The Comprehensive Guide to Selling your Car

Chapter 3: Create the Ad

There are a variety of places where you can advertise your car. Where ever you do decide to advertise, there is come common information that all ads should contain.

• Always state the exact model of the car, e.g. Ford Focus 1.6CL
• State the year precisely, e.g. 2006/56.
• Colour
• Mileage
• Engine size
• Transmission type - automatic or manual
• Remaining length of the MOT certificate and tax. Buyers are more at ease if a long MOT is present.
• Number of owners. This is only worth putting if the number of owners in less than usual for the age of the car.

State the features that you car has as well, especially if it is an optionally and not present in the standard model. If you are short of space here are some common abbreviations

ew	electric window
ac	air conditioning
cl	central locking
sat nav	satellite navigation

A lot of options like electric window and mirrors, central locking, are common nowadays so simply stating full electrics will make it clear that the car is fully equipped. Your research earlier on will determine what is worth putting down.

Write the service history if you have any. Full dealer service history is always desirable so make sure that this is stated. Also don’t forget the photos you took earlier.

Overall keep it simple, honest and positive. Avoid dodgy second-hand dealer blurb like ‘lovely driver’ and ‘unbelievable deal’, just stick to the facts. Don’t lie as the buyer could sue you for losses incurred. The more information you place, the more likely all enquires would be for a viewing arrangements rather than some information on the car that should have been in the advert.

Make sure your contact number has an answering machine, so that prospective buyers do not get frustrated if they cannot get hold of you.