How to Sell Your Car: Trade-In or Private Sale?

August 17th, 2021 by

How to Sell Your Car: Trade-In or Private Sale?

Silverado 1500 2021

 

It’s time to sell your old car for something new. Do you sell it yourself privately or trade it in at a dealership? There are different pros and cons associated with trading in your old car at a dealership or selling it privately. Choosing the best way to go about this sales process can be quite overwhelming.

If you want a straightforward process, trading in your car at a trustworthy dealership is generally a better choice. Trading in your old car offers time savings, convenience, and potential tax savings as well. Of course, this will still depend on the vehicle you’re selling.

We created this blog post to guide you through the process and give you an idea of whether trading in your car or private selling is suitable for your situation. Read on to learn more about the different factors to consider when trading in or selling your car privately.

Price of Trading In VS Privately Selling Your Car

One of the foremost concerns when selling your old car is the price you’ll get for it. The general belief is that selling your car privately to an individual will get you more money because you can demand a higher price for your vehicle compared to the dealer trade value that will be offered to you by a car dealership.However, with used and new car prices very transparent these days, most buyers and sellers usually refer to online sources like Kelly Blue Book (KBB) to find the fair price of any vehicle. This KBB value is usually used as the general starting point when it comes to car sales negotiations. A lot of times, you can’t demand higher than current market prices listed on sites like KBB.

So will you really get more money by selling your car privately? The truth is that it depends on the car you’re selling. You might be surprised that trading in your car at a dealership will get you the best possible trade in value for it based on its model, condition, mileage, etc. if your car has problems, you also won’t need to spend time and money fixing it up before selling it as the dealership will take care of this for you. You can also be assured that you’re dealing with a credible company instead of with unknown people who might scam you.

Another advantage that you might not be aware of is that trading in your old car to a dealership can actually give you savings when it comes to the sales tax of the new vehicle that you are purchasing.

Value your trade

Waiting Time Involved when Trading In VS Privately Selling Your Car

One of the struggles when choosing to sell your car to a private individual is the waiting time involved in finding a legitimate buyer. There are now many online sites where you can list your old car for sale, however, there’s no guarantee whether you can get someone to buy your car right away.

Once you’ve gotten inquiries, you’ll also have to schedule meet-ups for the potential buyers to take a look at your car and negotiate with them regarding the sale. Again, this can take up a lot of your time especially if you’re not finding any buyers immediately. If you need a new car, this sales process can delay your plans of purchasing a new one.

On the other hand, trading in your old car at a dealership doesn’t involve this waiting time as most dealers can give you an offer right then and there. All you need to do is to show up and it is even possible to drive away with a brand new car on the same day.

If you are a busy person and you don’t have time to go through the car selling process, it might be best to choose selling or trading in your car to a dealership.

Convenience of Trading In VS Privately Selling Your Car

Value your trade

If you decide to sell your car privately, be ready to put in the hard work. You will have to take care of a lot of details, from advertising your car and finding trustworthy buyers to arranging all the paperwork involved in the car sale. If you have a lot of time on your hands and have done this before, this might not be a deterrent for you. However, if you’re not experienced in such matters, all the hassle involved can be confusing and stressful.The main advantage of trading in your old car at a trusted dealership like Rusty Wallace Chevrolet is that you don’t have to worry about the hard work involved. We’ll take care of all these details, and you can be assured that we’ll offer a fair dealer trade in value for your vehicle.

Trade In Your Car at Rusty Wallace Chevrolet

If you’re planning to trade in your car for a newer model, visit Rusty Wallace Chevrolet today. We take all types of trade-ins. Experience our easy and straightforward trade in process and drive away stress-free in your brand new vehicle.