Want a new vehicle, but don’t want to spend all day at a car dealership? Are you nervous about getting a bad deal? Or, do you just not want to go through all the stress? I hear you, and there is no reason why car buying has to be stressful. It is most likely the second largest purchase you make in your life (your house being the first), so you want to be sure you are making a smart decision and it should be fun. Kevin and I just sold my car and bought a new one since our family has grown! The whole process was fun and stress free!
Here are my 5 Tips for Stress Free Car Selling & Buying:
1. Do Your Homework
On the vehicle you’re selling: You can use Autotrader to get the value of your current car. This will give you an idea of what you might be able to sell your car for and takes all the guessing out of the way.
On the vehicle you’re buying: The majority of people buy a car based off of looks, which makes some sense. However, you want to make sure you compare all of the facts as well. What kind of gas mileage does it get? What are the safety ratings? The questions go on and on, but Autotrader’s Car Research section makes it easy to get all your information in one place.
2. Clean The Car You’re Selling This may seem like a strange tip, but trust me, when you are trying to sell your car, you want it to look the best it possibly can. So, give your car a bath, vacuum the inside and take good pictures of it in the sunlight.
3. Post On Autotrader Autotrader is a one stop shop if you are getting the picture. You can not only research your car options, but also post your vehicle for sale or get an instant cash offer for your vehicle that you can redeem at any participating dealership.
4. Search On Autotrader And, you can not only post your vehicle but you can also search for your next vehicle. This lets you search new or used vehicles in your area. The best part is you can make your search as wide or specific as you want. It will show you vehicles being sold by private parties or by dealerships. This a great tool to find exactly what you want without having to wander lots of car dealerships for hours.
5. Be Patient If you don’t see the exact car you are wanting, be patient. Cars are bought and sold every day. The market is constantly changing and you are going to find the perfect car for you! Don’t forget, this should be fun!!