Remember that your trade-in has a great value to the automobile dealer. They will take your vehicle as a trade-in and increase the price to an unsuspecting soul. You could well make a great sale of your possible trade-in vehicle on your own. Do remember that there is some legwork that you must do to get that sale completed. You must decide on a price, do the advertisement, be prepared for the test drives, and be ready to negotiate, negotiate, and more. Some prospective buyers will drive a hard bargain, so be prepared.

Put some elbow grease in preparing the car for sale if you are going to do it on your own. Do a thorough job of detailing the inside of the vehicle, repair minor scratches, and place a great advertisement that will draw the customers to you. A word of advice, do not overprice your vehicle if you are selling it yourself. Go to AutoTradeHelper.com to gather information to learn how the pricing can affect your sale. Do make sure to take a decrease in price if there is some known problem that you have not repaired yourself. If you are not ready to do the background work or have time to deal with the many potential buyers to get the price you want, then by all means, take the car in for a trade-in with your dealer.

If you are the actual seller, also have a history of your vehicle, which costs only a few dollars, to hand to your buyer. Also, if you have information of your maintenance history, provide that to the buyer as well. It will help them have prior knowledge of repairs or replacement of parts that might need to be replaced or repaired in the near future. Do not expect to get a dealer’s price from your personal sale, as the dealer price includes extended warranties and the like. Price your car at a going rate of used cars selling in your area. Price your car wisely, use Trade-in-value.com to aid you in getting your car ready for sale and get the price you expected from your car.

First, you need to know what your old car is worth, and your personal opinion of it is the worst indicator. Some people hate their old cars and risk selling them too cheaply because all they want is “out.” Others, though ready to part with the vehicle, are fond of that old car or truck, and might lose out on a fair sale by demanding above-market price.

Start out by checking around to determine the true value of your used car. Visit a site like this one to help you determine the value of your used vehicle. Other useful sources of information are Edmunds used car guides, the NADA guide (used by dealerships) or Kelly Blue Book. These publications will give you several cash figures – what your car is worth in trade at the dealership, how much it is worth if you’re trying to sell it privately, and what the dealership would ask for it at full retail price.

Prepare your vehicle for sale by making sure it is clean and reliable. While there are major repairs that you might not want to make, because you would not get your money back in the process, other expenses are worth considering as a means of making your car more appealing to buyers.

For instance, fix the brakes if the car is unsafe to drive. Your buyer probably doesn’t wish to tow his purchase home, unless your old car is a classic worthy of major repairs and restoration. Check the air in the tires, or even replace them (with a fairly inexpensive set) if they are at the end of their life. Fixing a dent, however, especially smaller ones, would probably not return to you at sale time the kind of cash you spent to get the work done.

You’ll certainly make more money from the private sale of your used car if it has been washed on the outside, and vacuumed and detailed on the inside, than if you leave it unclean. Fix nagging issues like blown headlight bulbs and turn signals that give the impression that your car is poorly maintained. Have the oil changed and install a new air filter. Be sure your inspection sticker (where applicable) is up to date.

Advertise the car in places where you can expect local buyers to see it. Understand that you might field numerous phone calls from casually interested buyers while waiting for the one or two (or hopefully more) callers who are really serious about purchasing your vehicle. Deal with all of them kindly and you’ll usually get kindness in return.

Don’t be afraid to haggle a little with a buyer. Most will make you an initial offer that is a little less than he or she is really willing to pay. But also don’t be afraid to come down on your asking price to make a cash sale.

If you’ve taken the time to research the value of your used car, to prep it for sale, and to field inquiries and negotiate a fair price, you should get more for your old car by selling it yourself than you would by trading it in.

For starters, get a very good idea of what the car is worth. A site like this one can help you determine the value of your used vehicle. Other great sources of information are Edmunds used car guides, the NADA guide (used by dealerships) or Kelly Blue Book. These publications will tell you not only what your car is worth in trade at the dealership, but how much money that car is worth if you’re trying to sell it privately. Usually, you can make more by selling the car yourself than you’ll be offered in trade; remember, the dealer has to acquire your car cheap enough that he can resell it for a profit. Get a quote now on what you car is worth.

To prepare your used car for sale, think about what you as a buyer want to see when shopping for a car. For starters, nobody’s looking to buy a dirty vehicle. You’ll make much more money from the private sale of your used car if it has been washed on the outside, vacuumed and detailed on the inside, than if you leave it a mess.

Next, fix any nagging issues. Blown headlight bulbs and turn signals are usually cheap and easy to repair, but failing to do so gives the impression that your car is poorly maintained, and potential buyers will worry about the car’s major components – engine, transmission, brakes – as a result. Have the oil changed and install a new air filter.

Be sure your inspection sticker (where applicable) is up to date. If the brakes need fixed, get it done; no buyer wants to tow his purchase home because the car is unsafe to drive. Check the air in the tires, or even replace them (with a fairly inexpensive set) if they are at the end of their life. “New rubber” on the wheels is probably worth at least as much in added money at the sale as you’ll spend at the tire shop, because a bald set of tires will cause the buyer to reduce his offer by at least as much as he expects to immediately spend on new tires.

Addressing these issues will make your car look as sharp as it can, and help convince buyers that they should pay what you’re asking for that used vehicle.