So what do you do when you have too many cars? It’s simple! Sell one for cash! A car that’s not being driven only serves one purpose and that’s selling it for the maximum value that you can.

Cars sitting around at your house will quickly depreciate in value. Although it might be handy to have that spare car for those rare occasions when you need one, the depreciation can cost you thousands in the long run. So instead of holding onto that unnecessary vehicle cluttering up your driveway, think about taking it in to a car buying house and see what you might be able to get for it.

So you’re ready to sell your car. Either the finance has gotten to be too much of burden or you just don’t need the thing anymore. So what do you do to sell your car and fast.

Well, first things first, to get maximum return for your car and give it maximum appeal, get it looking 100%:

• Wash it, wax it, vacuum it and even shampoo the carpets.
• Take a look at the engine bay and remove any bad looking grease stains and soot.
• Take it to a detailing professional to fix up any minor scratches or marks

Next, make sure that the paperwork is in order:

• Make sure that the most recent service is up-to-date
• Ensure that you have any log books and manuals that came with the car
• Get a roadworthy certificate wherever possible
• Check that the car is registered in your name and that you are legally allowed to sell it
• Do a VIN check to ensure that the vehicle isn’t under finance or a write-off in the system

Finally, and most simple:

• Take the car in to get valued at a car buying house to receive a great price and same-day payment* on your car.

*Same day payment may not always be applicable.

There are a number of ways you can go about selling your car. Either privately, to a dealer, swapping it for another one or you can sell it to an Online Buying House.

Buying houses are arguably the easiest way to sell a car. In many cases it’s as easy as entering the buying yard’s website, entering your car details, getting a price and then swapping your car for quick cash! We outline how simple it is below:

1. Go online and find your preferred buyer (Go to google and search “Car buyers online”)
2. Enter your car’s details like Make, Model, Transmission and kilometres
3. A consultant will call or email you back with a price
4. If you accept the price, just drop off your car and receive your payment

So which selling method is right for you? Well it all depends on your circumstances and how much time/ effort you want to put in – the way we see it there are 3 options.

• Should I sell my car privately?
• Should I sell my car through a dealer?
• Should I sell my car to a buying house like Car Buyers Online

Selling my car privately

This is the first option, and usually the most common. Selling your car privately can take out a lot of the paperwork required in selling your car, but it also has a number of pitfalls.

Issues with selling privately

• Time invested in writing a listing for newspaper and car sales sites
• Having strangers to your house to inspect the vehicle
• Trying to take good quality photos that will attract buyers
• Sometimes it can take a very long time to sell your car waiting for a buyer

Selling my car to a dealer

This option is common for those buying a car from a dealer and simply trading in their old car for a discount on a new one. Although there is some convenience in this option, many dealers will try to take advantage of sellers by offering them well below market value on a trade-in or secretly marking up the cost of the new car to compensate. I once witnessed a friend of mine who was offered just $1500 on a well-maintained Subaru Liberty. He then proceeded to sell it to a buying house the next day for $5000!

Our main points about selling to a car dealer

• Can be very convenient
• Dealers may use trade-ins to create ambiguity in your new car purchase price
• Sellers often offered way less than market-value for their cars

Selling my car to a Car Buying House

As the final option, this method has not been particularly common until recent times. Car buying houses offer you a price on the spot for buying your car and will generally buy it on the spot if both parties are in agreeance. They also offer the added benefit of often being able to get a price online through estimating tools similar to the one on the Car Buyers Online Website.

We’ve outlined the benefits of buying houses below.

• Convenient
• Fast response
• Only deal with honest staff members
• Sell your car for closer to market value