People ask me all the time, “Peter, what can I do to sell my car at the best price?” Although it’s a little counter-intuitive for someone who buys cars to offer advice to sellers, I’m going to do just that.

Condition

Condition is very important. The best thing you can do for your car’s resale value is to take care of it over time. You will earn more for your vehicle if it’s clean and well-kept.

If you are unfortunate enough to get in an accident, make sure you get the vehicle fixed properly. Compare estimates from various repair shops, and don’t let your insurance company patch the vehicle together at a cheap body shop. The quality of an accident repair directly affects your resale value.

Let’s say it’s time to sell your car, and you have no control over that history. Small things make a difference, too. If you show up for an appraisal at We Buy Any Auto, bringing your maintenance records can increase the value. If you can demonstrate that the car has been cared for, I can feel comfortable that I won’t get any surprises when I sell the car. Other small details can make a difference. Make sure your tires have reasonable wear and tear. Good tires mean I don’t have to track down replacements at additional cost.

Here’s an easy way to make a hundred bucks. Clean the car–really! A nice, clean car with vacuumed carpets and sparkling wheels saves me the trouble of having it detailed. That’s worth money, and I pass along that value to you.

What’s My Car Worth?

How much can you expect for your vehicle? Well, you’re one click away from our online quote form. You fill out your vehicle’s year, model, mileage and check off a few boxes, indicating any special options that might increase your car’s value. Behind the scenes, our customized formula arrives at an appraisal using a combination of different metrics and shoots you an e-mail with the info. Our algorithm includes data on sale prices from the NADA guide and the Galves used vehicle price guide, as well as some auction prices. The system will most likely generate a high and low range for your vehicle’s value. Of course, I need to perform an in-person appraisal to provide you with a guaranteed figure, but you’ll be in and out of my office in 30 minutes, many times with a check in hand.

The Car Selling Process

Let’s say you have filled out the online appraisal form, and the quote is in your range. Your first step is to make an appointment at 1.877.420.WBAA (9222), or you can request an immediate call back. We handle walk-ins as well, but an appointment will save you time. We respect our customers’ schedules and must give priority to appointments. We allow 45 minutes for an appraisal, and the typical time is 30 minutes from the time you enter to the time you leave with a check in your hand.

In that time, I’m going to look at the car. I’ll take it on a brief test drive. I’ll evaluate the engine, check the brakes and look for suspension issues. I’ll listen for any squeaks or rattles–the same steps you would take if you were buying a used car. I’ll open the hood to check for oil leaks and general cleanliness. I’ll check the trunk to ensure the jack and spare tire are still present. All these small details impact the value of your car.

One step with which you might not be familiar is metering the car’s paint. I’ll measure the paint integrity at various points on the car using a scientific instrument called the Elcometer 311 Hi Line®. If you’re the second or third owner of a car, you may not be aware of prior accidents or repairs. These will show up with a paint depth that does not match the rest of the car. If I see a right front right fender with a paint reading that’s out of sync with the rest of the car, that’s a signal that the vehicle might have lower resale value. Also, I would inspect the frame, steering and suspension more closely in that area to ensure the accident only resulted in cosmetic damage.

This raises the issue of the number of people who have owned your car. The fewer people who have owned a car, the more value it has. We run a CarFax report to verify the history of each vehicle. Of course, if you have any information about accidents or repairs to your car, please share them with me up front. I attempt to educate my customers on the car buying process, and this blog is a part of that effort. The transaction runs most smoothly when everyone is straight with one another.

Cars That Sell

It’s a sad fact for the American auto industry that Detroit’s vehicles no longer command as high a resale value as imports. Right now, foreign vehicles will provide you with more resale value, compared to domestic models. The following makes will get you top dollar:

• Honda
• Toyota
• Later model Acuras
• Nissan
• Infiniti

Unfortunately, Chevys and Chryslers are going through a rough time. The resale value is directly related to the financial situation of the company that made the car, and people are worried about Chrysler and GM these days. Ford is holding up better than the rest.

Cash for Your Car

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article, and you might be wondering how a business can evaluate and purchase a used car in 30 minutes. All I can say is I’m a car guy, and I keep it simple. You want out of your car, and I will quote a fair price where I’m comfortable reselling the vehicle to another buyer. I’m not going to play games with you. If a car’s worth $7K, and you want $10K, I’m going to recommend you try another venue. Convenience is a big factor for my business. If you’ve got a loan on the car, we pay you and handle all the paperwork.

Fast. Friendly. Fair: I stick to it.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 5:26 am and is filed under car selling process. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.