A Guide To Selling Your Car

Advice to help you get the most money for your used car

It can be a daunting prospect; the thought of selling your car when you decide you want to part ways with it. However, it doesn’t have to cause inconvenience and overwhelm - at least not when you sell through us here at Avalon. Here, we’ve put together a guide to selling your car that sets you up for a smooth sale, enabling you to move on to your next car with cash in your pocket. 

1. Give it a clean 

It may sound basic, but we can’t stress enough how important a clean is when you’re preparing to sell your vehicle. For a start, a car that looks well-looked-after can increase the chances of getting a good price for it; everyone wants that ‘new car’ feeling. 

You can opt to have your car professionally valeted, or, to save a bit of cash, you can tackle it yourself. We put together a list of top tips for spring cleaning your car last year, which serves very well as a pre-sale cleaning checklist too. 

2. Make sure it’s in good working order

Things like chips in the windscreen and worn tyres and brakes will knock down the price, and let’s be honest, no one wants to receive a car with defects like that. Getting both mechanical and cosmetic damage sorted (even dents and scratches) will increase your chances of a higher price, so attend to these issues before you approach sellers, to save them being picked up at valuation time. 

If you need a hand with pre-sale repairs, don’t forget that we are home to an outstanding workshop and aftersales centre here at Avalon Motor Company. 

3. Round up the paperwork 

Original paperwork provides peace of mind for your car’s next owner, and can make the sale process a whole lot smoother for you. It’s something a prospective buyer pays more for too, particularly if it includes a full service history. 

Prior to the sale of your car, round up all the paperwork, including manuals, service books, and the V5 certificate. This is a good time to collect together any parts and accessories you may have removed, such as a spare wheel or parcel shelf. 

4. Decide on how to do it 

You’ve got a couple of options when it comes to selling your car: privately, or through a reputable dealership. Whilst selling privately enables you to be a little more choosy with the price, it does come with a whole lot of hassle and inconvenience, and you’re pretty unsupported if something goes wrong during or after the sale. 

This is why we’d recommend that you opt to sell through a dealership like us here Avalon. We can pay off any outstanding finance, provide a stress-free process, and ensure you walk away with money in your pocket without being put out by private buyers. 

We’re experts at appraising cars and matching them with motorists who are on the lookout for a car just like yours; start the valuation process today.  

5. Agree on a price

We believe that the price you get for your existing model should be based on its condition, mileage and maintenance history, which is why we value cars on a case-by-case basis. We want to know their story! 

You’ll want to sell your car to someone who understands this, so it’s important that you’re happy with the price before you give the sale the green light. 

Choose your next motor

When you’ve got the less-than-fun part out of the way, now’s the exciting time; what comes next?! If you’re considering an upgrade, you may want to have a look at the cars we have in stock right now at Avalon Motor Company. This selection is constantly being updated, so you’ll be sure to find something that ticks all your boxes soon, if not already. 

Don’t forget, we take part exchanges too, making the process of moving your old model on even easier.