How I sold my car on gumtree in one day.
I used to drive a black Renault Clio, which was ideal for quick trips to and from town for a student living away from home. Now, fast forward a few years post university and I’m settled in my first proper adult job and looking to sell my car quickly.
The idea of selling my car online didn’t seem like the easiest option for someone who does not have a lot of time on their hands and has never sold a car before. On top of that I had heard of people being scammed online by fake buyers. With this in mind, I was weary to go charging ahead onto a website . But the lure of getting a better deal made me decide to do some research and see if I could get a good deal. I want to share with you what I found.
I read a lot of advise on the key things to look out for when buying a second hand car so I reverse engineered from there and made certain that my car covered all of the main bits. Here’s a list of the key things that buyers look for when buying a car.
Things to check when buying a second hand car:
1. The Exterior: For any marks or cracks that could lower the value of the car. Make sure all the doors and mirrors are operating correctly, without any struggle. Getting the car waxed before selling it is a good idea, it’ll make the car look better in the pictures and it may even smoothe out scuffs
2. The Bonnet – check the hoses and belts for their current condition. No buyer is going to want to buy a car with leaky hoses and worn out belts! Same goes with the car’s battery; make sure it is fully charged and there is no damage to it.
3. Underneath the Car: ensure that the car’s tailpipe is dry and clean as wet, dirty tailpipes can indicate burnt oil
4. The Interior: check for any unappealing or musty smells and any damage to the upholstery. Turning the car on is a good indicator for any broken lights on the dashboard. If your car has a radio, then it makes sense to check if that works, especially if that is a selling point in your ad! A decent valeting service will get the interior looking good, ready for the car to make a good first impression
Gumtree’s Free Car Selling Service:
– Your advertisement is completely free
– The process was easy to understand
– The system masks your email address and telephone number
– I had full control on how I wanted my details and advert to appear on the site
All of this convinced me it would be better for me to sell my car privately rather than through a dealership. I found dealerships would take the majority of the profit or even charge for their services. The benefit is that car dealerships take care of everything, so you save time and effort. However, the free service that Gumtree provides would allow me to take full profit on my Clio.
I found the whole process incredibly easy and trustworthy and would recommend to someone who is a little nervous at selling their first car online. The process involved entering my car’s details, alongside my personal details and they gave me a free valuation and it was deemed £600 by Gumtree. The free advertisement meant that I saved even more money compared some of the other options l looked at.
I had three people contact me regarding my advertised Clio. The first was a woman from Reading and she contacted me within the first few hours of posting. However, after some chat we decided that her alternative offer of £400 was too low. This didn’t end up being a problem as my third contact was local to my area and was able to offer the asking price of £600. An easy arrangement was made, and my car was collected just 22 hours after I posted my advert on Gumtree.
Overall, the process of selling my car on Gumtree was painless and incredibly efficient. I would recommend that you consider selling your used car with Gumtree if you are a first-time seller.
