Advice on Selling:
Are you finding it difficult to sell your car? The best advice that we can offer is to sell your car in a car directory, we are here to help you get the best price possible for your car. Everyday there are people that wish to purchase your car and we are here to give you advice and tips on how to bring your car to optimum condition for selling and also the best way to negotiate a reasonable price.

How to Prepare your Car:
In order to make your car look at its best, the easiest and most obvious first step would be to clean it, this alone can add to the value of your car. By cleaning your car you create the impression that your car has been well looked after whilst in your possession.

Because your car is used there are obviously going to be the usual signs of daily wear and tear that cannot be helped, such as:

Missing badges or trims: A trip down to the local scrap yard may prove fruitful, you will more than likely be able to pick up replacements, and this is an easy and efficient way of raising the value of your used car.

Wheels: you should ensure that your tyres are fully pumped and also that your wheels/alloys are cleaned thoroughly, even if alloys are damaged they can be reparied by either you or the buyer, but if they are clean and polished there will definitely be a difference in the amount you will be able to sell your car for.

Rust and Chips: Rust can put many buyers off; however there are ways to minimise possible and further rust damage. Chips from road surfacing can quickly become rusty, so as soon as you spot them they should be treated with a touch-up stick, this is a quick and easily affordable way to resolve any further damage to you vehicle.

Polish: Once you have seen to any exterior damage and given your car a good clean with a standard car shampoo the next step is to polish your car thoroughly as this too will help to give your car a 'new' finish.

Windows: When cleaning the windows chamois leather should be used to give an optimum finish. It is also important to remember that the back window should be cleaned from side to side rather than up and down, this is because you don't want to damage the heating elements.

Smell: Whatever you do whether you smoke or not you want to avoid overpowering air fresheners, instead use a neutraliser to kill any bad smells.

Trimming: When polishing the inside of your car ensure that you do not use household polish as this will give too shiny an effect, instead use a dashboard cleaner this will help restore it to its original condition. It is best to replace everything that you may have modified back to the original items in your car, everything that came as standard from mats to wheels and seat covers.

Engine: Many large car dealerships steam clean the engines of their used cars, but we would suggest that a good wipe will suffice. This is because customers know that it is a used car and it may arouse suspicions. Also when looking at older models steam cleaning can do more damage than good on delicate engine parts.

Oil: It is best to assume that a used car buyer would want to look at the oil, so an oil change would be helpful, always ensure that the oil is topped to the correct level.

Car Description:
The way that you describe your car can make the difference between a quick sale and uninterested potential buyers or even no buyers at all! The best ad is accurate, informative and non-descriptive:

Always state the full name and engine size of your car, don't abbreviate, this way a customer has all of the information they require and your ad is easy and accessible for them. Your must state the year and registration letter i.e 1998/S this is the most simple way to do so.

In terms of tax and MOT it is best to let your potential buyers know exactly what is left, this in turn benefits both of you, as they will not waste your time ringing looking for a car with at least six months tax and MOT when your car only has a couple of months left.

Mileage is important to buyers of used cars as it is an indication of the condition of the car so if it is low then you should highlight this.

Any features and mod cons your car has ought to be mentioned, for instance electric windows, sunroof, central locking etc. These are all positive aspects that will attract buyers.

When pricing your car always make sure that you add that little bit extra on the top of the price, this leaves room to bargain with the customer and still get the price that you're looking for.

It is always more helpful to add a photograph of your car for potential customers, this will make your advert much more attractive.

Don't forget no to waste words, all you need to remember is to put in all the essentials, the things that you would want to know if you were buying a used car!

How to Price your Car:
There are many booklets and guides available to help you price your used car. You should always remeber however, that these are simply a guide and there are many anomalies that would affect the price of your particular car. For instance mileage can differ greatly within models of the same age; this could affect the amount you will get for your our vehicle will also alter the prices as well as any extras you bought with your car.

A good way to get a feel for the correct prices would be to look at similar models for sale on Autoplanet, that way you can also decide what it is about your car that sets it aside from the rest.

Another good way to gauge how much profit you can make on your motor is to find out its trade-in value from a local dealer. So do bear in mind that published prices exist only as guides and it is your judgement that will determine the correct price, in turn the correct price will lead to a quick, efficient, easy and successful sale for both the seller and the buyer.

Talking to Buyers:
For many people dealing with used car buyers in person can be the hardest part, so to ensure that you wont get stuck always ensure that you know about all aspects of your car. Let them look at the exterior, interior and under the bonnet as they will inevitably want to. Be prepared to take them our on a test drive if they wish but never let them drive your car if they don't possess sufficient insurance. It is also important to remember that while the car belongs to you, you are still in control, so don't let them abuse it when test driving it and don't let them offer you a price for your used car that you are unhappy with, don't be bullied. If however they are offering less than say £80 or so under the asking price be aware of how much it will cost you to continue advertising the car, don't lose out because you didn't think it through properly especially if there hasn't been an awful lot of interest in your used vehicle in the first place.

If the potential buyer is insisting on a used car inspection you may not be able to show others your car in the meantime so it is not unreasonable to ask for a deposit. Many used car buyers will pay for a car with cash which is more helpful to you as long as you ensure that all the money is there.

Cheques are also perfectly acceptable, but no matter how the buyer pays for the car, ensure that all money clears in your bank account before handing over the keys. As a seller of a used car you must also be aware of potential thieves, never leave your keys in the ignition and never let them test drive the car without you in it!

Don't be afraid to ask the buyer for their address and telephone number backed up by some sort of identification, this way, should anything go wrong you will be able to contact them or pass their details on.

You should also write out a receipt for both yourself and the buyer stating the car's vital details and that it is being sold.