5 Things Everyone Should Do When Selling a Car

You can usually turn a four-figure profit pretty easily. This is how.

Steven Lang | 

Aug 17, 2020 | 4 min read

Capital One

Originally published on April 16, 2019

As an auto auctioneer, I get to sell thousands of trade-in vehicles at wholesale auctions where, on average, a dealer makes about a thousand bucks in thirty seconds once a car goes under the hammer.

Due to a combination of anxiety over the selling process and a simple lack of understanding of just how easy it is to sell a car, many sellers leave that money on the proverbial table. The truth is that it’s not hard to sell a car yourself, even a brutally bad car. What’s more is that you can usually turn a four-figure profit pretty easily, all with a clear conscience and absolutely no deceptive tactics. This is how:

Be honest—with yourself—about the price

People who are honest with themselves will have a far easier time selling a used car than the majority of the population. The reason is simple: realistic price expectations.

There are excellent online value calculators which can determine the private party value of your car...but only if you give an accurate assessment of its condition. If you’re honest with yourself, you can look at your car and be truthful about its strengths and weaknesses.

It’s easier said than done.

Does it need repairs? Does it have a few substantial dings and dents? If so, the best your car can be is average. Is it really in “mint” condition? The simple fact is that if you drive your car on a daily basis, it almost certainly is not.

Take advantage of thorough record-keeping

Maintenance records beautify your driving companion in the distrusting eyes of buyers. There is a tangible confidence that comes with having papers in hand to prove that you (as the previous owner and caretaker-in-chief) did the right thing. Handing those records to a buyer is like giving flowers to a date or an ice cream sundae to a child.

Didn’t keep your records? It’s well worth the extra effort to call the places that service your vehicle; those past expenses can turn into future profits.

The truth is out there. Show it in your ad.

The best ads on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are those where the seller documents everything and takes plenty of pictures the right way. That means investing the time to take quality photos, and also snapping detailed shots of problem areas to show your car has nothing to hide. Almost any modern cell phone can take high quality photos, so don’t let not having a fancy camera stop you.

In the ad itself, mentioning recent maintenance—and all those records—should be a given. Going so far as pointing out dents and repairs is actually beneficial, too, because it builds trust for the buyer. Even if your car is just an old clunker in dire need of some serious TLC, some clunkers are treated better than others.

When you eliminate uncertainty and provide full disclosure it makes the buying process a whole lot easier for buyer and seller. The more you act in good faith, the more attractive your car becomes.

Steven Lang

Steven Lang is a special contributor to Capital One with nearly two decades of experience as an auto auctioneer, car dealer, and part owner of an auto auction. Some of the best-known auto publications turn to him for his expert insight. He is also the co-developer of the Long-Term Quality Index, a survey of vehicle reliability featuring over two million vehicles that have been inspected by professional mechanics.