Cars can become like security blankets to us at times. We get so used to them we tend to forget what kind of condition they are in these days. And this is a perception bias that can carry on right up till the point where we are sitting on a desolate highway in who knows what kind of weather waiting for a tow truck and cursing to ourselves!

Selling your car might feel like pulling out teeth for some, but it doesn’t have to be that difficult. There is help online to get you started on your way and close that final deal smoothly, and get decent money for that old bucket you keep dragging around the streets.

You should definitely know the book value of your used car.  Keep in mind that your car may easily be worth more or less than this average value based on many details. What kind of conditions does the car drive in on a regular basis? What weather has the car been through? How hard have you driven it? Try to analyze and be fair and realistic about the expectations you have regarding the car’s price.

This may come as a surprise to some, but in general, you are way better off taking your car and putting it up online to sell and not taking it straight to a dealer to trade. Obviously, there is a certain ease to just taking the old car in, and driving off in the new one, but this convenience usually comes at a high cost to you. Sell it here and get what it’s actually worth, and Uber it to get your car, or go with someone else, or both. You may have people trying to talk you down online, but in general people are much more amenable to paying a decent price for your car than dealerships, who need to always be thinking about margins and stuff.

Don’t be afraid to make some repairs to your car. The fact that it was recently done by you can often make a big difference in a car’s sale price. Of course, don’t go crazy and replace decent parts with perfect ones or anything, but at the very least, don’t forego routine maintenance like oil changes and brake pads etc. just because you’re selling the vehicle. These are actually key talking points for making a good sale and keeping that sale price at or near where you want it.