When you plan on selling your car, upgrading it to impress any potential customer should be your first move. Make it look awesome, get it detailed to give it a smooth outlook, and forget to get the repairs and service done. These can make your car stand a better chance of winning a high bid than you may be counting on.
Get Your Car Looking Awesome
This will come as no surprise to you, but people prefer to buy clean, nice-looking cars. Things like stains, dirt, and crumbs would make your car look cheaper than it might really be and give the impression you haven’t kept the car well-maintained.
Get it detailed
Think like a dealer and sell your used car for more by getting it detailed. Nearly all of my car experts sources recommend you spend the $100-200 for this service. Lauren Fix, spokesperson for the non-profit Car Care Council, said detailing could add $500 or more to your car’s resale value.
Get It Serviced and Repair the Most Obvious Flaws
If you’re not sure if anything is wrong with your car, get it professionally inspected, our sister site Jalopnik recommends. While you’re at it, make sure you change the oil if it’s time for it, since savvy buyers know to check for burnt oil.
Sourced from: http://lifehacker.com/5991706/how-can-i-sell-my-used-car-for-as-much-profit-as-possible
Most people get on a rush when they decide they are selling out their car. This is where many of car resellers go wrong and end up losing money that could have otherwise ended up in their pockets. When on a move to sell your car, do not forget the wash, or rush straight to the dealer, or even use the wrong pricing. These are mistakes which can leave you with remorse once you have sold the car at lower price than it was really worth.
Skip the Wash
If your car is full of dog hair, stale cheerios and food wrappers, the trash distracts a potential buyer from seeing your car’s actual condition. A washed car always looks better and a clean interior always smells better, making your ride more enticing all around. This also shows the buyer that you take care of your car.
Head Straight to the Dealer
One of the easiest ways to unload your old car is to trade it in at the car dealer, where selling and buying happen in one step. However, this gets you the least amount of money for your car. Trading in a 2009 Hyundai Elantra (for example) nets you a $5,400 credit at the dealer, but puts $6,800 in your pocket if you sell the car yourself. Overall you’ll save several hundred dollars, even if you need to rent a car for a few days before you buy your next set of wheels.
Use the Wrong Price
Many people don’t realize there is more than one blue book — using the right price from the right book makes a big difference. The well-known NADA Guide lists retail prices for dealers and banks but isn’t a good source when selling your own car.
Sourced From: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/5-worst-mistakes-when-selling-your-car.html
Selling a car in private terms is not fun, it takes prudence and analysis to know what to do best and when to make the right move. If you are not planning on letting anyone take on the task on your behalf, you have to be very keen on the photos of your car to put on display and give a good description which can sell your vehicle, you can keep an eye on what the others are doing.
Clean, uncluttered photos
You don’t need an expensive camera to take good photos. You just need a smartphone, a clean car, and an uncluttered background.
Take your time. Get the entire car in the frame. Look at a few auctions on eBay motors to get an idea of what types of shots and angles the professionals are using. The more photos the better. A picture is worth a thousand words!
Good description
Again, eBay motors is a great place to read some impressive write-ups on cars for sale. See what the pros are including in their descriptions. You need to include the basics like:
Year, make, and model
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
Color
Current mileage
Optional equipment
Sourced From: http://www.moneyunder30.com/how-to-maximize-profit-when-selling-your-car-on-the-private-market