How to Sell Your Car to a Private Buyer

Before you set about on selling your junk car to a private buyer, there are some things you should know. The where, when, and how of it all. Selling to a private buyer can be time-consuming and difficult, but you sometimes can get a higher price than you would from an auto salvage company.

The first thing you need to decide is what you’re willing to take for the car. You should price it higher than that, since you will likely end up getting hagglers and lowering the price. To determine a fair price, use Kelley Blue Book or look up similar cars on Craigslist.

Once you’ve settled on your price, you’ll need to determine where you want to advertise your car. There are countless options, so we’ve laid out a few popular ones here.

1. Craigslist — the internet’s marketplace is a great place to post your listing! The website gets plenty of traffic and a good reputation. You’ll want to take clear photos of the outside and inside of your car. Expect to get people who want to see and test-drive the car before buying, though, so the process could take longer. You’ll also need to look out for scammers–if they don’t want to see the car or are offering less than the asking price but can pay in cash RIGHT NOW you may be talking to a scammer.
2. Facebook — like Craigslist, Facebook has a very popular marketplace feature. This is a great way to get the word out in your area. Plus, you’ll be able to talk to them through the messaging feature, making it very easy to communicate. Also like Craigslist, you’ll want to be wary of scammers.
3. Other online car marketplaces — there are a couple of car marketplaces online that you could try out as well. Cars.com, Ebay, and Autotrader.com are all popular venues.
4. Posting it near a busy road — you can always do the tried and true method of parking your car on a busy road or intersection with a For Sale sign and seeing what you get! This is a low-effort way to get a lot of eyes on your car fast. To have the best chance of making a sale, make sure the sign is easily visible when driving past and that the price and your phone number are large enough to be read from the road. 

These are the four best options for trying to sell your car to a private buyer. None of them require a lot of time up front, but can result in a buyer. You need to be patient when selling a junk car online, so if you’ve got the time and patience to spare, go for it! If not, call us now at 855-959-1325 to get that car out of your hair in just 24 hours or less!