Selling a used car: Five tips to get a good price

Created: 09/16/2022, 2:00 p.m

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

When you buy a new car, you often have an old one to sell.

This is mostly done online these days and works well if you follow a few tips. 

On average, Germany's motorists buy around three million new cars a year.

However, more than twice as many vehicles are sold on the used car market - currently high prices can sometimes be achieved, even if the situation is slowly easing.

However, anyone who is toying with the idea of ​​offering their car as a used car should heed a few tips.

Selling your used car will be easier if you follow a few tips.

(Iconic image) © Panthermedia/Imago

Selling a used car - Tip 1: Find the right time

If you want to sell a comparatively young car, you have to expect a high loss in value.

TÜV Nord has calculated that a five-year-old vehicle can lose up to 65 percent in value.

In the following five years it is then only 25 percent.

The TÜV experts therefore advise not to sell the car too early.

With older vehicles, it is also important to find the right time to sell.

Since the repair costs usually increase with age, you have to weigh up whether a repair is still in relation to the value of the car.

The TÜV Nord states as a rule of thumb: If the repair accounts for more than half of the residual value, it is better not to invest in the car but to sell it.

If you still decide to have an expensive repair, the experts recommend keeping the car for as long as possible.

Selling a used car - Tip 2: Good research helps to set the right price

Research on the Internet portals or newspaper advertisements enables you to classify your own car in terms of price.

Especially on the online used car exchanges, comparable vehicles including price can be found quickly using search and filter functions such as age, mileage, equipment line, motorization.

Selling a used car - Tip 3: Give as many details as possible in the ad

Most advertisements are placed via online portals.

In order for the advertisement to be easy to find using the search function, it is important to publish many details about the vehicle.

Most of them can be found in the vehicle registration document, equipment details can be found in your own purchase contract.

Some Internet platforms also automatically recognize many equipment and drive features as well as data on consumption by entering the key number or by selecting the make and model.

The seller also enters information such as mileage, color or price.

Other features of the vehicle - "new winter tires available", "non-smoking vehicle" - can usually be freely described in a comment field, but you should simply formulate it and avoid abbreviations.

Deficiencies should also be listed here.

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Selling a used car - Tip 4: Take meaningful photos

A good photo is taken in daylight, so you clean the car inside and out beforehand.

Under certain circumstances, professional vehicle preparation is also worthwhile, which can then also pay off when viewed by advertisers.

For the photo session, the car is parked in front of a background that is as neutral as possible.

Pictures from all sides as well as from the inside are standard.

Special equipment, but also defects, are best photographed separately.

To prevent insurance fraud, sellers should blur the license plate on the recordings.

Selling a used car - Tip 5: New general inspection sticker can pay off

Buyers of a used car pay attention to a fresh general inspection (HU).

It usually has a positive effect on the sales value.

Investing in a HU can also pay off for vehicles with a low residual value.

According to the TÜV, an updated general inspection sticker can be sold for 1,000 to 2,000 euros.