Test Drives
A clean, well maintained car gives potential buyers a good first impression. This is only the first step in selling your car! Also it may be worth your while to spend a little money fixing things before you try and sell the car.
Clean your car!
- Wax & polish
- Vacuum the inside and clear out the clutter
- Wipe the dashboard and upholstery
- Give the engine a steam clean
Make sure everything works
- Check out your lights, indicators, etc
- Spend a few rand and replace the bulbs that aren’t working
- Ensure no warning signs show on the dash
Have all documents on hand
- Get the car’s service history / book in order
- Answer all questions openly and honestly
- If the car has been AA Autobay multi-point checked, take the documentation with you
Identify and fix all possible issues that have the potential to put off a buyer or gives them an excuse to cut your asking price:
- Badly worn tyres
- Chipped windscreen
- Worn brake pads
- Weak hand brake
- A clutch that takes too low or too high
- Patch up small scratches and dings with colour polish
- Have your exhaust checked
- Make sure there are no rattles or suspicious sounds coming from the engine
- Replace worn wiper blades
Ensure Your Safety
Test drives can expose you to a number of risks – such as hijacking and theft. In order to ensure your safety, here are a few tips:
- Don’t test drive from your home – but meet on your terms
- Never go alone
- Check that the potential driver has a valid driver’s licence
- Check that your car is insured for other drivers
- Remove anything of value from the car
- Don’t take the car’s registration papers with you
Did you know: AA Autobay supervises all test drives decreasing the risk of buying and selling a car privately.