8 Good Tips to Sell Your Car on Your Own

1. You need to get organized. Clean out your car, taking out all of your personal things. Next wash it inside and out, making it shine as much as it possibly can. Take all of the service records and put them in chronological order. If you have any spare parts or accessories, be sure to put those back in the car. Your car needs to be ready to be driven away when you show it so that they can drive it away if they decide to buy it. Then you won't have to deal with it again.

2. The best way to get your car sold is to list it on craigslist. It is free to list your car on "craigslist.org," and most everyone who wants to buy a used car looks on craigslist first. Your listing should include a detailed description and as pictures as you possibly can. Accurately describe any flaws your car has, and provide pictures of them. Doing this will improve your credibility, and you will stand apart from everyone else who claims that their car is "perfect." If craigslist just isn't working for you, you could try AutoTrader.

3. Your listing on craigslist will move to the top every time you update it. In order to get the most from your listing, you should change it as often as every day or even every hour.

4. In our experience, the first inquiry (phone call or email) you get will usually be the best. Whether you listed your car on craigslist, a similar site, or even in a newspaper classified, treat your first caller like royalty. Much of the time, the first person to contact you will be the person who buys your car. Don't feel obligated to discount your car, or at least not very much, to the firs person who contacts you. Since they are the first one, they are usually quite motivated to buy a car.

5. Safety should always be your first concern. Never put your address in your listing. All this does is advertise your location to a person wanting to steal a car. Instead of listing your personal number, use your work phone. Meet buyers in a public place such as a shopping mall parking lot. It is easy to find, and there are lots of people and security.

6. It is important that we also talk about test-driving. Do not go with a potential buyer to test-drive your car if you do not feel comfortable. If you don't go along, ask them if you could hold the keys to their car. You should tell the buyer to take a hike if you get a bad vibe from them at any point in the process. You should never take any kind of risk.

7. The next important topic is payment. You should not accept bank drafts or cashier's checks since they are quite easy to counterfeit. Accept them only if you know and trust that person. If the person who buys your car insists on giving you a bank draft, you should tell them that you will meet them at their bank so you can verify it. Cash is always the best method of payment.

8. Wrap up all your loose ends. Before you let somebody drive off in your car, make sure you take your plates off. Have the buyer sign a bill of sale since this proves the vehicle was sold. Don't forget to ask for ID. If you get any pushback on any of this, don't sell the car to that person.