Preparing Your Car for Sale

There’s a lot involved in preparing a car for sale, and it can feel overwhelming to juggle all the things you need to do!

But a few smart steps, made far enough in advance of the sale date, can help to boost your sale price and attract more buyers rather than put them off. Dive into our car sale guide for how to prepare your car for sale.

Look from the Buyers’ Perspective

Think about your car sale from the buyers’ perspective. Why would someone buy this car – and what about it would turn them away?

Try to look at your car with fresh eyes, or get a friend to look it over. Search for any scuff marks and scratches – whether it’s in the paintwork, trim, dashboard or floor mats. Sit inside to see how comfortable it feels and if there are any lingering odours.

Any of these issues could put off a potential buyer. If you’ve got the time, a proper deep-clean, and even a paint touch up, could do wonders to boost the sale value of your car.

Freshen Up the Interior…

Sometimes you only need to make small adjustments. For example, if there’s a smell coming up in the interiors, put in an air freshener.

Don’t do this too late! The air freshener will need a week or two to do its work – before the date of sale comes up.

It goes without saying that the car’s interior needs to be cleaned before the sale. Wipe down the dashboard, empty out the glove box, clean under the seat, and vacuum the floor mats. This includes emptying the ashtrays!

…and the Exterior Too

The exteriors will need a power-wash too. As for any chipped paint or small scratches, a small difference could go a long way. First impressions will count!

Also make sure to check inside the engine, because any buyer who isn’t naive will do the same. Pop the bonnet up and make sure everything looks and smells as it should.

Are there leaks of oil or coolant? If so, get these fixed and cleaned before the sale.

Leave Some Behind

The only thing that should be left in the glove box is the owner’s manual, warranty documents, service logbook, receipts for any recent servicing or parts, plus other similar documents that are important for the new owner of the car.

As for the boot, make sure the spare tyre, jack and any other tools are securely stowed away in their place. It doesn’t hurt to give the boot a quick tidy either.

Get the Paperwork Ready

Make sure your vehicle registration and roadworthy certificate are up-to-date as need be. You’ll need to show these to potential buyers, so have them ready in the glovebox.

If you have an outstanding vehicle loan on the car, make sure you’ve already contacted them, and followed their process for how to pay out the loan when you sell the car.

Have a written bill of sale ready to go. This can even just be a handwritten note, but it will have to have all the correct information: Your and the buyer’s names, addresses and contact details; the vehicle identification number; the make, model and year of the vehicle; any modifications you’ve made to the vehicle; the odometer reading at the time of sale; the date; and signatures.

You should also state that the car is being sold in as-is condition and that payment has been made in full.

No Need to Prepare Your Car for Sale

Not sure how to prepare your car for sale, ended up running out of time, or just don’t want to bother with the work involved? Sell My Car is the most effortless way to sell your car from Brisbane to Regional NSW.

How much work does it take? You only need to take a moment to fill out our online form. How quickly can you sell your car to us? Our team will be in touch with you within the hour, to make a genuine cash offer.

Your car can be sold within a matter of hours or days. Sell your car today.