If you want to buy a new car, you often want to sell the previous one for the best possible price. It is worth investing some time and effort in the preparation and processing.
Used cars are currently very popular because the delivery times for new cars are sometimes long. A good opportunity to get the most out of the used vehicle. But you can only get the best price if the sale is well and thoroughly prepared, says Holger Ippen from the "Auto Zeitung". "Three important points must be considered: the car must be in good condition, a realistic price must be determined and it also depends on where you offer the car."
The basis for a successful sale is the processing. According to Ippen, it's worth hiring professionals for this: "Professional preparation costs between 100 and 300 euros, but can quickly make a noticeable difference in the sales price," says Ippen. Especially with high-quality vehicles, 1000 euros and more are included in the sale.
If you want to lend a hand with the preparation yourself, you should take stock of the inside and outside of the car after a thorough cleaning and then make targeted improvements. "Matt and dull paint can be prepared by polishing. If there are stone chips, scratches or deep scratches, these should also be repaired," advises Martin Fräder from Mobile.de. Smaller scratches can be removed yourself, for deeper grooves or dents, smart repair applications from the dent doctor are a good and inexpensive option.
If the car has previous damage, it cannot simply be repaired. "All accident damage, including professional repairs, must be mentioned in the sales pitch," says Fraeder. "The concealment of such damage could otherwise be seen as fraudulent deception." The contractual clause "sold as seen" does not apply in this case. Very small dents, i.e. minor damage, only have to be mentioned on request, according to Fräder.
When it comes to the right selling price, Holger Ippen advises using several sources. On the one hand, you can get rough information on sales platforms such as Autoscout or Mobile. A really reliable price, however, can be determined primarily by an online query from DAT or Schwacke.
If you invest some time here and enter your vehicle with all the details in the query mask, you will receive information about the current dealer purchase price and dealer sale price. "This is a realistic and transparent orientation, regardless of gut feeling or other advice," says Ippen.
If you want to offer your car online, you still need good and meaningful photos. "A distorted perspective and the wrong lighting can spoil the overall impression," says Fraeder. Also, the images should include all the details of the vehicle.
The online ad is rounded off by a detailed description with a meaningful ad title. This increases the likelihood that interested parties will look at the ad and get in touch, says Fraeder.
However, the anonymity of the Internet also ensures that there are always dubious car buyers on the road who initially accept the asking price, but later try to cheat the seller in a fraudulent manner.
In order to sensitize customers to this, providers such as Autoscout24, mobile.de and ebay classifieds, together with the ADAC and the police, have launched the "Secure car purchase on the Internet" initiative. On the sitesicherer-autokauf.de there are numerous tips for buying a car on the Internet, both for buyers and sellers.
According to Ippen, selling directly from the car dealer is easier and less stressful than on the Internet: "You can save yourself an oil change or a new MOT here, and the previous price query makes it clear where the price should be."
A reputable dealer takes the car on stage and looks at all the important parts with the customer. "There's no great haggling here, but there is a proper sales contract and the certainty that a decent price is being paid." However, the retailer's purchase price is usually around 10 percent below the average retail price. According to Ippen, however, the purchase price of a stationary dealer is still higher than the price offered by professional purchase exchanges on the Internet.
So sellers get a better price if they find a private customer for their car. The time of year also plays a role. Martin Fraeder advises taking an anti-cyclical approach here. "The prices for used cars in the cold season are significantly higher than in the summer," he says.
One reason: many drivers are only looking for a car for the winter, especially small cars with winter-friendly front-wheel drive are now in demand.
