How to get the best sale price for your car

Price is one of the biggest factors when it comes to selling your car. List it too high and you risk driving away potential buyers. List it too low and you might be cheating yourself out of cash. Do your research and know what your car is worth before you even think of listing it online.

"You can find the current price range for your vehicle by entering your car’s make, model and specifications online,” says RACV Motoring Editor Andrea Matthews.

“From there you should be able to determine a fair price depending on factors such as mileage and condition.”

More: The best used cars under $30K

While it might seem like an unwelcome upfront cost, getting a roadworthy certificate, and making sure your servicing and registration are up to date, can go a long way towards helping you get the sale price you want.

“Getting a roadworthy certificate, and including that you have one in your sales listing, means buyers don’t have to ask you for it,” Matthews says.

“Anything that makes your car more convenient for someone to purchase will help your car sell well, but bear in mind in Victoria, the roadworthy is only valid for 28 days.”

Even if your car has been impeccably maintained or has slightly lower mileage than others listed in your price bracket, when it comes to selling, you want to present your wheels as well as possible. And that means making sure everything is scrupulously clean.

As well as the obvious things like washing and vacuuming, wiping all the surfaces, cleaning the wheels with a toothbrush and even steam cleaning the engine can help make your car look in tip-top shape. It may well pay to invest in a detailer to get the very best price as well as the quickest sale.

If you’d rather tackle the job yourself, check out our guide to detailing your car like a pro.

As well as cleaning your car, it’s worth considering if any personal items are adding or potentially detracting from the value. That includes air fresheners, objects on the dashboard and any bumper stickers you may have applied.

If you’re selling a relatively mundane car, you don’t want too many distractions, so remove any personal objects and keep the glovebox clear of clutter, except for relevant receipts, manuals and logbooks.

More: Things you shouldn't leave in your car

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to get great shots of your vehicle. The key is to take the right photos and, if you’re using a smartphone, to always photograph in landscape format.

Source an attractive but plain looking location to use as the backdrop in your photograph. Think a nice street, harbour or nature reserve. Try to find a background that doesn’t contrast too much with your car, as the vehicle’s reflective surfaces can result in lack of visible details. You could also consider taking a video of the car to give buyers even more information

Then it’s a matter of taking lots of photos. “It’s important to photograph not only the front and back of the car, but also the boot space, interiors, engine bay, dash and infotainment systems, and any other relevant details including the odometer,” Matthews says.

“Look up car reviews to get a feel of the type of shots professional car photographers take for inspiration.”

Remember to blur or remove images of your number plates when posting your car online for sale. Number plates can be virtually stolen by thieves copying your registration details from an online photo.

More: How to help protect your car from number plate theft

Write a listing that is clear, concise and covers everything someone might want to know about the vehicle. If you’re not good with words, ask someone who is to help you.

Include major facts such as the make, model, year and mileage, as well as any features particular to that vehicle that might be considered selling points.

Listing the safety features in your car is always a good way to increase interest, especially if it has a top-of-the-line feature installed.

Any comfort features or non-standard fittings can make it more attractive to buyers too.

“Because buying a second-hand car is cheaper than buying the same car new, buyers will sometimes be drawn to extra or luxury fittings in a vehicle that they might not have splurged on at the dealership,” Matthews says. “Describing your car with as much detail as possible helps both attract interested buyers and weed out anyone who didn’t want those specific features.”

While you want to paint your car in the best possible light, it is important to be honest in how you present your ad. If your car has a damaged panel and you make no mention of it, then a prospective buyer might use the fact that they weren’t aware of that to negotiate the price down. The same goes for accident history. If your car has been involved in an accident, it can affect a buyer’s chances of getting finance approved.

Being proactive by supplying a vehicle history report can work in your favour too. “Purchasing a used vehicle can be fraught process for buyers, many of whom may be anxious of avoiding any lemons,” Matthews says.

“Providing buyers with the vehicle history shows you are being transparent in your dealings and may help secure the sale.”

When you have prospective buyers come to test drive your car, you need to exercise caution. Ask the buyer to leave something of value – such as their driver’s licence or the keys to their car.

Always speak to your insurer first to find out if you’re covered if the car is stolen or the driver gets into an accident, bearing in mind the age and experience of the buyer will affect your excess if there is a prang.

Don’t be surprised if your prospective buyer requests an independent mechanical assessment or RACV pre-purchase inspection. This gives them extra piece of mind outside of a roadworthy and will flag any additional maintenance, which may be required on your vehicle.

Many buyers expect to be able to haggle a little on price when it comes to buying a used car, but how much you’re willing to negotiate depends on your personal situation. If you’re in a hurry to sell you might have limited options, but if you’re in no rush it might pay to be patient. You don’t have to take the first offer.