When to sell a used car? Important keys!

  • A car's depreciation is greatest in the first few years; selling it before four years is the best way to achieve a financial return.
  • Proper maintenance increases resale value by keeping a car in optimal condition.
  • Mileage is crucial; it's advisable to sell before reaching 100,000 km to maintain a competitive price.
  • High-demand months, such as March through July, are ideal for maximizing sales performance.

Throughout this article, we'll show you in detail when to sell a used car . You'll find excellent examples and key points.

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when to sell a car

If we own a vehicle and for some reason want to sell it, we need to know the perfect time to sell a car , as this will determine the best value we can give our vehicle.

Although there is certainly no exact science to help us define the day or the time when to sell a car, there are characteristics that we can take into consideration to make this much more timely and viable within the market.

It's worth noting that the used car market is very popular because it's based on more affordable prices, allowing for a much faster and more feasible sale to buyers who may not have the financial means for a new car. Similarly, it's important to register any purchase or sale transaction promptly to avoid penalties or future problems. To learn more about this topic, please visit the following link: What is the Property Registry?

Among the characteristics or conditions that we must take into consideration when deciding when to sell a car we find:

car depreciation

When we refer to the depreciation of the car, we are talking about the use it has had or the useful life of the car. It is important to note that different accounting studies have shown that almost 80% of the vehicle's life is gone in the first nine years of vehicle acquisition. In the first year of life the vehicle can lose between fifteen and thirty percent of useful life, while the next five years will have an average loss of ten percent.

It is important to consider these values ​​so that when we decide when to sell a car we lose as little money as possible. In stable economies these values ​​are of the utmost importance since the buyer can demand that the value of the vehicle be lower depending on the depreciation or the useful life that the car has had. While in much more unstable economies used cars can be much more expensive than new vehicles, ideas that seem completely crazy but happen.

If we base the moment of the sale of the car on this characteristic, we find two feasible scenarios that are between the first four years of life or after the ninth.

If we decide to sell it within the first four years of its useful life, we will obtain a much higher economic return, while if we decide on the second scenario, we must establish what we can earn since the life of the vehicle is completely null.

What we must take into consideration when looking for when to sell a car through depreciation is to make the sale between the fifth and ninth year. Statistically, it has been shown that for vehicles sold within these years of the vehicle's life, the economic performance that we will obtain from the sale is practically nil and not very viable.

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Car maintenance

Although it is necessary to carry out maintenance on vehicles for our safety, doing so can in the same way generate a little more performance than a car that has not been carried out.

Maintenance is key when it comes to knowing when to sell a car, since by presenting a polished paint, an interior without defects, clean and in good condition, an operating system up to date and each of the quality vehicle accessories, it helps us to be able to improve the selling price of our car.

The expenses that we make to our vehicles throughout their useful life should not be considered as such, but rather as an investment thanks to the fact that at the time of carrying out the commercial activity we can consider each of these extras within the sale price.

In the same way, allowing the buyer to carry out a test drive or for a mechanical workshop to evaluate and determine the condition of the car generates confidence, making it easier to reach the purchase action without so many insecurities or fears.

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mileage

Other factors that most affect when knowing when to sell a car is the mileage for which we have used our vehicle. The number that the odometer throws will reflect if the price of our car is higher or lower than what we plan to ask.

It is necessary to understand and understand the operation of our vehicle to know at what point we can lose money. If our engine works with gasoline, we must take into consideration that after one hundred and twenty thousand kilometers the car will begin to register problems, while those that work with diesel will have their useful life after one hundred and fifty thousand.

On the other hand, it is important to note that the visual and psychological factor significantly determines the sale and price of our car. If our odometer marks a six-digit figure, the value of our vehicles will drop considerably, so it is recommended to make the sale under these foundations below one hundred thousand kilometers, which will generate a sense of tranquility within our potential buyers. .

It is advisable to sell the car before four years with a mileage that does not exceed sixty thousand, since after these we will lose an important value when establishing the sale price of our vehicle.

In the same way we leave you the following video so that you understand a little better how we can earn money by selling our car

Current cars

This is a very prominent feature when knowing when to sell a car. This is because people seek to be more up-to-date and recent vehicle purchases generate this feeling.

On the other hand, people request the purchase of these types of vehicles since when it comes to getting spare parts or trusted mechanics, they are much easier than cars that have been on the market for many years. Thanks to the fact that the maintenance costs of these slightly more vintage vehicles generally suggest a much higher cost, as well as the spare parts that you may need.

If we want a good return for knowing when to sell a car, let's remember the rule of the first four years, which allows us to sell the car without waiting for a new generation of vehicle to come out that makes ours obsolete and we lose money in this transaction.

sale schedule

Although it is hard to believe, knowing what month we are in and the period in which we are going to put our vehicle up for sale usually has a direct influence at the time of the transaction.

Studies show that the months that are included between the second quarter of the year, April, May, June and July, including the month of March. It is the period where our market is most active.

It is important to remember the fundamental rules of price and demand, if we are in a period where our product, in this case a car, is not in great demand, the sale price can be much lower than a period where demand is extremely high.

Therefore, we recommend that you establish a sales calendar where these months are our priority to obtain the best performance when selling a car, quickly and feasible.

As we have seen, knowing when to sell a car is a science that allows many variants and variables that affect the action of the purchase. That is why it is recommended that you study these scenarios that we have proposed and analyze in a coherent way which is the best for you to achieve the economic performance that we so much desire.

We recommend that you always remember the rule of the first four years if your only goal is to make money, so we will ensure that depreciation, maintenance and mileage is low so that the sale price is much higher than if we would do it at a vehicle in less than these conditions.

While if we can wait a bit to take advantage of the rebound in sales in the best seasons, we can do it. Everything will depend on the purpose and the objective that you have to cover those economic or investment needs that we may have to want to know when to sell a car.


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