Selling a car privately in Queensland has been made easier by a range of excellent online resources available nowadays. But to get a fair price that you can happily walk away with still involves some effort and attention on your part.

While selling your car privately cuts out the middleman – how do you know if you are getting the best deal for your vehicle?

More importantly, what do you need to do when to ensure a successful sale?

It can be a tricky business, but there are several steps that will maximise your car’s value and ensure your deal goes smoothly and without delay, which is better for all parties concerned.

1. Put a Price On It

Use the online resources available to find out what other car owners with makes, models and ages like your car received for their vehicles. Consider the make, model, year, and overall condition of your car and get a few online estimates. While automated evaluators can offer some basic evaluations, don’t rely too heavily on them. Instead, benchmark the upper and lower limits of what you can expect to receive for your car and then set your own expectations accordingly.

2. Invest a Little

Putting some effort into the presentation of your car before selling it can pay back many times over. Thoroughly clean it inside and out and polish it to show it in its best light to any prospective buyers. You can either do this yourself or have it professionally detailed. You will always get more for a car that has been spotlessly cleaned and made to look the part. A small investment in cleaning, waxing, and polishing, as well as attending to any small problems, can make hundreds of dollars difference to the price you will be offered.

3. Prepare the Docs

If you’re selling a private car you’ll need to prepare a copy of your Driver’s Licence and the Registration Certificate ahead of meeting prospective buyers. The rules for selling a car without a roadworthy certificate differ between states. In Queensland, you will need to have a safety certificate from an approved inspection station (AIS) before offering your car for sale. In addition, it’s also advised to have all the maintenance logbooks on hand to show the prospective buyer. Deals can get held up because of missing paperwork.

4. Examine the Buyer

If you’re looking to sell your car through a car buyer, don’t sell your car without first examining the potential buyer. Here are a few questions to answer.

• Is it an established and reputable company?
• Do you know its track record for giving fair evaluations?
• Will you get paid on time?
• Can your vehicle be collected, or do you have to go to the buyer?

Car buying companies differ in approach and the level of service you will receive. Check this thoroughly before agreeing to sell.

5. Consider Cash for Your Car

Some Brisbane car buyers will pay cash for your car. This may be a good option if you want to sell your car quickly but, as always, check that the buyer is trustworthy and reliable first. While these tips can help if you are preparing to sell your car, remember that you can get cash for your car on the spot from Cars Brisbane.

6. Watch out for scams

Selling a car online can leave you open to car sale scams. There are several things you can do to minimise your risk when dealing with unknown buyers. Of these, the most important note is to never let anyone test drive your vehicle unaccompanied. Even if they ask to leave some form of identification, this can always be a forged document. After the sale is agreed upon, it’s also recommended that you confirm payment before handing over the keys. If you can, request cash or a bank draft before you hand over the keys as there have been examples where cheques and e-payment methods (like PayPal) have backfired.

7. Find a car sales specialist

There are many online channels that you can use to privately sell your car in Queensland. But online services such as eBay and Gumtree tend to take time, as does writing ads for car sales magazines and hanging a For Sale sign on your car. Ultimately, the quickest way to get the cash for your car is through an established and reputable company, like Cars Brisbane. We will come to inspect your car and pay the best possible price on the spot for almost any vehicle.

Put a little time in preparing your vehicle for sale, then talk to our expert team to get the deal you are after for your vehicle.