Do I sell or scrap my car – Problems you could face

Do I sell or scrap my car – Problems you could face. We all wish we could sell our unwanted car with ease and speed but in the current marketplace, that’s hardly ever the case.

Selling your car privately brings numerous responsibilities and tasks which many people either haven’t got time for or the knowledge.

When selling your unwanted car privately you end up being responsible for the entire selling process.

It is vital to be aware of a few things to make sure the process of selling your unwanted car is as easy as it would be if you were scrapping or selling your car with us!

Below we will cover some of the most crucial tips for selling your car privately!

Before you list your car on the market

It’s crucial that if you’re planning on selling your car that you go above and beyond to make sure that the process is as pain and hassle-free as possible for the buyer. Before even listing your used car think of yourself as the buyer of your car. What would you want to know and what would cause you issues?

Clean and tidy wins the race

Firstly, we always advise that you give your car a good old clean. You will want to ensure that when it comes to taking pictures of your car that it’s as clean and tidy inside and out as possible! This means cleaning the body of the car, and if possible, waxing it. Washing your windows and mirrors along with cleaning the interior and making the dashboard squeaky clean.

A survey conducted by Intelligent Car Leasing has highlighted the fact that 1 in 5 British Drivers rarely clean their cars! Would you buy a dirty car?

If you don’t have the time or want to outsource the process of cleaning your car, why not hire someone to detail your car? It’s relatively affordable and they will have special equipment to get the job done properly.

A Healthy Car is key

Again, if you have the time and can afford the small expense, why not fill up your car’s water and oil levels along with making sure the tyres and the tyre pressure of all four tyres are up to standards.

We recommend placing a 20p coin in the main grooves of your tyres. If the outer part of the coin (where it says TWENTY PENCE) is not visible, then your tyres have a sufficient amount of tread. It’s best to do this in three different places along the tyres to ensure that all areas are up to standards.

Your tyre tread should be at least 1.6mm to ensure safety. Although the RAC recommend 3mm for tyre replacement.

Be Honest

What you see is what you should get.

If your car has scratches, damage or defects its best to be truthful about it, as many car buyers plan on buying a vehicle that is well maintained and cared for. Many people check for damage and defects before making an offer, if a buyer does find damage that was not in the listing description, they could offer you a price well below asking. It’s best to be upfront about the damage to your car as it avoids frustrating potential buyers.

Lights, Camera, Action

When listing your car on sites like Auto Trader or GumTree, photos of your vehicle have the biggest impact on potential buyers. Cars that are listed without any pictures are near to always ignored by customers.

We advise taking pictures from various angles of the car giving a 360-degree view of the car.

You should take these pictures in a well-lit area with preferably good weather. These pictures should also be of high quality. Try to make sure your pictures aren’t blurry, and that the vehicle is in the frame in all pictures.

Furthermore, make sure if there are any defects with the car that you take close up pictures to allow for the potential buyers to get a good idea of what they are potentially buying.

Great photos of the vehicle reduce many concerns for potential customers.

Prepare Paperwork

When selling your car, you are transferring ownership from yourself to the buyer, it’s always best to have your paperwork prepared and ready before even listing the car.

The paperwork you will need to sell your car:

• MOT Certificate
• Registration Document
• Service History / Logbook

Vehicles with a full-service history are much more valuable to potential buyers, the more paperwork you have readily available to the buyer the easier it will be for you to sell your car.

Know the Market

The used car marketplace is extremely competitive whether you’re selling your car on Autotrader or GumTree. Listing with a reasonable price is crucial in enticing potential buyers, and what we mean by reasonable is not making the buyer suspicious if the price is well under the market average for the vehicle and the condition that you’re selling it in.

We Recommend getting an average price of the car you’re selling on your chosen sites and trying to aim for that!

Be Crystal Clear

It is a legal requirement to accurately describe your vehicle in your listing. Below is a list of details we think you should put in your listing to avoid any confusion or difficulties. These are as follows.

• Your Contact Details
• Make & Model of your Vehicle
• Condition
• Mileage
• Colour
• The Vehicles Tax
• The Vehicles Insurance Category
• Full-Service History (if applicable)
• Extras (Such as Sat Nav System, Heated Car Seats, Air Conditioning)

Due to the competitiveness of the second-hand vehicle market, you must provide the customer with key details surrounding your car. Try not to fill the description of your vehicle listing with exaggerative language or marketing ploys. Buyers want the truth and they want it as straightforward as possible.

Unable to sell your car or you don’t have the time or knowledge to do so?

Selling your used car can be frustrating and eat away at your time. If you’re having trouble selling your car or you don’t have the time why not offload your vehicle to us?

Along with selling your car to us…

If your car has:

• Failed its MOT
• Been Written Off
• Been Involved in an Accident
• Reached its end of life

Then why not scrap it?

Here at Scrap My Car Company, we take pride in recycling end of life cars within correct legislation while being fully licensed. This means you can sit back and relax while putting money in your pocket in the process.

All you need to do is fill in our Free Fast & Simple Quote Form and then one of our associates will be in touch with a price. We then arrange collection (in most cases we offer Same Day Collection) and take your end-of-life car off your hands, ready it to be scrapped.

All you need is your Vehicle Registration Document (V5c) and proof of address.

Take the stress out of getting rid of your used car by selling to us or scrapping your car with us!