When you decide to upgrade your ride to one that gets better gas mileage or has less mileage on the engine, you need to decide what to do with your old car. While you can trade it into the dealer to get a better price on the next car that you buy or donate it to a charity to get a deduction when you file your taxes, you’ll probably want to make some extra cash and sell it yourself. Selling your car often helps you get more than you would get from a trade deal. Before you meet with buyers though, there are a few things you should do.

Get an Inspection

Buyers often have a number of questions before buying a used car like when you last changed the oil and how old the tires are in case you need to buy used tires. They may want to know more about your maintenance records and whether there are any problems with the vehicle too. When you visit your local auto repair shop Carpentersville IL mechanics can give that vehicle a thorough inspection that reveals any problems with it. Those mechanics can give you written proof of the inspection that you can show to buyers too.

Check the Value

If you look at used cars for sale online, you’ll quickly find that some buyers have no idea how to list cars. These ads show vehicles that are 10+ years old with more than 100,000 miles on the engine that buyers want $5,000 or more for, which no one will pay. Those ads sit online for weeks without getting a single call. When it comes time to list your own vehicle, you need to find out exactly how much it is worth. Use a value guide and take into account the trim style, age, mileage and general condition of the car when setting its price.

Give It a Good Cleaning

Have you ever looked at a car for sale and found trash littering the backseat and a thick layer of dust on the exterior? Buyers want vehicles that are in good condition and may walk away from a sale just because of some dust. If you do not want to pay for professional cleaning, take your car to the car wash and pay for a full wash of the outside before using a vacuum to clean out the interior. You may want to use odor elimination products for car dealers to eliminate any odors in the car too.

Whether you advertise your car for sale online or in the local paper, you need to take care of some things before meeting with buyers. Make sure that you clean the vehicle, know exactly what it is worth and get a complete inspection.