Taking good care of your car and keeping records of its maintenance and repairs is very important when it comes to selling your car so you can get a good price.

Step 1 - Finding out the market value

Looking in the paper for similar cars with the similar description will help you find out the market price, what other people are asking, and the book value of the car. When selling a car, you're interested in the retail and wholesale value of the car because and you don't want to sell less than the wholesale price.

Step 2 - Raising the value of your car

To raise the value of your car it's important that the car makes a good impression on the buyer so you can get a better price. First of all, focus on the exterior of the car, take care of all the repairs, cover the scratches that are seen and make sure that it's painted right. For dents and dings there are professional services that can remove them without ever being noticed. Next, look at the actual parts of the car and replace any piece that is missing, bent, or broken because it can add hundreds to the overall value of the car. Finally, it's time to work on the interior which can be repaired by an upholstery shop. You want your car to look as close to new as possible. The last thing you need to do is to take your car to a professional detailing shop for deep cleaning of the entire car inside and out. This can add hundreds to thousands of dollars to the value of the car. When the detailers are finished the car looks much newer, much more desirable. It's important to get rid of smoke, perfumes, and any musty smell so the car would not just look new but even smell new.

Step 3 - Advertising your car

To advertise your car, place an ad in the auto classified section in the newspaper. You want to give enough information to get calls from interested buyers so list all the features of the car. You can also sell your car to a trade-in company or a new or used car dealer. This is the fastest way to get rid of your car but you will only get wholesale value for it or even less. Keep in mind that the dealer will pay you much more if the car has been detailed. If the car isn't worth much or doesn't even run, there are services listed in the classifieds which will pay you cash for your car.

Step 4 - The Sale

Once you and the buyer have made an agreement, it's time to put it in writing. Make a bill of sale with all the information and take only cash or a bank check. Also do not turn the car over to the buyer until it is paid in full. Fill out the title information as the seller. Once the car is sold you must either turn in the plates or transfer them to your new car. If you do not transfer the plates, turn them in to the D.M.V. to prove that you are not responsible for the car anymore. Otherwise, you could get a fine.