Tips for selling a used car?

[wildbeast]

I've never sold a car before and hope to get some tips to make it a safe and profitable experience.  Anything that I should make sure I do?  Things I should watch out for?

Thanks!

[Dave1442397]

Try this to start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmRbgeQMx98

If it's a newer car, you could also take it to www.Carmax.com and sell it to them, but that won't be the best price you could get.

[ketchup]

Take good photos.

Write a decent description.  Proofread it.

Answer your fucking phone when someone calls about it.  At least call back in less than an hour.

Those three things put you ahead of about 95% of the clowns on Craigslist posting cars.

[Ocinfo]

Try this to start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmRbgeQMx98

If it's a newer car, you could also take it to www.Carmax.com and sell it to them, but that won't be the best price you could get.

I've sold several cars over the last 15 years, almost all low cost beaters. I did sell a 2010 Accord Coupe to Car Max in 2014 and it was the easiest, best experience I've ever had. This is only true if you have a low mileage vehicle in good shape. If so, they'll offer you a stupid good price (they offered me around $4k more than I expected and about $3k under what they then put it on the lot for). Otherwise, you're better off putting it up on Craigslist and carefully screening people before having them look in person.


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[rothwem]

Take good photos.

Write a decent description.  Proofread it.

Answer your fucking phone when someone calls about it.  At least call back in less than an hour.

Those three things put you ahead of about 95% of the clowns on Craigslist posting cars.

Holy shit, these are spot on.

To be in the 99th percentile, wash and vacuum the car before taking good photos. 

Also, know your market...don't try to sell a $50,000 car on craigslist.  One the purchase price of your item creeps over $5000, you're going to have a much harder time selling it on a free classified website. 

[wildbeast]

It's a 1996 Honda Accord 4-dr sedan with $106k miles on it.  It still works great and has lots of new stuff - battery, distributor, etc.  But it does have some minor electrical stuff due to the age - ie, the auto lock on 2 of the doors doesn't work so you have to manually push the lever down, etc.  No body damage at all.  Clean title (I was surprised at how many cars on craigslist were salvage title).  We're the original owners.  I'm thinking of listing at $4500 obo.  Does that seem reasonable?  I'm in the Bay Area.

I'm thinking I highlight all the good stuff on the add and just disclose the minor stuff to people who actually come and look at it.  Does that seem reasonable and honest?

I'm also planning to get an oil change on it and get a mechanic's inspection report to have it available to buyers. 

[TreesBikesLove]

$4500 would be a good price in my area (Portland, OR). If you haven't done the water pump / timing belt recently then expect people to be adding at least $2k in their head to the price as those will need to be replaced immediately.

My advice for selling the car is do what Ketchup suggested (be a motivated seller) and frame the car emotionally. When in person, talk about the things that this car has enabled you to do, how dependable it has been, how you loved that road trip to Yellowstone, and how it makes you feel safe, etc. I try to take the emotional angle when selling stuff on craigslist and it has worked well.

Good luck with sale.

[Mr. Paws]

Take good photos.

Write a decent description.  Proofread it.

Answer your fucking phone when someone calls about it.  At least call back in less than an hour.

Those three things put you ahead of about 95% of the clowns on Craigslist posting cars.

Seriously this.  When i looked to buy a car i ignored all the ones that didnt have photos or much information.   So when i looked to buy a car i looked at what the professional dealerships did and basically copied them with tons of pictures and all the relevant info i could think of and I had it professionally detailed.    I had an email within 10 minutes (this is the person that bought the car).  But before i sold it to them i had several emails in the course of a couple of days.  I think copying the dealership model helped.

The other thing is do a ton of research on how much your car is selling for in your area.  Try to sell it for a competitive price and know the absolute minimum you would take for it.

[wildbeast]

The water pump hasn't been done but the timing belt was done at 60k miles, so it's not due for a while.

When I looked on craigslist for similar vehicles, there really wasn't much available.  Basically 1 car about 2 hours away for $4500, which is where I got the price point from.

I'll check and see how much the professional wash and detail will run.  I was definitely planning on washing, vacuuming and such.  But I didn't think a 21 yo car would benefit from a professional detail.  I might be wrong.

[Mr. Paws]

The water pump hasn't been done but the timing belt was done at 60k miles, so it's not due for a while.

When I looked on craigslist for similar vehicles, there really wasn't much available.  Basically 1 car about 2 hours away for $4500, which is where I got the price point from.

