Preparing to Sell Your Car: Getting More for Your Used Vehicle

Do you have your eye on a new ride but need to sell your old vehicle before you can take the plunge? Getting a new vehicle sometimes depends on getting the best trade-in or sale price on your old ride. Not only will small additions help you to sell your vehicle, but moneyunder30.com estimates you can get up to 21% more for your vehicle because buyers are willing to pay for cleanliness, confidence and a quality vehicle.

New Tires Can Go a Long Way

Getting new tires, especially in Minnesota, can help value your car tremendously. No one likes the idea of buying a car and then having to put more money into it; in fact, it can drastically lower the value of your car. Having a car with brand new tires also gives the buyer confidence that you took care of your vehicle.

Take Care of Small Maintenance Issues

Small maintenance projects like changing the oil, replacing the air filter and any lights that have burnt out, and filling any low fluids are easy and cheap ways to make your car have the “new” feeling for the person who could potentially be buying it. Plus, most of these things can be done without the help of a mechanic with little to no tools! Moneycrashers.com has a full list of car maintenance tips that can be done yourself and are typically inexpensive. Autotrader.com also suggests these small, routine maintenance projects before posting your vehicle online.

Be Prepared for the Buyer

Everyone knows someone who has gotten burned by buying a used car from a private owner. There is no warranty and most of the time you don’t know the person who you are buying from. This is why so many people are skeptical when buying a car from private owners. Be prepared for the buyer and show them that you have nothing to hide with maintenance and vehicle records on hand as well as offering to bring to a certified mechanic if they would prefer to have a third party look it over. This is usually pretty inexpensive and could end up helping you clinch the sale.

Soap and Water are Your Friends

Last but not least, get out the soapy water bucket and dust rag and clean your vehicle inside and out. A clean car looks better and will help value it so that you can get more money and they will be happier and more confident with their purchase. To get the job done like a pro, check out this article from popularmechanics.com.

These are just a few ways to get more for your vehicle and get you one step closer to your new ride. Visit our website to value your trade-in through an official Kelley Blue Book Quote, and start your journey to a new ride!

Preparing to Sell Your Car: Determine the Value of Your Vehicle

In our last blog post, you learned how to gather the correct paperwork needed to sell your vehicle. When it comes time to market your vehicle, you run into an important question; “How much is my vehicle worth?” Luckily, there are numerous tools and tips you can use to determine the value of your vehicle when you are ready to sell.

Determine Your Car’s Condition

Understanding the condition your car is really in is important to the appraisal process. Most people overestimate the value of their vehicle and can be unaware of maintenance needs. Kelly Blue Book supports getting an inspection report so you can be forthcoming with the condition of the car to potential buyers. If you are selling to a dealership like Kuehn Motors, an inspection report provides proof of your trade-in’s value.

Get An Online Appraisal

The value of your vehicle can be estimated online by a few different tools. Edmunds.com offers an easy-to-use appraisal tool which gives you the value of your vehicle if you sold it to a private party as well as the amount you can expect as a trade-in at a dealership. Kuehn Motors also offers a unique tool in conjunction with Kelly Blue Book to give you the value of your vehicle on our website.

Compare Like Models For Sale

The last tip to help you determine the value of your vehicle is to research similarly listed models in your area. A great tool to do this is on cargurus.com. They have an instant market value tool which appraises your car against other vehicles listed for sale in your area. All you need to do is complete information in their search engine and hit “search listings” to see which vehicles in your market’s area are comparable to yours.


Determining the car's true condition, seeking an online appraisal, and comparing similar vehicles on the market now will help you evaluate your vehicle's worth. Now that you know how to gather necessary documents and determine the value of your vehicle, it's just about time sell!


Tune into our next blog to learn how to make your car look it’s absolute best before you sell.

Preparing to Sell Your Car: Gathering the Correct Paperwork

Selling an old vehicle doesn’t have to be a difficult task. If you gather all the correct paperwork and stay organized there’s no doubt that the process will go over smoothly. We’ve put together a list of the necessary paperwork to get you one step closer to selling your car!

• The Title - The first thing you need to do after selling your car is sign the title and give it to the new owner. Both you and the buyer will have to fill out information on the title. Learn more about transferring your title to a new owner here. 

• Maintenance Records - It’s important for buyers to know they are getting a reliable vehicle. If you have maintenance reports, gather them into one place. If you don’t have any records, most mechanics will keep paperwork on file and you can request a copy from them.

• Bill of Sale - A bill of sale is a good idea for both buyers and sellers. Although it is not required with the sale of a car in Minnesota, it can still be beneficial, acting as a receipt for the transaction. It can also protect the seller in the event the buyer fails to register the vehicle.

• Release of Liability - When there is a change of ownership of any vehicle, it is required that you notify the DMV. This can protect you from being liable for any accident the new driver gets in before the car is legally switched over. Find more information on dmv.org.

• Warranty Documents - if your car is still under a manufacturer’s warranty or you purchased an extended warranty for your vehicle, include these documents with the sale of your car. If the car needs any repairs, the new owner will feel confident that the warranty will cover the cost.

• As-is Documentation - If there are no warranties left on your vehicle, make sure the new owner is aware. As-is documentation basically tells the buyer that they are buying the car with all issues - known and unknown. They will be responsible for any repairs or issues that may arise with the car over time.

Don’t wait until the last minute to get everything gathered or you’ll catch yourself scrambling at the most undesired time. Sell your car with ease and ensure the process is complete effortlessly!

If you need any further assistance, or if you’d rather have a professional handle the selling of your car, contact your nearest Kuehn Motors. We are always happy to help!