Ways to Sell a Car

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Car Selling Made Easy!
It has never been easier to sell your car. People used to think that to get the most for a used car, it was best to sell it yourself. But today, used vehicles are worth more and online tools make it easier to get more for your car. At Lithia Motors we work with top auto industry professionals such as Kelley Blue Book to get you more for your trade-in. Whether you decide to sell the car yourself, trade it in at a dealership, or get a quick and easy instant cash offer through services such as Driveway, here are some top tips to make selling your car a breeze.

Ways to Sell (Do it yourself)

Going the old school route of selling a car yourself means:
  • You'll have to prep the car
  • Repair any mechanical problems
  • Get the vehicle detailed
  • Take lots of photos
  • Write an attractive ad, and place the ad where it will get a lot of traffic. 
  • Prepare all the pertinent paperwork such as the title, registration, smog check, maintenance history, and obtain a vehicle history report. 
All that comes before you screen prospective buyers, meet with them, arrange safe test drives, and once the price is successfully negotiated, you'll need to arrange for payment.

The pros of selling your car yourself include negotiating directly with potential buyers to get paid top dollar. You'll also save money by cutting out a dealer as the middleman, meaning there are no overhead costs. If you are concerned over the exchange of the car's title and receiving funds in a safe environment, you may want to look into a private seller exchange such as Autotrader that will post your ad on its network and include a vehicle history report for $49. Autotrader will also allow your buyer to pay online and transfer the funds to you directly and safely for 0.99 percent of the selling price. This option includes handling all the paperwork and the transfer of the car's title. All you have to do is hand over the keys to the new owner.

Ways to Sell (Trade in at a Dealership)

 If you are looking to trade your old car in for a new vehicle (or one that is new to you), auto dealerships have made the process easier than ever. If there is a particular year, make, and model of car that you're looking for, dealerships in your area make it easy to find your dream car by using their car ads on their website. Once you find the car you want, you can schedule a time to go by the dealership for a test drive. 

Assuming you fall in love with a vehicle on the lot, trading in your old car is fast and convenient. You don't have to worry about listing your car or going through the sales process. You don't have to get a vehicle history report, deal with hopeful buyers, and trading in your car to a dealer might mean you will reduce sales tax on your new car. Because used cars are worth more today, you might even be surprised at how much your old car will fetch at the dealership.

The dealer will check your trade in over and give you an offer. If you don't want to accept the offer, you can always try to sell it yourself. Best of all, the dealership will handle everything for you including the contracts, title and registration, and license plates for your new car.

Ways to Sell (Instant Cash Offer)

Perhaps the easiest way to sell or trade in a car is to go through one of the many companies that offer an Instant Cash Offer on your old car. Kelley Blue Book lets you compare the amount you will likely get if you choose the Private Party Value or the Trade-in Value by entering some basic info about your vehicle.

Driveway is proud to be the only online car retailer that puts you in complete control of every aspect of selling or buying a car. You can shop from its vast nationwide online inventory. Get an instant offer on the car you plan to sell that is good for seven days. Plus, Driveway handles everything including all the contracts and transfer of ownership, finance for your new car, and you can do it all from the comfort of your home. You can even do it in your robe and slippers. 

Driveway will give you a competitive offer on the car you are selling and is completely transparent on how it is valued. Driveway will buy your car and pick it up anywhere in the U.S.A. If you buy a car from Driveway, they'll bring it to you… right to your driveway. It is the most streamlined way to buy or sell a vehicle imaginable.