Looking to sell your car but hoping to get an idea of what it’s worth before you take it to CarMax to get an appraisal? Well good news! We’ve got a simple guide here set up just for you.

*Note: Although we’ve written this article for Pinellas County residents specifically, the same principals apply to anyone living in the United States. You may however need to find a car buying specialist, such as OfferMORE in your area.

A few things you’re going to need before we get started:

The VIN number of the car. This can often be found on the dashboard of the car but quite far towards the windshield. So far in fact that you will likely need to acquire it from outside the vehicle.
*You could actually acquire a decent idea of the car’s value without this, however if you really want to get close to the real value, you will want to use it.

Milage: You may need to turn the car on for this and in some newer cars you may even have to scroll through quite a few options to figure it out but go ahead make a note of the milage once you find it.

A device with internet connection. Laptop or PC is preferable however a mobile phone or tablet will also work.

Ready? Let’s get started!

Step 1: CarFax report

If you are the first and only owner of the car you may skip this step.

Head over to CarFax.com and utilize your vehicles VIN (vehicle identification number) to receive a vehicle history report. This report might also estimate the value but likely won’t know the exact milage and thus not be as accurate as the figure you will find after completing the next step.

Once complete, this history report will have given you some information you will then be able to use to get a much better idea of what the car is value during the next step. Knowing the total number of accidents (if any) and how many owners, will help either leverage your cars pristine condition for a better offer OR you will know in advance that you may not be acquiring that high price point you had hoped for.

Step 2: KBB for Value

Next up let’s head over to kbb.com to acquire the Kelly Blue Book value. Kelly Blue Book is a service that has been trusted by dealers and car buying specialists for nearly a century. Hosting a huge database of vehicles and staying atop depreciation rates, industry specific news and advancements along with any factors that may effect the depreciation and current value of vehicles on the road the Kelly Blue Book system of vehicle valuations is widely accepted as the primary go-to for finding base points for vehicles of all makes and models.

Offering an assortment of services, KBB.com gives users the ability to also search for a vehicle to purchase.  Be sure to click “My Car’s Value” on the first page of their website.

On the first page, select My Cars Value

With the ever evolving internet and auto market we weren’t surprised to find that kbb.com now offers to buy your car outright. We did a few tests with their system and sure enough, they are trying to connect sellers to local dealerships. For some, this shortcut might be a viable option but for those looking to really maximize their purchase power by getting the best possible offer for their car, we suggest you instead utilize this system solely to achieve the value estimate. Hence, click the “Get Kelly Blue Book Value” button.

On the next page, select Get Kelly Blue Book Value

From there simply follow the prompts to enter your vehicles information. Once complete, the system will give you a few different numbers showing what the current market rate is for your vehicle. Please be aware that if you told the system your car, truck or SUV was in “very good” or “excellent” condition and it’s not actually in such good shape, the prices given will be likely off by a legitimate margin.

The “Instant Cash Offer” is a method the Kelly Blue Book system has only recently begin to use and puts you directly in touch with a local dealership. The number given will be subject to change at the dealers discretion upon actual inspection of the car. Occasionally, upon our testing of their system we noticed this offer to be rather high and may be used to get in you in contact with a dealer. User beware.

“Trade In Value” meanwhile is going to actually be close to the instant offer. If you would like to sell your vehicle without the hassle of listing it, finding a buyer who can afford to either take over your payments to buy it outright, plus go to the DMV, bank and all of the other red tape and risks involved in selling your car on the private party marketplace, this is the number to make a note of.

So then, how much is your car really worth in St. Pete, Largo, Seminole, or the greater Pinellas County area?

If you really want to know, head over to CarMax and get an appraisal. Then bring that appraisal to OfferMORE and let us beat it! That’s right, we guarantee to beat and dealership approved appraisal offer.

Want to get even more for your car, truck or SUV?  Prepare it for sale with our in-depth guide to getting the most possible money for your vehicle here.