No longer in use of your old car? You need to get a new one?Or you need cash immediately?

Maybe you need to travel to a new place and you don’t need your old car. Whatever your reasons are, selling your car online doesn’t have to come with a lot of complications.

With the right research and due process, you can sell your car online fast and at a good price.

Here are 8 must-read tips on how to sell your car online.

Determine your car’s worth

Your aim when you are selling your car is to make the best profit. Before you list your car online, find out its worth. This will help you in quoting a reasonable price.

Do some research, find out the price of other cars with the same mileage as yours.

Check for extra features your car has and price accordingly. Find out how much cars like yours are being paid for.

Quoting the right price isn’t just about what you want but what others are willing to pay for. Be realistic.

Keeping the price too high will discourage buyers so set your price at a reasonable price that brings you profit too.

Gather the paperwork

Before listing your car online, it is important to first get all the important paperwork ready.
The requirements vary from state to state but the important ones you need are:

The title: you need this so you can sign ownership over to the buyer. This shows that you have transferred ownership and is no longer the owner of the car.

Bill of sale: This saves you from complications that may arise in the future. Here, you list your terms and conditions. It is also a proof of sale to your state and insurance company.

Release of liability: With this, you are no longer responsible for any act or damages that may occur under the use of the new owner.

Warranty documents: your new owner will want to have these documents if your car is still under the manufacturer’s warranty or an extended warranty.

Get the car ready

A clean car will get you more potential buyers. No one is interested in a dirty car with magazines piling up the back seat.

Before taking pictures and  listing your car online, clean it up.

Wash both the interior and exterior of your car, remove the trash and other personal items.

Wax the exterior of the car, clean the floors, seats, tires and rims.

You should also wash or replace old floor mats. It is important to have your car in its best shape before doing any other thing.

Take pictures

Those searching for cars to buy online can’t see it physically so they need plenty pictures to guide them.

Take different shots from different angles so your buyers can know what they are getting.

Take pictures of the front, the rear and both sides, the front and back seat, the dash board, carpets, wheels and engine.

Put up your ad

It won’t make sense to list your car where potential buyers can’t find it. You will need to list it in a site that attracts a lot of traffic.

Once you find a good site, you have to create a good ad that lists useful information about the details of your vehicle.

Include the year, make and model of the car, how many miles it has and the kind of gas mileage it gets, your selling price, the condition of the car, VIN owners, maintenance records and recent repairs.

You must also include your emails and phone number so potential buyers can contact you.

Pick a buyer and mode of payment

You have your car in good shape, you have taken plenty pictures, your ad is up and your car has being listed.

More than one buyer is sure to contact you so work needs to be done in picking out the best buyer.

Before meeting the buyer in person, get certain information like the person’s full name, the mode of safe payment and the location of the buyer.

Deciding the mode of payment is important so as to protect yourself from scams and fraudulent activities.

You are advised not to accept personal checks and confirm bank or cashier’s check by going with the buyer to his/her bank to cash your money before handing over the keys.

Cash might be your best option but have security in place before doing so.

Once payment has been made, sign over the title and complete the bill of sale.

You should also remember to fill out the form for release of liability and any other forms required by your state.

Choose where to meet

Your buyer is a stranger and you won’t want to have a stranger in your home so choose a location that is safe and convenient. It is best to do it in public but be sure to have someone with you.

If your buyer wants to drive the car for a test run, have a collateral so they don’t drive off with your car.

As mentioned above, get useful information about your buyer and be sure you have something to fall back to in case of any complications.

Selling a car is business and must be treated as such. Carry out careful and thorough research.

Remove your ad

Once you have received payment and settled all other details, the wise thing to do is to remove your ad.

People need to know it is no longer available.

You also need to cancel your car’s insurance so you don’t end up paying for what you no longer own.

Ready for a successful transaction?

The internet has made selling your car easy and convenient. It can also open you up to fraudulent activities.

Be very careful and follow due process, don’t be so desperate and anxious to sell to the wrong person.

Make some online research and be sure you get the right price for your car.

SEE ALSO: How Many Americans Are Interested In Buying An Electric Car?