You are in the market for a new set of wheels and you’ve decided to put your car up for sale. You may sell cars online or privately, selling your car can be stressful. You obviously want the best price for the car and no matter how well you have treated your car, its value depreciates unrealistically. You also want the whole process of the sale to go as smoothly as possible. However you could be blind to certain mistakes that a lot of people make when they sell their car. We will tell you how to sell your car in the UAE and avoid these pitfalls.
Not knowing how much your car is worth
There is no way that you can put a price on your car without knowing its value first. Figuring this out isn’t hard, it just takes a little time and research to make sure that the price you have in mind is in line with the current market value. There are many guides and online tools that will help you arrive at that approximate figure. You can also have your vehicle appraised by a used car dealership.
Spending too much on the car’s repairs
If you think that making major repairs on your car will improve its value at the time of selling, think again. You might get a slightly higher price for your car but that amount will be nowhere close to covering the cost of you repair. If your vehicle needs to be repaired, get a written estimate for it. At the time of selling, you can negotiate with the potential buyer.
Be honest about the condition of the car
It is best to be upfront about the condition of your car. Let the potential buyer know if the vehicle has been involved in any collisions or if there have been any major repairs to the car. If the buyer gets the car inspected by a certified professional, they are bound to find out anyways. So this way when you are upfront, it may not cause the deal to go bust.
Taking the first offer
You may be in a hurry to sell your car, but it would be foolish to go with the first offer without shopping around for other offers that may be closer to the price you are expecting. Especially, if you have a well-maintained, car that has been gently used, it will fetch you much more.
Clean up your car
You know how you’ve used your car; maybe you’ve driven your dog to the vet a couple of times. Your kids have been snacking in the backseat but the potential buyer need not see all of that. A car that has not been cleaned can distract the buyer from the actual condition of the car. Besides first impressions are always the best, so why not get it washed and vacuumed before showing it off to the buyer. A washed car and fresh smelling interiors are always more enticing than a car with bad odors.
Straighten out your paperwork
Before you even list your car, make sure that the car’s paperwork is in place. Nothing gives a buyer peace of mind like a full set of maintenance and service history records. If you don’t have these records with you, it would be best to get in touch with your service centre and get these records.
If you are selling the car privately there is some paperwork that needs to be filled in by both you and the buyer, visit here and get all the relevant information. The problem is even if you have done all the paperwork correctly on your end, the buyer needs to do the same on his otherwise you can still be held liable for all kinds of things that happen with your vehicle even after you have sold it.
Pricing strategy
If you price your car to high at the outset, you may limit the number of potential buyers who could have been interested. If you price it too low, you are losing out on good cash. So use market value guidelines when you price it.
Be prepared to show your car
As soon as you list your car, you may start getting inquires about the car. Most potential buyers will want to look at the car in person, so don’t hold back on showing it off as you might lose out on a good deal.
