Prep your car for sale...
I have sold several cars when the time came and have gotten pretty close to my (reasonable and not crazy) asking price. There is a detailed "How to Sell Your car" Guide on Bring a Trailer which may give you a good introduction. First of all, I'm one of those guys that keeps all records in a binder: original ad, Carfax, PPI, any maintenance or repair stuff and instructions for anything new like a dashcam. I'll generally take the car and have it inspected and any small things fixed. If there is some major issue (for example, the timing belt is due for replacement), I will either replace it or adjust the price accordingly and mention this in the ad. I will look for a set of take off tires on Craigslist unless the existing tires are new-ish. I will replace the wipers all around, air filter and cabin filter and change the oil and filter (parts from rock auto). I will clean the engine compartment and pick up any leaves or debris in the cowl and thoroughly clean the exterior. My pet peeves are dirt inside the gas filler hatch and brake dust crud on the wheels so I make sure these are clean. I take everything out of the interior, making sure that the owner manual folder is complete and I remove any personal stuff. Make sure that you have the puzzle lock key for the wheels. I shampoo the floor mats or buy new OE mats if the originals look bad. I clean all the cubbies and places where stuff can drop into and vacuum the interior. I personally like Griots 3 in 1 Leather cleaner since it doesn't leave a fake shiny film. CLEAN CLEAN and CLEAN again. This has to be the commonest fault I see when I look at cars for sale - the inside is filthy and full of junk. make note to de-program your HomeLink garage opener, remove any parking permit stickers and remove any Tollway stickers from your WS. After a thorough cleaning, I make sure that the gas gauge reads FULL and take a bunch of photos. Ideally, you want a place with some visual interest but not so much as to detract from the vehicle. Last car I sold was photographed on the roof of a parking garage on a weekend. TAKE LOTS OF GOOD PICTURES. Like 50+ from front, back, both sides, hood, trunk, all 4 wheels, engine compartment, all door panels, seats, dash and fan out all the receipts you have and photograph them. Your car should be completely "anonymous" - no bumper stickers, no "cat mom" stuff, no Biden/Trump stuff; nothing that wasn't there from the factory. Now its time to write your description. Obviously, it should state make, model, year and mileage. 1st owner is good, maintenance history is good, multiple keys are good and so on. If the tires are new, mention that. Put as many photos up as possible; carGurus allows 24 photos IIRC. Be realistic as to pricing - look at several sites such as Blue book and KBB and check local ads for a similar model to see where you should be. I looked at an ad for a 2004 T4R V8 2WD limited with 90k miles, no timing belt change and the Seller wanted $18k "cause it's like the Mona Lisa; they don't make them anymore" - yeh, sure. Have someone who isn't a car person review your ad. Post your ad and get ready for the fun, including spammers and low-ballers but eventually a normal buyer will come along. Have your title ready along with any DMV forms that need both of you to sign. In Texas, I can go to the DMV website and fill out a "transfer of owner" Form which I do right after I complete the sale (I also date and time the Bill of Sale) AND make sure I de-activate the tollway access for the sold vehicle AND cancel insurance for the sold vehicle. You have now sold your car and hopefully both you and the Buyer are satisfied. Time for a cold adult beverage.
