Should I Sell My Car Privately in Canada?
Should I Sell My Car Privately in Canada?
Posted on March 4, 2023
If you are thinking about selling a car privately, we will show you the steps that must be taken to ensure a smooth transaction. Some of these steps might seem like a hassle, but they are necessary, and we’ll make them as painless as possible.
Preparing the Right Documentation
To sell a car privately, you must order a used car sales kit from the provincial government, which comes to you in the mail.
If you try to sell your car without this kit, the deal will not go through, so don’t try to skip this step.
While waiting for the kit to come in the mail usually takes 2-3 business days with Canada Post. You should also get the lien release you received after making the last payment on the car.
When you first bought the car, the lender would have placed a lien on the vehicle until the loan was paid back in full.
In theory, you can sell your car if there is a lien on it. Still, the lien must be repaid before the new owner can register the vehicle in their name, so most buyers won’t buy a car until they can confirm the title is clean.
You can just contact your lender and ask them to issue another lien release if you are not able to find the original.
Preparing Your Vehicle
Even though your car is used, there are some things you should do to help boost the curb appeal. First, bring your car to be professionally detailed; it will make the car look and feel new which should help you get the maximum offer for the car.
After the vehicle has been prepped and is in showroom condition, you can start working on the advertisement.
You will be putting your ad up on websites like AutoTrader, which has a template where you can cut and paste the information.
There will be a section for “tags” where you can put in your vehicle's year, make, and model. The mileage and asking price are also key things to mention so the prospective buyers know what to expect.
You must take high-quality photos of the car both inside and outside; we cannot stress the importance of this step as this will greatly increase the chances you have to sell a car privately in Hamilton.
Most buyers are in a rush and will not take the time to read every description; chalk it up to human nature. If you have good quality images, then your advertisement stands a better chance of being noticed by prospective buyers.
Time-Saving Options
When you are pressed for time or just don’t want to deal with the hassles that come with selling a car privately in Hamilton, you can bring your vehicle over to a local car dealership.
The dealership will need to do an appraisal which is done on the spot to figure out what your car is worth.
After the appraisal, you will receive a firm cash offer from the dealership, and if you accept it, then you get paid right away.
This shortcut can be used whenever you want to sell your used car but do not want to deal with the headaches.
If you’re looking to sell your car, we’d love to buy it for a great price! Simply fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you ASAP!
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