How to Sell a Used Car | Dad Advice From Bo

First, a life update:

It’s mid-August here and we are busier than ever. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we have a revolving door of visitors out here on our farm. Kids, grandkids, extended family and friends…we never have enough mattresses and have pitched many tents in the garden area for everyone. My wife and I still work our day jobs and run the farm but we often look at each other and remind ourselves this is what we always dreamed of.

In this email, I’m sending you a list of tips for selling a used car because while I was making my latest video about it, I realized there were a lot more details I wanted to share. I hope you find these helpful and keep it for whenever you might need it. If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email.

And tell me — how are YOU doing?

How to sell a used car private sale:

When you want to sell your rig, you can trade it in at a dealership or sell it “private sale.” You will likely make more private sale but there’s no right or wrong way. Here is my process:

1) Set your selling price 😀 

• You want to do this first because if you find out the car isn’t worth what you thought it was, you may change your mind about selling.

• Look up the value of your car on the Kelly Blue Book website. All you have to do is put in the year, make, model and any other information they ask for and they will generate an estimate.

•  I like to click around other websites like Craigslist to compare their estimate to rigs similar to mine to get the best idea of how to price the car.

2) Find the title

• If you own your car outright, that should be simple.

• If you still owe money on your car, you need to call and get a “10 day payoff amount,” which is the amount you need to pay off the rig and get the title. You obviously want to make sure you price the car over what that price is so you are able to retrieve your title.

3)  Get your oil changed and fill your car fluids

• The buyer will want to know you took basic care of the car. If the oil is low or dark, or if the fluids are low, they are going to know you didn’t take good care of that car.

4) Clean your rig

•  Remove all your personal belongings and wash your car. You can find vacuums at the local car wash and it’s worth investing in a car shampoo to clean stains. You are more likely to get your asking price if your car is clean.

5) Take good photos of both the inside and outside of the car (including all sides) and write your ad. Make sure to include the following:

• Year, make, model

• How many miles it has

• How equipped: A/C, power windows, seats, cruise control, eye sight, 2WD, AWD, 4WD, etc.

• Write a brief story about your rig: how long have you had it, daily driver, the rig’s condition and why you’re selling

• Be sure to explain any potential problems your car has or any body damage

• Be sure to include words like, cash only, no trades, serious inquiries only and if you’re flexible on the price…include OBO (or best offer)

• I prefer to type out my phone number and request text only but choose what feels safest for you

6) Post your ad wherever you would normally shop for cars (I’m a Craigslist guy but there are several places to post). Be aware there is sometimes a small fee.

7)  Once your ad has been posted, watch out for scammers. In my experience, sometimes after you post an ad, you’ll get a message that says simply, “Is your car still available.” Just ignore any message that appears to be a scam. Serious buyers will try more than once to contact you or will also include a more detailed message.

8)  Once you find a potential buyer and they want to see your rig:

• For your safety, arrange to meet at a public place (not at your home). It’s best to meet at or near a police station, DMV or in a bank parking lot. If you still have a payoff on your rig, meet in the parking lot of the bank or credit union. That way, you can walk in and have the buyer payoff your loan there and then.

• Before you let a potential buyer test drive your rig, always ask to take a photo of their driver’s license and insurance card. If they can’t provide those two documents…walk away.

• For your safety, do not go on the test drive with them. Yes, you’re taking a risk of them stealing your car but if you have a copy of their driver’s license and insurance card, you can report it immediately. Remember too…if they’re test driving your rig, they should be leaving their own rig behind.

• Use your intuition: If the buyer is making you feel weird for any reason, let them know you don’t feel comfortable proceeding and leave. There will be other buyers.

9) Finalizing the sale:

• Agree on a selling price. There is always some give and take in any negotiation but it’s ok to walk away if the buyer doesn’t want to meet your bottom asking price.

• Only accept cash as payment…never a check or cashier’s check (make that clear in your selling ad).

• It’s ok to show the buying the title of your rig but never hand it to a potential buyer until you receive the cash.

• Be sure to carefully count the money to make sure the amount is correct.

• Look at the title and make sure you fill in the all the information for both you and the buyer and sign where you’re both required to. If you’re not sure, stop by a DMV or auto titling place and ask them what to fill out or sign IN ADVANCE of meeting the buyer.

•  It’s always best to write out a Bill Of Sale and have two copies available. The BOS should have the year, make and model of your rig along with the VIN number. Leave the selling price blank…you can fill that in after you negotiate a price.

• NOTE: Do not agree to write in a lower selling price at the buyer’s request even though you are being paid more. This is often requested by the buyer so that he/she pays less in sales tax. Be honest and list only the actual selling price.

10) If you still owe money for your rig, you need to make arrangements in advance between you, a potential buyer and the financial institution holding the title to your rig to meet and payoff the loan. That is because you can’t get the title of your car if you still owe on it, and a buyer is not going to hand you cash when you don’t have a title.

11)  Once cash has been paid, the title signed and the buyer has driven away. Report the sale of the rig to your DMV as soon as possible.

What’s Mom Been Up To?

My wife, Cyndy, has been working up the courage to share her knowledge online, too. Right now she is in the thick of the garden harvesting which also means canning season. She LOVES to preserve and is sharing all her tips and instructions for canning on her channels.

You can find her on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.