I'll check and see how much the professional wash and detail will run.  I was definitely planning on washing, vacuuming and such.  But I didn't think a 21 yo car would benefit from a professional detail.  I might be wrong.

I didnt realize this was a 21 year old car. (making the assumption this isnt an exotic car) Professional detailing may be too much.  Just make sure its clean and doesnt have any odors.  You may try other sites for comparing cars as well.  I looked up cars similar to mine on ebay, kbb, craigslist, cargurus.com and maybe a couple other ones as well just to get a good feel.  It may be harder with a car that old though.  Mine was a 2011 so i was able to find a decent sample size and a few that were almost identical in options and mileage.

[Goldielocks]

Regarding your question about "safe experience".

I (woman) selling a car privately -- I don't go for ride alongs with the potential buyers.  I screen them a bit over the phone before they get the address.   But mostly, I ask for and TAKE their driver's license.  I hold it until they come back.  and I make sure the photo is of them.

I found that people don't expect to hand over their DL, so it is not a typical scam (false id) thing to carry, and no one has refused when they realize I am letting them drive off with a car worth some money.

[Smokystache]

Take good photos.

Write a decent description.  Proofread it.

Answer your fucking phone when someone calls about it.  At least call back in less than an hour.

Those three things put you ahead of about 95% of the clowns on Craigslist posting cars.

+100

...

I'm thinking I highlight all the good stuff on the add and just disclose the minor stuff to people who actually come and look at it.  Does that seem reasonable and honest?

I'm also planning to get an oil change on it and get a mechanic's inspection report to have it available to buyers.

I can understand why you think it is a good idea to wait and disclose the minor stuff, but I would advise putting those things in the ad/listing. IMHO, the more complete the ad is (including negatives about the vehicle), the more likely I am to trust the seller. It's a 20 year old car - it has to have a few problems.

Even more important, this will reduce the crowd that likes to look, but isn't serious. It will also reduce the chance that they will try to negotiate a lower price based on those minor things. They'll say things like, "I didn't know some of the locks were broken - will you take $3200 for it??" If you list the problems you can say, "I know it isn't in perfect shape, but the $4500 was based on the condition listed in the ad." Having said that, set the price where you would be happy to get $300-500 less. Buyers like to feel like they got a bit of a discount.

Be sure to emphasize that you are not looking for trades. NO TRADES!! Or you'll get the "I've got a 1986 Piece of Junk -Wanna trade!!" No. No I don't want your crap-car.

I'd also list your requirements for payment in the ad (BTW, at this price cash is just the only way to go). This will minimize the "can I pay half now and get the other half to you in 2 months..." No. No you can't.

My basic game-plan on Craigslist is to do everything I can to thin the pool to serious inquiries who can actually make the transaction. Anything else is just wasting huge amounts of your time.

Good luck. You got this.

[ketchup]

I can understand why you think it is a good idea to wait and disclose the minor stuff, but I would advise putting those things in the ad/listing. IMHO, the more complete the ad is (including negatives about the vehicle), the more likely I am to trust the seller. It's a 20 year old car - it has to have a few problems.

Even more important, this will reduce the crowd that likes to look, but isn't serious. It will also reduce the chance that they will try to negotiate a lower price based on those minor things. They'll say things like, "I didn't know some of the locks were broken - will you take $3200 for it??" If you list the problems you can say, "I know it isn't in perfect shape, but the $4500 was based on the condition listed in the ad." Having said that, set the price where you would be happy to get $300-500 less. Buyers like to feel like they got a bit of a discount.

Be sure to emphasize that you are not looking for trades. NO TRADES!! Or you'll get the "I've got a 1986 Piece of Junk -Wanna trade!!" No. No I don't want your crap-car.

I'd also list your requirements for payment in the ad (BTW, at this price cash is just the only way to go). This will minimize the "can I pay half now and get the other half to you in 2 months..." No. No you can't.

My basic game-plan on Craigslist is to do everything I can to thin the pool to serious inquiries who can actually make the transaction. Anything else is just wasting huge amounts of your time.

Good luck. You got this.

I'd agree with all this, especially the "no trades."  You definitely want to avoid all that garbage.  "I'll take that car. Here's a baseball hat, 27 Matchbox cars, 3 copies of Fester's Quest and Hey You Pikachu, a handful of acorns, and the 83 cents I found in the couch."

