How to sell your used car for the best price

For decades you've had two options when it comes to selling your car - trade it in, or try and sell it privately.

And while the sell-it-yourself way used to involve parking it with signs in the windows - and that can still be an effective way of getting some interest - you're going to want to post it online to increase your chances of finding a buyer.

There are a few go-to websites that will offer you the best potential for that: Carsales, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.

Clean the car before taking photos

You're going to want to give the car a tidy up, or pay someone to do it for you.

If it's a newer or more desirable car, this could cost hundreds of dollars for a real detail, or if you're selling a 'station car' which is dented, faded and scratched, you should be right to just get some car wash from the supermarket and give it a tub and a vacuum.

Make sure you remove anything from the car that makes it look too 'owned'.

You could leave child seats in to showcase the practicality of the car (and if you need to use it as a family runner until it's sold), but don't leave snotty tissues and chip packets on the floor, nor the pram in the boot.

Tyre shine spray adds a bit of wow factor, and - tip! - it works a treat on faded grey plastics, too.

Don't photograph your car in an underground car park

Ideally you want to shoot photos in the 'golden hour', the period around sunrise or sunset when the light isn't as sharp.

This can add colour and contour to your photos that will make your car look better. Otherwise, try for a cloudy day.

Make an effort to find a location that doesn't have lots of mess or clutter in the background - ideally, a quiet cul de sac with a pretty vista will do wonders. Try to avoid underground car parks.

There are a few handy guides online that will help you take the best possible photos you can, especially if you're using a smartphone.

Research prices for similar models

Do some research to see what other people are asking for similar vehicles

If you just list it for a very high price and the market is low, you're not going to get bites unless you have a car with exceptionally low mileage, or if it's in pristine condition, or is collectable.

Sites like Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace might be free to list your ad, but in my experience, you're less likely to find a serious buyer and far more likely to have scammers try and take advantage of you.

If you're paying to list the car on a website like Carsales, there's an 'auto fill' function that uses preloaded info about the vehicle, provided you make the correct selection when you're listing it. However, while this might seem like a simple and easy way to 'write' your listing, buyers are turned off by constantly reading "Perfect First Car" and "Five Star ANCAP Rating".

As an avid browser of used car listings, I can tell when the seller is trying to hide something (vague information in the listing), or is getting desperate to sell (some sites will even show you how much the price has dropped!).

So aim to find a happy medium when you're wording up your ad.

Info that buyers will want to know includes:

• How many kilometres are on the car
• How many owners it has had
• Whether it has a service history
• If it has any damage (be honest if there is significant work needed)
• Any mechanical issues
• If you're negotiable

Avoiding the tyre kickers

As mentioned, some sites are more prone to scammers, but keep your wits and trust your instincts. Another type of troll on these sites are low-ballers, who just message sellers offering prices way under the listed number to see who takes the bait.

You can almost bet your life on the fact that, if you list on Marketplace, you'll get at least five people asking "Is this still available?", only to never contact you again.

The reality is, it can be stressful and annoying to sell a used car if you're going to try and do it privately, and that's why some people opt for trading in.

Should you just trade it in?

For some people, it will be far easier and arguably smarter to do exactly that.

If you're looking to buy a newer vehicle and the dealership offers you, say, $2000 less than what you thought your car would be worth, re-read the above and see if all the time, effort and engagement with punters is worth it to you.

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