How to Advertise my Car for Sale

Are you ready to sell your car? Whether you are in need of a new car or just don’t need your car anymore, taking advantage of some best-practice advertising tips will help you to achieve a better outcome in your sale. To help ensure you obtain good potential buyers, you will want to write a good description using the right keywords and great photos.

Below are our tips on how to create a quality car advertisement to get cash for your car.

Detailed Description

Include your car’s condition and features as this helps your ad be more effective. Having additional details will also allow you to spend less time answering questions from potential buyers.

To start the description, include the basics. Begin with the make, model, year, body style and mileage. Also include the trim version of your model, for example, Toyota Camry XLE.

Include the interior details, such as the entertainment system, whether it has GPS, the fabric of the seats and the number of seats.

Providing a detailed description in your ad will help with getting the most cash for your car.

Honest Assessment & Disclosures

You want to let buyers know that you are a trustworthy seller. If you have any mechanical issues or body damage, mention this in the ad. Another thing to include is the Vehicle Identification Number so the buyer knows you are not trying to hide anything and get more cash for your car than you should.

You can also include details that indicate that the car has been well-cared for. If it is applicable, mention that your car is a non-smoking car, kept in a garage when not being driven, never had an accident, and only had one owner as long as these are true statements. Adding any additional selling points can help with getting the most cash for your car.

Offer a Fair Price

Do your homework to get the most cash for your car you can get. You can use websites online like Kelley Blue BookCarGurus, and Edmonds to help you obtain a fair price for your car. In order to obtain the selling price, be sure you have the make, model, year, mileage, condition and other features your car has. This will help ensure you are not asking too little or too much for your car.

Be prepared to negotiate and provide counteroffers back to a potential buyer. Know the least amount of cash you will accept for your car.

Know How to Negotiate

With a little bit of research, you can be prepared to negotiate when it comes time to get cash for your car. Take a look at other ads of similar cars and see what their asking price is. Print out a copy of the value of your car that you researched online to show a potential buyer. Don’t take the first offer, try to counteroffer and see if you are able to get more cash for your car.

List Any Modifications

Be sure you mention any features you have added to the car outside of the standard options for your car’s make and model. Things like an alarm, specialty tires or an upgraded stereo can attract buyers who may be searching for specific extras.

However, not all modifications actually add value to a car. So if you have a custom paint job in hot pink or a raised suspension, this may limit the number of potential buyers for your car. You should still mention them, just keep in mind that when it comes to getting cash for your car certain modifications may not have as many people interested.

Warranty Details

A potential buyer may feel they have lucked out if your car has a warranty. If your warranty can be transferred and you have the paperwork, be sure to list the details in your ad.

Include the type of warranty, how long the warranty lasts, and any fees that are required to transfer the warranty if applicable. If there is a fee required to transfer the warranty, disclose in your ad whether you will pay the fee or if you expect the buyer to. Be sure you know the details of your warranty when it is transferred so that you can get the sum of cash for your car that you originally intended on getting.

Service and Maintenance Records

If you take pride in having a well-maintained vehicle, be sure to show this off. Potential buyers are given peace of mind when the previous owner took good care of their car and has the records to show for it. If it applies, list in the ad that the service records are available and that the car has been well cared for. This extra information will help ensure you get the right amount of cash for your car.

List the Asking Price

When it comes to getting cash for your car, you don’t want a potential buyer guessing how much you want for the car or letting them make an offer. It’s a good idea to list the asking price towards the beginning of your ad along with the basic details you provide. Another step you can take to help get the right amount of cash for your car would be to include the Blue Book® Value with an explanation of why you are asking for less or more than the listed value.

Quality Photos

One factor that can significantly affect the strength of your car advertisement is having quality photos. It doesn’t have to be difficult to take good photos of your car. You should take at least 3 different angles of the outside of your car as well as interior photos. Most cell phones have quality cameras to take photos that you can use to advertise your car. Be sure to include any special features you mentioned in the description of the ad, such as specialty tires or a new radio so that a potential buyer can see first hand from the photos you provided.

Prior to taking any photos, be sure to wash your car, clean the inside and remove any personal items. When you take the photos, do so in an empty parking lot or a park where there is good lighting. Having good photos will help ensure you get good offers and the most cash for your car.

An Explanation for Selling Your Car

You may wonder why someone would want to know this, however, it is one of the most common questions a buyer will ask. This helps give the buyer a sense of the condition of the car as well. So you can include something like, “looking to upgrade” or “in need of a larger vehicle” in your ad to help with getting the right amount of cash for your car.

Don’t Advertise

Yes, that’s right! Don’t spend the extra money on advertising and being overwhelmed with the private-party car selling process and consider using a car buying service to get cash for your car! Using this type of service can get you cash for your car quickly and easily.

If you think that using a car buying service is the option to get quick cash for your car with no hassle, you may want to consider a car buying service like CarVIO.


CarVIO is Fast, Easy and Reliable! Visit us at www.carvio.com to get your quote today and the cash for your car you want!

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