[acroy]

I've had real good luck on CL:
Make the car CLEAN and take NICE pictures. incredibly nasty pictures the jokers on Cl try to use sometimes...
Do a real nice write-up. pros, cons, recent maintenance etc.
Ask more. Ask $5500. You can always go down.
Your car will be a perfect first car for a recent grad, college student whatever. Bay Area is loaded with money, it'll sell ;)

[wildbeast]

What about the mechanic's inspection report?  I read an article that said it's wise to have that available to buyers.  Do you guys agree?

I'm guessing about $120 cost for the report.  I'll do an oil change, a smog, and I just put in $700 to replace the distributor. 

I like the idea of asking $5500.

For a cash only deal - I'm assuming cashier or certified check but no personal checks?

[Ocinfo]

What about the mechanic's inspection report?  I read an article that said it's wise to have that available to buyers.  Do you guys agree?

I'm guessing about $120 cost for the report.  I'll do an oil change, a smog, and I just put in $700 to replace the distributor. 

I like the idea of asking $5500.

For a cash only deal - I'm assuming cashier or certified check but no personal checks?

Where I'm from, the title needed to have a notary sign when transferring so we usually went to the buyers bank to get it notorized and withdrawal money so the transaction is done right then and there. Can also do it at your bank with a cashiers check to reduce any scamming risk.

I've also done true cash deals for a couple thousand, which really doesn't look like much money if it's all hundreds.


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[oneday]

What about the mechanic's inspection report?  I read an article that said it's wise to have that available to buyers.  Do you guys agree?

I'm guessing about $120 cost for the report.  I'll do an oil change, a smog, and I just put in $700 to replace the distributor. 

As a buyer, I do not trust the seller's mechanic's report...I always get my own.  I *do* like to see the receipts from recent maintenance, so keep those things handy.  Your price seems high for a 21-year old car, even at that low of mileage, even for the Bay Area.

When I sell, I only take cold hard cash.  I'm not an expert in spotting forgeries, so don't take even cashier's checks.

[rothwem]

I just put in $700 to replace the distributor. 

Oof...replacing the distributor should not cost $700, unless Honda has some insane type of distributor that I'm not aware of. 

As a buyer, I do not trust the seller's mechanic's report...I always get my own.  I *do* like to see the receipts from recent maintenance, so keep those things handy.  Your price seems high for a 21-year old car, even at that low of mileage, even for the Bay Area.

Agreed, I wouldn't bother with getting an inspection on your own, if a buyer wants an inspection, they'll pay for one themselves.

When I sell, I only take cold hard cash.  I'm not an expert in spotting forgeries, so don't take even cashier's checks.

You can call a bank to verify cashier's checks.  I only will take one from a larger bank or credit union though. 

[Fishindude]

Get it detailed and / or clean it real good inside and out yourself.
Fix any squeaks or rattles that will give the prospect something to worry about.
Take a bunch of good photos inside and out.
Advertise on Craigslist with a good description and your best 6-8 photos
Any used car is going to have a few minor things wrong like your door lock.   Don't put this in the add, but tell prospect about it when they come and look.
Play dumb regarding any mechanical knowledge of the vehicle.  Just tell them you keep it serviced regularly and it's been a reliable car for you.
Do a kelly blue book report to set price on the car.  Print out a copy and have it on hand.
A good place to meet to show the car is a bank parking lot where there are cameras.
I would only take cash at purchase.
Expect buyers to try and beat you up on the price.  Don't cave in too much, a car like that will be in demand and sell pretty quick.

[MayDay]

I sold a 2003 Civic with ~100K miles a couple years ago.  I can't remember exactly but I think I got 5K for it.

I vacuumed it out and took good pictures (by good, I mean multiple, from various angles, that were in focus.  Nothing fancy.  Just not horrible ones).

I posted the ad with a full list of why we liked the car (great gas mileage! never breaks down!  etc), why we were getting rid of it (we got a minivan, or whatever, but not "its a piece of shit"), and the things wrong with it. 

I said cash only. 

In our state you have to sign over the title in front of a notary, so I put something about that in the ad- that we needed to go to the nearest bank during bank hours to complete the sale.

We had 3 people look.  #1 wanted it, but wanted to take it to her mechanic (small town so rather than mess with handing the car over to her, I offered to take it by the one and only mechanic).  We arranged to do it a few days later.  #2 came a half hour later.  Drove the car around the neighborhood, bought it on the spot.  #3 showed up as #2 was leaving.  Said no worries, he understood that usually with CL you get a bunch of no shows. 

