Preparing your car for sale
Key takeaways
- Inspect your car the way a buyer would. Scratches, stains, odours and leaks all give buyers a reason to offer less.
- A thorough clean inside and out, plus fixing small faults such as oil leaks, makes a strong first impression.
- Leave the owner's manual, logbook and service receipts in the glovebox, and have your rego details and a written receipt ready.
- If there's finance owing, get a payout figure from your lender before you advertise.
There’s a lot involved in preparing a car for sale, and it can feel overwhelming trying to juggle everything at once.
The good news is that a few smart steps, taken well before you list the car, can attract more buyers and help lift your sale price. Here’s how to prepare your car for sale, from the first walk-around to the final paperwork.
Look at it from the buyer’s perspective
Start by thinking about your car the way a buyer will. Why would someone want this car, and what would make them walk away?
Try to look at it with fresh eyes, or ask a friend to look it over for you. Check for:
- Scuffs and scratches on the paintwork, bumpers and trim
- Marks, stains or wear on the dashboard, seats and floor mats
- Lingering odours from smoke, pets, food or damp
- Warning lights on the dash, or anything that rattles, squeaks or doesn’t work
Sit inside and notice how comfortable the car feels. Any of these issues can put off a buyer, or give them a reason to negotiate hard. If you have the time, a proper deep clean and a paint touch-up can do wonders for how the car presents. For a broader look at what drives price, see our guide to the factors that determine the value of a used vehicle.
Freshen up the interior
Sometimes small adjustments are all it takes. If there’s a smell inside the car, deal with it early rather than the day before a buyer arrives. Remove the source, clean the upholstery and carpets, and air the car out over a week or two. An air freshener can help, but a heavy scent that’s obviously covering something up can make buyers suspicious.
It goes without saying that the interior needs a thorough clean before the sale:
- Wipe down the dashboard, centre console, door trims and screens
- Empty the glovebox, door pockets and console bins
- Clean under and between the seats
- Vacuum the carpets and floor mats, and wash any rubber mats
- Empty the ashtrays and clean the inside of the windows
Take out your personal items too, including toll tags and parking permits, and clear paired phones and saved addresses from the infotainment system.
Clean up the exterior too
The outside needs the same attention. Give the car a thorough wash, including the wheels, tyres and door jambs. Chipped paint and small scratches may seem minor, but a touch-up pen or a professional cut and polish can go a long way. First impressions count, both in person and in your listing photos.
Check the things a buyer will notice straight away, such as worn tyres, blown globes and chips or cracks in the windscreen.
Check under the bonnet
Any buyer who knows what they’re doing will look in the engine bay, so look first. Pop the bonnet and make sure everything looks and smells as it should. Are there signs of oil or coolant leaks? Are the fluid levels where they should be? If something isn’t right, get it fixed and cleaned up before the sale. A clean, dry engine bay suggests a car that’s been looked after.
Leave the right things behind
By the time you hand over the keys, the only things left in the glovebox should be the documents that matter to the next owner:
- The owner’s manual
- Warranty documents
- The service logbook
- Receipts for recent servicing, repairs or parts
- Any other paperwork relevant to the car
A complete service history reassures buyers, so ask your mechanic for copies of any missing receipts. Have all the keys ready too, including the spare.
In the boot, make sure the spare tyre (or tyre repair kit), jack and tools are there and securely stowed. It doesn’t hurt to give the boot a quick tidy while you’re at it.
Get the paperwork ready
Sort the paperwork out before you advertise, so nothing holds up the sale.
Registration and roadworthy
Make sure the car’s registration is current and keep the details handy to show buyers. Roadworthy requirements depend on where you live. In Queensland you generally need a current safety certificate to sell a registered vehicle, and in Victoria a Certificate of Roadworthiness is generally needed to transfer registration. Other states and territories have different rules and exemptions, so check with your state’s transport authority before you list the car. If you sell to a licensed motor dealer such as Sell Your Car Australia instead, a roadworthy or safety certificate generally isn’t required; we confirm what applies in your state on the call.
Finance owing
If you still have a loan on the car, contact your lender before you advertise, ask for a payout figure and follow their process for paying out the loan when the car sells. Buyers can search the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) to see whether a car has money owing on it, so it pays to be upfront. Our page on selling a car under finance explains how this works with us.
A written receipt (bill of sale)
Have a written receipt, or bill of sale, ready to go. It can even be handwritten, but it needs to include the correct information:
- The seller’s and buyer’s names, addresses and contact details
- The vehicle identification number (VIN)
- The make, model and year of the vehicle
- Any modifications made to the vehicle
- The odometer reading at the time of sale
- The date of sale and the agreed price
- Signatures from both parties
You should also state that the car is sold in as-is condition and that payment has been received in full. Keep a copy for yourself. Once the car is sold, notify your state’s transport authority of the sale within the required timeframe, so you aren’t held responsible for fines or tolls the new owner incurs.
Skip the preparation altogether
Not sure how to prepare your car for sale, running out of time, or simply don’t want the hassle? Selling to Sell Your Car Australia means you don’t have to spend weekends detailing the car, writing ads or fielding calls from buyers.
It starts with a free, no-obligation valuation. Fill out a short online form and our team will call you quickly to talk about your car and make a genuine cash offer, not a data-driven estimate. Once you agree, a deposit can be paid quickly, the car is inspected and the balance is paid into your account. We only collect the car after the funds have cleared.
We currently buy cars that are 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less, of any make, and we buy Australia-wide. You can read more about how it works or call us on 1800 73 55 73.
Questions sellers ask
Do I need a roadworthy certificate to sell my car?
It depends on your state. In Queensland you generally need a current safety certificate to sell a registered vehicle, and in Victoria a Certificate of Roadworthiness is generally needed to transfer registration. Other states and territories have different rules and exemptions, so check with your state's transport authority before you list the car. If you sell to a licensed motor dealer such as Sell Your Car Australia instead, a roadworthy or safety certificate generally isn't required; we confirm what applies in your state on the call.
What should I leave in the car when I sell it?
Leave the owner's manual, warranty documents, service logbook and receipts for recent servicing or parts in the glovebox, along with all the keys. Make sure the spare tyre or repair kit, jack and tools are in the boot. Remove everything else, including personal items and toll tags.
Can I sell a car that still has finance owing?
Yes. Contact your lender for a payout figure and follow their process for paying out the loan when the car sells. Sell Your Car Australia buys cars under finance and works with your lender directly, which usually takes 2-3 business days.
