Buying and selling a car can both be a pain. There are too many things to deal with, whether you’re in talks with a private party or a dealership. But, if you want to offload your used car quickly, selling it to a reputable dealership is one of the fastest options.

If you want to get the most value out of your used car, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind, especially when you are selling to a dealership. And in this article, we are giving you essential tips that could help you sell your car as quickly as possible at the best price.

Helpful and Essential Tips When Selling to A Dealership

Whatever your priority is for selling your used car to a dealership – whether it’s time or money – keeping in mind the tips in this list will help you get the best deals and not get overwhelmed by the many dealerships’ offers left and right.

• Figure out your car’s value. Before you even begin researching the nearest dealer in your area, try to figure out the current value of your vehicle first. You can easily access Kelley Blue Book or NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) to check how much your car is worth. These websites have calculators and online evaluators that will give you an estimate based on the information you enter.

When answering the questions in the evaluator, it’s best to honest. List your car as “fair” condition instead of “good” if that’s the case. Account for all the flaws in your vehicle as much as possible so you don’t get a skewed estimated amount and then get a surprise at the dealership later.

• Try to get a history report if you can. Having complete information regarding your car before going to the dealership is essential. This way, you won’t get blindsided when you discuss appraisal.

There is Carfax and AutoCheck where you can get this report. It’s a report that includes details such as whether the car has been involved in an accident if there’s any major work done, or how many owners have had the car. The information in this report can give you a better perspective on how much you can expect to sell your vehicle for.

• Try to get multiple offers. Whether selling to a dealership or third-party buyers, getting numerous requests from interested parties is worth it. Try to get instant quotes from Carmax or similar platforms to give you a good ballpark on how much you can expect to sell your car. You can then show this quote to the dealerships to negotiate.

If there are many dealerships in your area, you don’t have to spend all your time visiting every last one. Instead, focus on the dealerships that also sell the brand of your car; they are more likely to give you a better offer since they may already have a customer base for your vehicle.

• Get ahead of any problems. This is important, especially if you’re not your car’s first owner. You need to ensure there won’t be any problems with the papers or hidden defects.

Have a mechanic inspect your car to know if there are major or minor issues that need to be fixed before the sale.

• Clean and spruce up your car. Before even having your car appraised, clean and prepare the vehicle. Make your car as pristine as possible by removing debris, cleaning the carpets, and removing dirt from the dashboard and all the nooks and crannies in and out of the car. You don’t even need professional detailing; a good wash and some vacuuming should do the trick.

The Bottom Line

With the tips above, you should be able to get the best deal from a dealership. In addition, these will help you manage your expectations. And if you want to get more for your car without the hassles of all the processes, check out OfferMORE. If you want to sell your car, truck, or even SUV, we have you covered.

OfferMORE takes pride in offering customers fair value for any vehicle. We can even provide more dollars – simply get an appraisal from CarMax or another reputable Pinellas County dealership and we will beat their appraised value.  Ready to get a an offer today?  Start here.