When you’re ready to sell your car, you have a few different options. You can sell it privately, trade it in at a dealership, or sell it at an auto buying center. Understanding the pros and cons of each option and how each process works can result in the least amount of stress and the most profitable offer. Whitten Brothers Automotive does a deep dive into each to help you find the best place to sell your car in central Virginia.
Before you sell your car, it’s helpful to understand what it’s worth. You can use Kelley Blue Book to get an estimated vehicle value, but keep in mind that the value is dependent on what method you choose. Then you can determine whether the best place to sell your car is online, as a trade-in, or at a buying center.
If you are trading it or selling it to our buying center, very little prep work is necessary. You might want to take your vehicle through the car wash, but the beauty of selling it to a dealer is that we can do the reconditioning work for you. We take this step out of the selling process for you to make everything more streamlined and stress free.
If you sell it yourself, you may want to service repair as much as you see fit before placing it on the market.
Make sure you have all your necessary documents ready. The documents you need to sell your car are the car title, vehicle history report, service records, and original sales paperwork. If your vehicle is paid for, you will need your title to sell the vehicle. If you still have a loan, you will need to pay this off and obtain a title before selling the vehicle yourself. If you trade or sell to our buying center, we can handle the payoff and will even write you a check the same day for any equity you have in the vehicle. If you owe more than it is worth, you will need to cover the difference in order to satisfy the loan. You can also include any warranty paperwork if the vehicle is still under warranty.
If you choose to sell your car privately, you work directly with potential buyers. You can negotiate directly on the price, and you can keep the whole payment.
You may have to pay to advertise your vehicle. You’re in charge of marketing and communication with all potential buyers, which can be overwhelming. Before you list your vehicle, you’ll need to write a description and take plenty of interior and exterior photos.
If you’re not comfortable with negotiating, this aspect of selling your car privately may cause additional stress. When you sell your car privately, safety is a top priority. Plan to meet in a well-lit public location if you go this route, and bring a friend or family member if possible.
Keep in mind that you’re in charge of reporting your vehicle as sold to the DMV, transferring over all paperwork, and ensuring the car is no longer listed in your name. Also, make sure that the funds provided by the buyer have been verified before releasing the vehicle or the title.
One of the biggest benefits of trading in your vehicle is that it’s quick and easy. With this option, you can use the trade-in value to offset the cost of a new or used vehicle rather than receiving a payout. This could reduce the overall amount you’ll need to finance, which can be appealing. Trading in your vehicle also means that you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket to advertise, and you don’t have to manage the communication and meetups with potential buyers.
When you trade in your vehicle to a dealership, they handle all of the admin, like reporting to the DMV and ensuring all associated paperwork is properly completed.
As with trading in your vehicle, choosing to sell your car to a buying center means that the reporting and paperwork are handled for you. This provides a lot of peace of mind that the transaction is completed properly.
The biggest benefit of selling to a local auto buying center is that the process can be very quick, and you can get paid the same day. Some places give you a bank draft that’s good for 30 days when they receive the title. If you work with a local company, you can have the value of your vehicle within 15 minutes, and the paperwork can be completed immediately once agreed upon.
With Whitten Auto Buying Center, you can get an instant estimate online. Next, you schedule an in-person inspection, and we’ll provide you with the final offer. If you accept, we finalize the car sale and you leave cash or a check that same day.
Our buying center purchases all makes, models, trim levels, and body styles outright, and we strive to make the process of selling your car as streamlined and stress-free as possible. We’re also part of Whitten Brothers Automotive, so we’re backed by more than 100 years of history and experience in the automotive industry. Whether or not you buy a vehicle from one of our CDJR or Mazda dealerships, we can buy your car at a fair, transparent, and competitive price.
If you want to sell or trade in your vehicle to a dealership or sell it to a buying center, contact us to learn more.