So then I had to email #1 and tell her sorry, someone else bought it.  That was a bummer- she was desperate to get a reasonably priced car, was new to the area and had no transportation, etc.  But dude, you snooze, you lose. 

Anyway, it was quick and easy.

My only other experience selling an old car was a 99 corolla- similar experience- it was a POS and I clearly advertised the many issues, and asked for 1000$.  The phone rang off the hook and the first person bought it. 

[Smokystache]

...

We had 3 people look.  #1 wanted it, but wanted to take it to her mechanic (small town so rather than mess with handing the car over to her, I offered to take it by the one and only mechanic).  We arranged to do it a few days later.  #2 came a half hour later.  Drove the car around the neighborhood, bought it on the spot.  #3 showed up as #2 was leaving.  Said no worries, he understood that usually with CL you get a bunch of no shows. 

So then I had to email #1 and tell her sorry, someone else bought it.  That was a bummer- she was desperate to get a reasonably priced car, was new to the area and had no transportation, etc.  But dude, you snooze, you lose. 

This brings up another good point. Tell any lookers that you're not "saving" the car for anybody and the first person to hand you cash gets the car. This avoids the "I'll get the money to you by Tuesday ... just don't sell it" and in the meantime someone else is there and is willing to pay your full price with cash in hand, but you feel a little guilty because you told person #1 that you would wait for them. Just say, "I've had problems with people not paying in a timely manner, so I just go with the policy that the first person with cash in my hands gets it."

[oneday]

I sold a 2003 Civic with ~100K miles a couple years ago.  I can't remember exactly but I think I got 5K for it.

If you sold that 2003 Civic in 2015, then it was only a 12 year old car at that time.  The OP is talking about selling 21 year old car.  I don't care how low the miles are, it's still MUCH older, so that is what I am basing my comment on.   

jane x: I would say if you don't get interest right away, then it may be due to your price.

[MayDay]

I sold a 2003 Civic with ~100K miles a couple years ago.  I can't remember exactly but I think I got 5K for it.

If you sold that 2003 Civic in 2015, then it was only a 12 year old car at that time.  The OP is talking about selling 21 year old car.  I don't care how low the miles are, it's still MUCH older, so that is what I am basing my comment on.   

jane x: I would say if you don't get interest right away, then it may be due to your price.

Right, I was just giving a ballpark of the kind of price I was selling it for. If you get above 5k by much, I think it becomes harder to sell. If OP prices it right, I'm sure it will sell easily.

I've seen people post who say in the ad that they'll be marking it down 500$ every week, and it seems to work well.

[Car Jack]

Do not pay for a mechanic's inspection report.  I've bought and sold maybe a dozen cars on Craigslist over the years.  If I want a mechanic to look at the car, I'm going to choose the mechanic and ask you bring it to them....then I'm going to pay for it.  Why?  As the one paying the bill, the mechanic will tell me what's really up with the car.  For the seller to have a report, I would give that zero value as a buyer. 

Don't pay for a pro detail.  Literally run it through a car wash and dry the entire car with a towel including inside the door jambs.  Vacuum the car really well.  Clean the inside of the windows.

If this car is a manual, it's going to sell before you even think the listing is up.  If an auto, longer but will sell.  People look for older Hondas because they are legos.  Engine blows up?  Pick up an engine from any of 5 models over 25 years and drop it in.  There are conversion mounts for virtually anything.  So if someone wants to put in an RSX-S engine in, they will.

Before you do any of this, go to Car Max and get a no obligation price.  Then compare with what your ad gets for potential.  If they're close, take down the ad and sell it to Car Max and avoid all the hassle.

Be ready for Craigslist flakes.  Out of 10 inquiries I get, one sets up an appointment to see the car.  Of 10 appointments, one shows up and is serious.  Don't go out of your way.  If you need to do something at 1 on Saturday and someone wants to look at noon, first...they're going to be late and next, they're going to be looking at it for 2 hours.  Tell them you won't be home till 3.  People will adjust.  It's best to put right in the ad, at the bottom exactly this text:

**Yes, I still have it and will take the ad down when sold**
**No trades**
**Include your phone number so I know you're not a bot**

Long time craigslist people will laugh and understand that you've used craigslist.  Another thing.....if you get a response using the word "item" anywhere in the response, delete it.  It is a bot.

