There are many reasons why you'd want to sell your car. Typically, car owners choose to sell their vehicles when they're planning to upgrade to something better. In some cases, a person might want to sell their car because they need the money.

Whatever your reason for selling your car, it's always wise to do your homework beforehand. Find out how people in your go about selling their cars. Some might choose to do it online while others may sell it to a dealership or to people they know, like friends and family.

Selling a car is not something that you do every day, so there's always this little chance of committing a mistake when putting up ads or interacting with potential buyers.

There are no hard and fast rules for selling your car, but there are a few common mistakes that you might want to avoid. Be aware of the following mistakes and do your best to avoid them.

1. Not Knowing Your Car's True Value

First, you have to know how much your car is worth exactly. You may feel tempted to lower your selling price especially if you need quick cash. This is never a good idea. Don't short-change yourself!

In Australia, there are many ways for you to get an accurate valuation of your car. Here's a handy tip for you: Search used car platforms like Carpart.com.au and look at ads selling the same car model as yours. This will give you an idea about your car’s approximate worth. Factor in the model year, modifications made, added accessories, and many more. Once you've figured out a price range for your vehicle, you can then set a price that's acceptable both to you as the seller and to your potential buyers as well. 

While you're at Carpart, why not consider posting an ad, too? You may need to do a quick sign-up or registration first. After this step, you can start creating and posting an ad in a simple and easy-to-use tool. It will widen your reach and open up a bigger market potential for you.

2. Lying About Car's Condition

While this does seem like common sense, it's still worth mentioning. You'd be making a terrible mistake if you ever lied or tried to hide details about your car's condition. It could be dents, scratches, or faulty car parts; your buyer has a right to know about all of them. So be honest and upfront about it.

When you're open and honest, your buyer will feel more comfortable doing business with you. They'll have realistic expectations as they leave with your car, resulting in fewer unpleasant surprises or an irate buyer who wants his or her money back.

3. Taking the First Offer That Comes

Soon after putting up an ad for your car, you'll start getting a few inquiries. At some point, one of those potential buyers will escalate into your first offer. The temptation may be great to take the first offer as soon as it comes, but you should hold back on it for a while.

Sure, your mind would reel with nervous thoughts. "What if there's no other offer? What if this is the best one I'll get?" 

Stay calm, but you shouldn't hold out forever, of course. Still, the least you can do for yourself is to wait for a few reasonable offers before deciding which buyer you'd like to sell your car to.

Give yourself a target. Maybe after you've gotten three offers, then you can stop waiting and pick a buyer.

4. Not Getting Your Car Cleaned

When you put your car up for sale, you should invest some time and effort into cleaning it up and making it presentable. If you've got the money, I would also recommend sending your car to professionals to have it cleaned and detailed thoroughly.

"Is it worth spending money on a car that I'm just going to sell off?" you may ask. The answer is crystal clear - Yes!

When you're selling a pre-owned car, the car must run well. That's a given. However, many sellers tend to forget that their vehicles should be presentable and welcoming as well. A dirty car makes it easy for a buyer to conclude that your car has missed a lot of its maintenance schedules and replacement of worn car parts. 

Imagine finding an interested buyer who's willing to pay your asking price. You don't want them to hold back just because your messy car is making them have second thoughts. Having a car that's been polished and smells great could make or break a deal.

5. Giving Out Too Much Personal Information

When you put up an ad to sell your car, you'll spend a lot of time interacting with strangers. While most of them have good and honest intentions, it's always wise to guard yourself against some people who aren't there for the car at all.

Throughout the selling process, you'll be sharing some personal information with potential buyers. Your phone number, details about the car, and your address (so they can inspect the vehicle) are reasonable things to share. 

However, always be wary when someone starts showing just a little bit too much interest in some of your personal details. This is especially true if those details they're asking about have nothing to do with the car you're selling. If you feel uncomfortable while dealing with a buyer, always trust your gut.

6. Not Asking For Help

You don't have to do this solo, especially if it's your first time. The best thing you can do is to talk to someone you know who has sold a car before. You can learn from their experience and avoid the same mistakes they had. Besides, they might also be able to help you find buyers.

7. Not Having Your Paperwork in Order

Selling a car involves some paperwork, like having maintenance records available for your prospective buyer to inspect. Later on, when the two of you have come to an agreement, the process to transfer ownership of the car will take place. It will require the car's registration or title documents.

Don't be one of those people who have to go back and forth, repeatedly looking for one document at a time. Before you sell your car, just make sure you have all the relevant documents organised in one place. Put it in a neat little folder, so that you can pull it out any time you need to.

8. Forgetting to Remove Your Personal Belongings

As soon as you've put your car up for sale, you should start to remove any personal belongings you may have in the car. Pay special attention to anything that might have sentimental value to you.

You don't want to be filled with regret once that car's sold off and you can't get your things back!

9. Using Low-Quality Images

Put yourself in the shoes of the potential car buyer. They'll be looking through dozens of car ads every day shopping for the one they want. These people don't have the time to go to each address in the ads and inspect every car on offer. Instead, they'll rely heavily on the pictures published with the ad.

Be sure to take high-quality images of your car from various angles. Not only will it allow potential buyers to inspect the vehicle easier, but it'll also make your ad much more noticeable. Google the key phrase car sale photography tips and you'll find loads of advice on what to do.

10. Not Walking Away From a Bad Deal

As I'm fond of saying: You don't owe anyone anything until a document is signed. What that means is that if you're in discussions with a potential buyer and things don't feel right, it's okay to cut it off and walk away immediately.

Perhaps they're trying to give you the hard sell so that they get the better end of the deal and you lose out. Or, as mentioned before, maybe you get the feeling that your so-called 'buyer' is trying to scam you somehow.

Trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right, walk away. You don't want to make a deal that you'll end up regretting later on. Always remember that even a transaction like a car sale should be a win-win situation.

By Ray Hasbollah