Johannesburg - Now that the time has come to sell your vehicle, how do you go about getting the best price?
Head of Automotive for Gumtree SA, Jeff Osborne, offers these seven basic boxes to tick when selling online.
1 Get the paperwork in order
You need to have proof of ownership and a valid licence disc. Make sure you are the registered owner, and papers are in your name and not the bank’s if financed.
2 Have the books
Make sure you have the service and warranty books in the cubby hole.
3 Service history
Having a documented full-service history is worth gold. It adds value and provides peace of mind to the prospective buyer.
4 Service it
If your car is close in mileage to its next service, why not have it done? This will appeal to the potential new owner and you might be able to add the service costs to the resale price.
5 Fresh tyres and bodywork
If the tyres are worn, replace them, and make sure you attend to parking lot dents and scratches. Again you could build these costs into your resale price.
6 Deep clean
Clean out all the trash – remove all personal items such as CDs, tow ropes or jumper cables. Invest in a thorough valet of the body and steam clean the interior, boot and engine bay.
7 Get Roadworthy
Get a Roadworthy Certificate (RWC) before selling your car. It costs only a few rand but can add thousands in value and avoids any hitches in the sale and any liability for selling a defective vehicle.
8 Find a website
Once you have prepped your car for sale, advertise it on a vehicle selling website like gumtree, autotrader, junkmail, OLX or carfind.
9 The ideal price
Ensure you’re asking a reasonable price by checking out other listings for that model, and adjust for mileage and condition if necessary.
10. Market it properly
Load clear photographs of your vehicle from all angles that clearly depict the condition.
Use a catchy headline as well as a short description, which includes the model, year, mileage, history and condition.
Make sure that all the necessary paperwork is ready for resale and on hand. Be sure to alert the possible buyer about any issues.
How - and when - to buy that new car
Star Motoring