Your 5-step guide to how to market your used car for sale

If you’ve decided it’s finally time to sell your car, you may be considering listing it yourself. And if you are, you’re going to want to make sure you make your old ride as enticing as possible to a potential buyer. There’s a lot of ways to make your car stand out on the used-car market, but we’ve got a handy guide that’ll walk you through the process step by step.

You want to show a future buyer how well you’ve taken care of your car all these years? Gather the proof! Begin with maintenance and repair invoices. That way, you’ll be able to prove that you didn’t tamper with the mileage—a plague in today’s used-car market.

Find the owner’s manual (if your car is old enough to have a “paper” copy) and any warranty documents if you’ve any coverage is still valid. Also track down any rust-proofing certificates, if you’ve had your car treated. (And we hope you have; in Quebec, for example, CAA experts have noticed used vehicles treated with antirouille looked four or five years younger in classified ad photos, reflected in a significant price difference).

Is your car under an open safety recall? It well may be: Transport Canada estimates one out of every five vehicles on our roads is. Check by visiting Transport Canada’s Vehicle Safety Recall Database and search using your vehicle’s make, model, and year.

If there’s a safety recall for your vehicle that has not been completed, do yourself — and future buyers — a favour, and call your dealer to schedule a repair or contact the manufacturer directly (phone numbers are available here). The fix is free, so why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?

Have it inspected

If you were looking at a used vehicle, you’d look for one that’s been perfectly maintained, with no repairs needed—and even then, you’d still have it inspected, right? It can’t hurt to be proactive and have your vehicle inspected by your own technician, especially since you can then proudly share that clean bill of health with future buyers.

A good inspection should include a test drive, an engine performance analysis, fluid analysis, and electronic-code reading. It should even include wheel removal to check the brakes, especially for electric vehicles, which can be hard on tires and brake pads.

The inspection will cost you between $150 and $200 – more or less a dollar per item inspected – a sum you can then factor into the selling price. And it’s worth the expense: It will help you determine what is normal wear and tear, or identify major defects before the buyer does.

Not only will this check-up give future buyers confidence, it will enable you to set a fair price for your vehicle. While doing so, you may also discover you can handle some repairs yourself for a little money – having a hose replaced, or fixing a loose part making worrying noises, for example. Even better — because this will really save you money — the inspection may convince you your car still has a few good years left in it, and that you want to keep it!

Stage your car (yes, just like a home)

Washing the exterior of your vehicle isn’t enough. If you want to get a good price for your used car, you have to invest time and effort into cleaning it thoroughly, inside and out. After all, no one wants a vehicle full of crumbs from who knows who’s lunches!

Beyond the crumbs, there’s the initial impression that a clean car means its owner (you) has taken great care of it. Every little detail matters, such as clean windows (again, inside and out); compartments and cubbies emptied of change and crud; and a thoroughly gone-over trunk. Hell, a quick cleaning of the engine bay probably wouldn’t be remiss either.

Look at your vehicle as if you were the buyer yourself, and tackle every corner. Consider using professional products (you can find some at your local Canadian Tire) to do your best to restore everything to near-new condition. And don’t forget the rugs: shake them out and vacuum them, too. Heck, while the vacuum is out, use it in the trunk, too.

Why stop your “car staging” efforts there? Spray a discreet air freshener on the seats; the aroma will pleasantly tickle nostrils while masking (possible) lingering tobacco or food smells.

Finish off your efforts by applying a good wax to the finish, and restore the shine on your wheels and tires by polishing them. If you notice here and there a little bit of bodywork that could use a paint touch-up? Do it. However, don’t give into the temptation to have the whole body repainted; no matter how good a price you get for your used car, you’ll never recoup the money you invest in a new paint job.

Finally, since a picture is worth a thousand words, make sure you take high-quality photos of both the exterior and interior of your vehicle to “show off” in your classified ad. Don’t hesitate to illustrate any minor damage—it will highlight your honesty. Not good at using a camera? Ask for help. Surely you have a teenager around with a recent-generation iPhone. Remember: a well-presented vehicle will attract more buyers. And probably fetch a few hundred dollars more.