Payment is by cash and only cash.  If the buyer needs to get a check for $4k, then you'll meet them at their bank where they'll cash their own damned check and hand you cash.  To be safe, you can then go to the teller and ask them to convert the money into a cashieres check to you.  This take the sketchy out of payment and yes, cashiers checks can be faked and some banks (like Wells Fargo) won't tell you if there check is good over the phone.

If anyone offers to send you a cashiere's check, they're a scammer.  You can play with them if you want and when the fedex shows up with a fake, bogus check, tell them the envelope was empty and there's no check in it.

Decide ahead of time, based on inquiries and your car max number how low you'll go.  If car max says they'll give you $3000, and you'd only go to $3500 or even be firm at $4k, do it.  Remember that you can always cut your losses and go back to car max in what?  7 days, I think.

[Mr. Paws]

If you want to avoid carrying a bunch of cash from the sale but worried about scams you can go with them to their bank and watch the bank type up a cashiers check to you.

[trashmanz]

Locally we have a car lot that does test drives for you, you just drop the car off clean and they charge a flat rate to sell it.  Takes a lot of the hassle out of it for a few hundred $.   YMMV. 

[wildbeast]

Well, the time has finally come for me to make use of all your collective tips on selling a used car!

We are selling our truck and I will be reviewing this thread very carefully to make sure I implement all of your excellent advice. 

I just wanted to thank everyone and let you know that your time spent replying to this thread was not wasted!  :)

[oneday]

Good luck! Hope everything goes smoothly. A post summarizing your experience would be nice too, but no pressure.

[sjc0816]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread. But....is it really a bad idea to try and sell an older car to Carmax? Our 2008 Toyota Highlander has 120k miles on it but needs a $3,800 repair (cam shaft replacement) that we are not going to fix. My parents are buying a new car and offered to sell their Acura to us for screaming cheap with only 35,000 miles so we are buying it.....but we need to get rid of the Highlander. I was going to take it to carmax and just sell it for whatever they will give me considering the deficiencies. Bad idea? I can't imagine it will sell on CL with an expensive repair needed.

Thoughts? I'm so pissed at this Toyota cam shaft issue I could scream. A few years/models are having these problems.

[ketchup]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread. But....is it really a bad idea to try and sell an older car to Carmax? Our 2008 Toyota Highlander has 120k miles on it but needs a $3,800 repair (cam shaft replacement) that we are not going to fix. My parents are buying a new car and offered to sell their Acura to us for screaming cheap with only 35,000 miles so we are buying it.....but we need to get rid of the Highlander. I was going to take it to carmax and just sell it for whatever they will give me considering the deficiencies. Bad idea? I can't imagine it will sell on CL with an expensive repair needed.

Thoughts? I'm so pissed at this Toyota cam shaft issue I could scream. A few years/models are having these problems.

You can get a quote from Carmax that's good for 7 days.  Get the quote, put it on Craigslist for more, if it doesn't sell within the 7 days, go back to Carmax.

[aroberson77]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread. But....is it really a bad idea to try and sell an older car to Carmax? Our 2008 Toyota Highlander has 120k miles on it but needs a $3,800 repair (cam shaft replacement) that we are not going to fix. My parents are buying a new car and offered to sell their Acura to us for screaming cheap with only 35,000 miles so we are buying it.....but we need to get rid of the Highlander. I was going to take it to carmax and just sell it for whatever they will give me considering the deficiencies. Bad idea? I can't imagine it will sell on CL with an expensive repair needed.

Thoughts? I'm so pissed at this Toyota cam shaft issue I could scream. A few years/models are having these problems.

Carmax may not look at it if it needs a repair.  Might be easy to sell on Craigslist as a mechanics special.

[sjc0816]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread. But....is it really a bad idea to try and sell an older car to Carmax? Our 2008 Toyota Highlander has 120k miles on it but needs a $3,800 repair (cam shaft replacement) that we are not going to fix. My parents are buying a new car and offered to sell their Acura to us for screaming cheap with only 35,000 miles so we are buying it.....but we need to get rid of the Highlander. I was going to take it to carmax and just sell it for whatever they will give me considering the deficiencies. Bad idea? I can't imagine it will sell on CL with an expensive repair needed.

Thoughts? I'm so pissed at this Toyota cam shaft issue I could scream. A few years/models are having these problems.

Carmax may not look at it if it needs a repair.  Might be easy to sell on Craigslist as a mechanics special.

How would I price it on something like Craigslist considering the issue?

