Orange Coast Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
The age of printed books, in-person meetings, and face-to-face sales is becoming a thing of the past. We live in a digital world where technology consumes our daily lives at home, work, and even on the road. From audio and video streaming in our vehicles to using the voice service Alexa to unlock your house or turn on the lights before your arrival, there is no escaping the future. That is unless you are thinking to yourself, “I need to sell my car.” Despite the convenience of technology and internet marketplaces available today, whether you prefer the simplicity of the pre-digital age or even if you just want a stress-free and seamless sale of your car, selling to a dealer is the best choice for you. So, do you need to sell your car? If so, sell it to us here at Orange Coast.
Regardless of how convenient taking a few photos of your vehicle and posting them online for sale might seem, there is more to the process than you may know. A private sale requires time and legwork for research, planning, prepping, meeting with potential buyers, and even negotiating before you sign the title over to a new owner. Although you may get a few extra dollars selling on your own, you might lose money when you subtract what your time is worth. We recommend that before you jump into putting your car on the market, you take a look at what you are getting yourself into.
Before even speaking with the first interested party, you need to devote time and energy to more than just advertising and selling your car on your own, including making it roadworthy or at least show-worthy. For instance, when selling privately, you will be inviting strangers to your home. With the help of the internet, you can perform a generic background check on them to get a feel for who they are, but you may still be taking a risk by inviting someone with possibly bad intentions over to your home. Whether they take your car for a test drive and never return it or leave without the car and come back one evening while you and the family are at dinner and break into your home, stealing your most valuable possessions. The possibility is there and needs to be considered if you are contemplating selling your car yourself.
Depending on why you need to sell and if you are going to need to purchase a new car, you want to keep in mind having a vehicle to trade in may get you a better deal than just having money to put down. You will most likely have a better chance of negotiating the price of a new vehicle if you have another to offer. But even if you have no intention of buying another car, truck, or SUV, selling to a dealer like us here at Orange Coast Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram will save you on time and possibly from unnecessary headaches.
Once you have decided on selling your car and how you want to sell it, no matter whether you are selling to a dealership or privately, there are a few things you will need to do prior to putting it up for sale. Both types of sales require studying the market. You will need to research the value of your specific model based on its age, condition, and mileage, but you will also want to investigate what other similar vehicles have sold recently to get an idea of what drivers are paying versus what the vehicle’s worth may be. Another component to look into is where and when you can get the most from your sale because certain models sell better at certain times of the year, and some sell better to those from rural areas versus urban districts.
The next thing you want to do before bringing it to our dealership or putting the for sale sign on the windshield is to prepare it. Preparation of your vehicle is an absolute must with a private sale. Not only will you want to make sure your vehicle is working fine, but you also want to make sure there are no hidden problems that may decrease its value or cause you to lose the sale altogether. The inspection and repairs your car may need before even listing it could end up costing you money right from the beginning–that is, unless you are planning on listing and selling it as-is. This takes most of the liability off of your shoulders, but you still have to make it appealing to potential buyers.
Depending on how much of your vehicle’s worth you receive from the sale will depend on the preparation you complete. If you want top-dollar, then you need to spruce it up on the exterior and interior and even under the hood. This can include new floor mats, a full interior and exterior detailing, and might even require replacing dimming headlights, worn tires, or an old battery. However, if you want to put minimal effort into the preparation for your private sale, then you should at least give it a good old bath and make sure you sell it to the buyer in an as-is condition. If you are planning on selling to us, you can even skip the bathing process if you would like. We just need the car with all of your personal information and belongings removed from the vehicle and digital systems, plus a few pieces of paperwork from you.
Unfortunately, no matter which route you take to sell your car, there will be paperwork. However, when you sell to Orange Coast, we take care of most of the paperwork ourselves. But if you are one of the few who enjoys paperwork, feel free to take on the extra workload because selling your vehicle yourself may entail more documents like getting proof of an emissions inspection or safety inspection.
The essential paperwork needed across the board, whether selling privately or to a dealer, includes a bill of sale and the title. The bill of sale will contain essential information about the vehicle like the make, model, model year, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), and odometer reading at the time of sale, along with the sale price. It should also have the names and contact information of both the buyer and the seller. A vehicle’s title is the universal requirement for the sale of a vehicle since it is legal documentation of a vehicle’s rightful owner. All listed owners would need to sign the title in order for it to be transferred. If, for some reason, your vehicle’s title is missing in action, you can apply for a duplicate title at the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
When the time comes for you to sell your car, Orange Coast Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram will be here to provide you with a stress-free, no-nonsense experience. Since we opened our doors in 1981, we have been providing Costa Mesa with more than just great customer service and new vehicles. We dedicate ourselves to contributing and serving those around us through donations to charitable organizations because the core of our livelihood is our community. Whether you are looking to buy a new or used vehicle or sell your current one, our dedication to you will go above and beyond your expectations because we value you as more than just a customer. If you are ready to be welcomed by a family who will provide you with the care, trust, and service you need when you need it, at any stage of you and your vehicle’s journey, come join our family today.
