Everything You Need To Do Before Selling Your Car

The day has come — you’re ready to sell your car. Congratulations! If you’ve never sold a car before, it can be hard to know where to start. How do you get your car ready to sell? Do you just start snapping pictures? Should you fix your car before selling it? What paperwork do you need to sell your car? Before you get overwhelmed, we’ve put together an easy list that’ll help you prepare. From organizing paperwork to getting your car in tip-top shape, here’s everything you need to know about what you need to sell your car. You’ll be ready to sell in no time. 

GATHER DOCUMENTS FOR SELLING YOUR CAR 

Paperwork is always the least fun part of the car selling process, but it’s also one of the most important. In this case, getting all your documents together is the best way to make potential buyers feel secure when buying your car and makes the sale legally sound. Put together the car's title, registration, and service records. If you want to go above and beyond, you can also provide the vehicle's history report. If you don’t have the title, you might want to find out if you can sell a car without a title in your state. Ahead of the sale, you can even prepare a bill of sale document by finding one online and filling out the general information until the car is sold.

SHOULD I FIX MY CAR PRIOR TO SELLING?

Giving your car the old once-over can be the difference between just trying to get rid of your car and selling it with confidence. Depending on your level of expertise, you can inspect your car independently or go to a mechanic. Either way, it’s important to find out if anything on your car needs to be replaced (lights, fluids, tires, the battery, etc…) or repaired.   

MAKE ANY REPAIRS

If you find that you do need to make replacements or repairs, fixing the car yourself before you sell - rather than leaving it to the buyer - can help you get the most money for your car. And since you're trying to keep any parts purchases and repair costs low, getting the parts you need from Pull-A-Part yourself is a great way to save some cash. Whether you need a better set of tires, a not-cracked rear view mirror, or a new radiator, you can browse our vehicle inventory by year, make, and model (in-person or online) to see what we have available. 

GET IT CLEANED AND DETAILED 

No one imagines pulling off in their newly purchased car with a dusty dashboard and  candy wrappers lining the floor. As a courtesy — and as a selling tactic — give your car a wash and polish when you’re getting it ready to sell. Spring for full detailing so the car, seats, and carpets are fresh and filth-free. Throw an air freshener in for good measure! The closer your car looks to new, the better your chances of an easy sale. 

PRICE YOUR RIDE

Setting the price of your car can be tricky. There’s a lot to take into consideration — the amount you want; the amount the car is currently worth on the market; the general popularity of the specific year, make, and model; and the amount someone would actually be willing to pay. It’s helpful to find out what your car is worth ahead of time. There are tools online to help you price your car like Kelley Blue Book, but you can also go in person to a car dealership to have them appraise the vehicle. You’re under no obligation to sell to the dealership, and their pricing can help confirm with the buyer that they’re paying a true-to-market price. 

After you’ve tackled all the prep for selling your car, it’s time to sell it! Whether you trade it in, list it online, or sell your car to Pull-A-Part (yes, we’ll buy your car!), you can be sure that you’ve done everything you need to do to make the best sale possible.