Pick the right price, sell your car

Before you even decide to sell your car, have a firm and realistic value for what its worth on the private party market. Mention casually that you are selling it and the very first thing someone asks is “..how much??”. Not what color it is, not how many miles, not what year it is, etc.. All those questions come after “..how much??”. So it is important that you have some background, even authority, on the matter.

The first step to picking the right price is to look up your model vehicle with a couple of used car pricing sites such as Kelley Blue Book, and Edmunds to get an “official” idea of what you can ask for. Your vehicle’s specific trim-level, equipment, miles, and overall condition will be taken into account.

After you get an official price for your car, you want to see what other sellers are actually asking for in your market. You can do this by looking up vehicles similar to yours on sites like Ebay, Autotrader, and our own auto classifieds section. These other vehicles are your competition so price your vehicle accordingly. Price higher if your vehicle is in much better condition and you are in no hurry to sell, go lower if you want more inquiries and a quicker sale.  Also, always factor in a small discount to offer the buyer.  Buyers will always expect something, and you dont want to seem too inflexible.

Doing this bit of research gives you an accurate idea of what to ask for your vehicle. But more importantly, you can reference these sources when you need to justify your asking price or engage in any negotiations.