How to Sell Your Car: Tips to Sell a Used Car Yourself

Need advice on how to sell a car? Here are some tips to get it done.

So, you want to sell your used car but don't know where to begin. It's okay. You're not alone. Selling a used car can become a pain in the you-know-what. Relax, I'm here to help. Most of the time, the hardest part of selling a used vehicle starts at the beginning.

Let's face it. If you're having trouble finding the best way to sell a car, you might be thinking an old-school approach to sell just doesn't cut it anymore. From online postings to good ol' print ads, below are a few recommendations to help get you on the right track to sell a car without too many headaches.

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Determine the Asking Price to Sell Your Car

If you're researching how to sell a car, then you are likely also looking for pricing resources. While Kelley Blue Book has been a traditional go-to in regards to vehicle asking prices, KBB values need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Blue Book values don't reflect accurate values of the live market. Instead, they are derived from how much a dealership would quote to buy your car from you and almost always have a dealer profit margin factored in. Considering KBB doesn't factor in live market data in their quotes, they also don't account for other variables which dealerships factor into their offers:

• The dealership's location,
• The amount of customer traffic at the dealership,
• The popularity of the vehicle and its ability to sell in that area, and
• how many units the dealership already has in its inventory.

Important influences on asking prices to sell a car such as market saturation, demand, and brand popularity, aren't factored into a KBB quote for the simple fact that Kelley Blue Book isn't able to factor in live market variables. So, when you are trying to sell a car, keep this in mind. Kelley Blue Book should be considered a ballpark value, and they aren't usually spot-on valuations of your vehicle.

Instead of taking your research to KBB, determine the asking price to sell your car by browsing other true-blue local listings in newspaper classifieds or private party car selling sites. Note the prices set by other private sellers who are selling your car's make and model. Remember, the more upfront, honest, and unbiased you are about your car and its condition, the easier your selling process will be.

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Use One of These Tried-and-True Methods to Sell a Car

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Slap a Sign On It

You could always go the traditional route and place a "For Sale" sign on your window. It's a classic method that's doable if you don't have time fiddling with online listings or a print ad. It may not be the best way to sell your used car, but it still works. As the old saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

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List a Car for Sale In the Paper.

Despite what you've heard about newspapers, there are still a good number of people who peruse the classified sections. While not as effective as an online listing, you still have a shot with daily newspaper ads. Rates will vary for listing frequencies as well as whether the newspaper/publication is local or in a major market.

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Keep in mind that some super-centric and targeted advertising on sites such as Craigslist and "sell my car" Facebook groups will narrow the pool of potential buyers. With an overly-saturated seller's market, listing sites tend to be supersaturated with loads of other sellers, and even more so by dealers who are also trying to sell their inventory through paid ads. Your own post could likely be getting buried before it gets any traffic, so plan accordingly.

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Trade It In

If you've got your eyes set on a newer vehicle or want to get rid of your used car quickly, trading your used car in at the dealer is your best option. While the chances of you receiving appropriate market value for it is slim, you can always put the price you sell your car for towards a newer vehicle. Either way, it's a quick option for those of you who are looking to be rid of your used car sooner rather than later.

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One reason many people who want to sell a car tend to avoid this option is that dealerships tend to do everything in their power to purchase a car for less. Dealerships tend to offer wholesale value, and take even more off the price based on the car's condition, mileage, number of owners, maintenance history, and more. Put simply, this is so they can make up any profit loss, and there's only one way to make up that profit: increasing potential margins on every used car sale.

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Get In-Line to Go Online

We live in a digital age where everything under the sun can be sold on the internet. Why don't you sell a car online? It makes perfect sense; it's convenient, simple and you can literally sell a used car in your pajamas. However, it's deciding what platform to use that's the tricky part, so here are a few options:

• Craigslist: It's the largest for-sale-by-owner platform. While listings can be unorganized and there are legitimacy and communication issues, it's 100% free to list anything.
• RumbleOn: an all-online platform to sell a car, truck, ATV, or motorcycle for cash.

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What makes RumbleOn one of the best ways to sell your car online? First off, you have a guaranteed sale, so there is no waiting around or dealing with non-serious buyers. As soon as RumbleOn sends your free cash offer, you can consider your vehicle to be sold for the amount of your cash offer if you so choose. Of course, your cash offer is no-obligation, so if you decide you would like to sell your car elsewhere, you may absolutely do so.

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RumbleOn is also a provider of a real a no-haggle, no-hassle option to sell a car for cash. What you see is what you get with your RumbleOn Cash Offer, and there are no hidden fees or dues that will come out of the blue. Once we receive the required paperwork from you, you will be paid the full amount of your cash offer (less any lien payoff), and, once you receive your payment, will we come to pick up the vehicle free of charge.

Even if you don't want to sell your car outright, you can easily trade a car or truck without even setting foot in a dealership. Since RumbleOn offers more than only trucks and cars for sale online, you have the power to trade a car or truck for any vehicle in our inventory. Just use the cash offer you get as a trade-in value toward the value of a motorcycle, car, truck, SUV, or ATV, any type of vehicle. Unlike auto dealerships that deal in just cars, trucks, and SUVs, RumbleOn offers powersports to the mix. You have the option to trade a car for a motorcycle, trade a motorcycle for a truck, and so much more!

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