Make sure the price is right

Ah, the big question: How much is worth your car on the used market? Several factors can raise or lower your used car’s price, such as the condition of its mechanics and its bodywork, but also the market conditions, the region where you live and, of course, the odometer reading. Even the colour of the vehicle affects how much you’re likely to get, say CAA experts.

Personally, when asked about the right price for a used car, this author doesn’t check the Kelley Blue Book, Canadian Black Book, or other similar tools. Those “listing prices” are for vehicles in “good condition” (whatever that means), and do not take into account certain factors such as extended warranties, anti-rust treatments, remote starters, tow packages, or any accessories beside the original equipment. Not only will these additions favourably affect the selling price, they’ll also impact how quickly you sell your vehicle.

Instead, this author recommends you “shop” as if you were buying this make and model car yourself, searching popular classified ads on sites like Kijiji, AutoHebdo, and Facebook Marketplace. Of course, you’ll want to try to find vehicles nearly identical to yours. We mean not only in terms of year, but also in kilometres, condition, trim level, and — importantly — where it’s being sold.

While you’re setting your asking price, switch your brain to “business mode” and quiet your sentimental side, which might overestimate your vehicle’s qualities. Indeed, an overly high price will result in fewer buyers calling for a look-see. On the other hand, you do still need to adjust for the fact buyers will try to negotiate—work out a “baseline” price you’re willing to be talked down to as well.

Most of all, be patient. The first callers may offer a lower price, but instead of being frustrated by their “boldness,” just ask for their contacts and phone number. Let them know that if your price is not met in a week or so, you will contact them. Besides, your optimism may trigger a higher offer.

P.S. If you’re a member of a provincial CAA group, you can call their Mobility Advisory Services and request, free of charge, a “price list” that combines the references mentioned above, and also blends in the experience of advisors that closely follow the used market.

Complete the transaction with the proper paperwork

You found your buyer? Bravo! Now, here what to do to protect your transaction.

• Request a non-refundable deposit. If your buyer agrees to wire a couple of hundreds of dollars, it shows he’s serious. If things drag on, you’ll be able to sell to someone else more easily. And if your buyer changes his mind, at least your time will have been well-wasted, so to speak.
• Sign a contract. Although it is not mandatory for private auto sales in Canada, a written document signed by both parties will help clear up possible misunderstandings. For that reason, be honest about known problems, upcoming repairs, or about whether your vehicle has been involved in an accident. You can use contracts available on Internet (CAA-Quebec offers a good template, available here for download) or write your own document. Make sure you include the make, model, and year of your vehicle; the vehicle identification number (VIN); the odometer reading; mechanical and bodywork condition; additional equipment included (e.g. a set of winter tires); and any valid warranty.
• Include on your contract the agreed-upon price of the vehicle (before taxes) as well as the terms of possession. Establish a date for the full payment and a deadline for ownership transfer. If those agreed-upon dates are respected, you can gladly hand over the keys. If not, the contract can be cancelled by default.

P.S. I’ve a short, true story to remind you to be cautious until the last minute. When this author was much younger, she agreed to sell her blue Volkswagen Fox to a colleague. The buyer transferred the money, got the keys, and drove away—but asked for a couple of weeks’ delay before the ownership transfer. After being fed a plausible excuse, this author agreed. She found out when the transfer was finally done that “her” car had racked up a raft of parking tickets in that time equivalent to 10% of its selling price. The colleague never reimbursed those fees, claiming they weren’t his to pay.

Beware supposed “international buyers”

Is an “overseas buyer” interested in your car? Does he say he’ll send someone to inspect it for him? Is he not even negotiating the price? Be careful: this is usually part of an online scam where the “buyer” will want to pay by bank draft in order to steal your banking information.

There are plenty of other types of scams clogging up the online used-car marketplace, too, but that’s a whole other article. For now, we hope following the above guide helps you find a new home for your old vehicle.