[oneday]

I'm not trying to hijack this thread. But....is it really a bad idea to try and sell an older car to Carmax? Our 2008 Toyota Highlander has 120k miles on it but needs a $3,800 repair (cam shaft replacement) that we are not going to fix. My parents are buying a new car and offered to sell their Acura to us for screaming cheap with only 35,000 miles so we are buying it.....but we need to get rid of the Highlander. I was going to take it to carmax and just sell it for whatever they will give me considering the deficiencies. Bad idea? I can't imagine it will sell on CL with an expensive repair needed.

Thoughts? I'm so pissed at this Toyota cam shaft issue I could scream. A few years/models are having these problems.

Carmax may not look at it if it needs a repair.  Might be easy to sell on Craigslist as a mechanics special.

How would I price it on something like Craigslist considering the issue?

Blue book minus the cost of the repair?  Throw an OBO on the end (or best offer).

[aroberson77]

Blue book minus the cost of the repair?  Throw an OBO on the end (or best offer).

+1, if you disclose exactly what it needs and the cost there is a better chance of it selling as well.

[sjc0816]

I'm wondering if it's even worth it to try and sell. So frustrating because without the issue it's worth about 6-7.5k. Take a $3800 repair and list for 2k? Is it worth my time? Wondering if there are other options like donating? So pissed about this.

[aroberson77]

I'm wondering if it's even worth it to try and sell. So frustrating because without the issue it's worth about 6-7.5k. Take a $3800 repair and list for 2k? Is it worth my time? Wondering if there are other options like donating? So pissed about this.

You might be able to donate, what exactly is wrong?  It sounds like the car still runs, if the camshaft was broken the motor would have probably blown by now

[sjc0816]

Every time I start the car, there is a very loud grinding noise that lasts about 1-2 seconds. It's a known deficiency in certain years/models of toyotas. Toyota says it's the cam shaft that needs to be replaced....but they also said that there are no safety or engine risks with the deficiency. It's hard to believe...considering how loud and frequent the noise is. It's really embarrassing. $3,800 to fix mainly because they have to remove the entire engine.

We probably wouldn't be buying a different car if my parents weren't giving us a screaming deal on their low mileage SUV. I just don't really want to pass up the opportunity considering that the grinding noise is really embarrassing and I don't necessarily trust that the car won't fail due to this issue at some point.

[Clean Shaven]

It's an issue with the VVTI gears. Not super common, but not unheard of. Unfortunately Toyota won't do anything about it - too bad, seems like it should be a recall type item.

[BlueHouse]

I find that letting people know that only one person has owned the car before (thus, we know the entire history of the car) is helpful.  And make sure to stress "mature" so no one thinks a teenage boy has been putting the pedal to the metal, then slamming on the brakes.

"previously owned by one mature adult" or similar.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

I found selling on cars.com to be less sketchy than Craigslist. Just as free, better clientele.

[Abooki]

Let me jump in here for some advice. I am trying to sell my 2006 Honda Civic 156k and right now living in Charleston SC and moving to Washington DC and I want to sell my car and go car-less. How much should I sell it and any tips? I am thinking 5000$ may be

[Cassie]

WE have sold many old cars through the years and i always start with Kelley's BB to get an idea of price. I get it detailed and take lots of pics. Cash only and many people do flake. There is another site called Offerup that I recently used in addition to CL.   

[aroberson77]

Let me jump in here for some advice. I am trying to sell my 2006 Honda Civic 156k and right now living in Charleston SC and moving to Washington DC and I want to sell my car and go car-less. How much should I sell it and any tips? I am thinking 5000$ may be

Check bluebook value on it, if you wanna sell fast list 1k below.  Like Cassie said have lots of detailed pictures, get the car detailed before so people are impressed when they come look at it.  Take cash only, can always go to the bank to make the transaction to be safer.

[RyanAtTanagra]

Check bluebook value on it, if you wanna sell fast list 1k below.

This is what I do, although I go by other similar cars on CL more so than KBB.  I hate the process of selling/showing the car, talking to a bunch of flakes, negotiating, etc.  So what I do is I undercut the other cars for sale just a little and take a hit in order to have less hassle.  I also say the selling price is firm, and I don't budge.  It's already cheap, I'm not going any lower.  I've sold one car and 3 motorcycles on CL this way and they are all gone in 1-2 days.  Nice and clean.  The quick sell means I could have gotten more money if I was willing to put in more time and effort, but I'm ok with that.