unwanted vehicle. There are plenty of reasons for wanting to sell an unwanted vehicle, such as:
- Needing to upgrade to a newer/better make and model
- The vehicle is no longer working (and not worth getting repaired)
- The vehicle is wrecked from a collision
- Opting for public transportation
Regardless of what reason you may having for wanting to sell your car, ute, van or truck, there are plenty of options available to you. This guide is all about how to sell your car easily in Southland – and it starts way before you start looking for a potential buyer!
Preparing your vehicle for sale
When was the last time you gave your vehicle a proper clean, inside and out? Have the carpets and seats ever been shampooed? Have the wheels ever been polished?
It’s highly important that your vehicle is clean inside and out, fresh and ready for the next owner. If you have potential buyers coming to view the vehicle and take it for a drive, you don’t want them having to move bits of rubbish to get into the front seat! Having a nice and clean car gives a great first impression, and may actually be the difference between whether they decide to buy or not.
If your vehicle needs a clean, set aside a few hours on a nice sunny day (so that the car can get dry in the sunshine). Take a look online at some quality car cleaning products – there are plenty of websites that offer free straight to your door shipping. Otherwise, if they are in your area, try Supercheap Auto or Repco.
For the interior:
- Remove all rubbish and junk
- Vacuum the interior
- Wipe down all hard surfaces
For that extra touch, you can organise to have your carpets shampooed. There are many local upholstery specialists who offer this service for a small fee.
For the exterior:
- Wet the entire vehicle exterior with a hose
- With hot soapy water, scrub down the exterior with a sponge
- Wet the vehicle again
- Apply wax and buffer
If you don’t feel you have the expertise of skill set for the job at hand, you can always hire the services of a professional valet company. Many car valet companies offer special package deals where the entire vehicle interior and exterior is professionally cleaned. Some of these places even have an area where you can sit back, relax with a coffee and let the experts take care of the dirty work!
There’s also nothing quite as great as opening a car door to a lovely smell. Therefore, purchase a few air fresheners in which you can put in both the front and the back of the vehicle. Get it smelling like new again, and you may find you can sell it for more than a great price!
Whether you’re selling it through TradeMe or to a local Otago car wrecker, you’re more likely to get a good sale if you have a nice clean and tidy car.