You may not have known that the value of your car, truck or SUV may be seasonally effected, but guess what, it absolutely is! Variables such as your location and the average temperatures, along with potential driving hazards that may be worse in specific seasons can absolutely play a role in the amount of money your car may fetch when it comes time to sell.

Best Time of Year to Sell Your Car

Experts tend to agree that summer and spring are the best times of the year to sell a car, however this is based on overall, nation-wide statistics. You would be better served in fetching a higher price by firstly considering the obvious factors at play. Selling a convertible sports car? If you live in a very warm climate, like Florida and Texas, you will find that the spring and fall seasons are best however the winter and summer are still options for you. Meanwhile, for those living in Norther, significantly cooler states, selling a convertible in the winter may as well be impossible.

Using Weather-Based Car Buying Tactics

Simply put, if you can sell your car easier in specific times of the year, you can also apply certain buying tactics depending on where you live and what you’re looking to buy. If you’re in the market for a convertible, and want a really good deal, look for one in the middle of winter. Especially if your live in the cooler states.

Enjoyable Driving = More Buying

When it comes to how the weather plays a role on the Florida auto market, there’s one really simple factor at play: During cooler months drivers tend to actually enjoy driving more-so than when driving in Florida’s hot, miserable heat. When buyers enjoy their time behind the wheel they are more inspired to upgrade to a more enjoyable vehicle.

Shopping In Heat

Another factor is the actual car search itself. Buying a car is a very involved process for many, forcing buyers to venture outside and walk marathons around large dealerships. Even when buyers end up buying a car sold by a private party, they likely will consider their past experiences of walking the blacktop with a talkative sales man, sweating and the grueling process of even visiting a dealership.

Abnormal weather triggers buyers

According to a study done by a University of Chicago professor, Devin G. Pope on behavioral science, buyers may be swayed to make a purchase on days of abnormal weather such as a warm day in the early spring or even winter. Looking at the data from 40 million new and used vehicle purchases with their corresponding weather conditions on the purchase day, researchers found that there is a subtle, yet effective psychological bias that plays a role on buyer behavior. Their research was done nation-wide and specifically looking at convertibles. Their findings show that during a winter warm spell, purchases increased by 8.5% on average. They also found that this spike resulted in a higher amount of buyers remorse and vehicle returns.

Vehicle condition & weather factors

Depending on the condition of your vehicle, and potential issues such as leaky roof or bad AC, you can likely fetch a better price when the needed mechanical work doesn’t have to be done immediately. Any and all known issues with a used car do need to be relayed to the buyer before purchase. Our point here relays to the factor of buying power as it relates to vehicle cost plus immediately required maintenance. Key word: “immediately”. Mechanical work needed for engine should be addressed immediately, however windows, radio, AC and other potential issues are not necessarily required mechanical issues that must be addressed immediately after purchase.

*Again, you must state any known issues with the vehicle prior sale. Although there is some grey area in the law here, karma has no bounds…

Car Selling Example Situations

1. Car: 2010 Honda Civic with no A/C.
   Location: St. Petersburg, Florida

   You could likely already guess what the outcome here is going to be. If the Honda were to be sold in the middle of summer, when a poorly operating air conditioning system, it would a be a huge draw back for the potential buyer. They would have to purchase the car and then immediately get it into a shop in order to have the A/C fixed and that cost may as well be a part of your asking price. Conversely, if the seller were to be selling the Honda in the middle of winter, where average temperatures are in the low seventies, the buyer would not have to factor in an immediate cost for getting the AC fixed. Instead they could purchase the car, and have some time before dealing with this cost.

2. Car: 2015 Toyota Camry with window system failure, forcing all windows to remain up
   Location: Largo, Florida

   Although this unique situation may not prevent the car from selling year round, it is important to note that the system failure may be especially less of a purchase factor during summer months, when the buyer is likely to utilize the AC regardless of the window functionality.

OfferMORE Buys Year Round

OfferMORE of Pinellas County, Florida buys cars year round and sure enough, we also tend to give a bit extra during cooler months as we know there the market value is higher in these periods.