Every year anywhere between six and eight million used cars change hands. At any one time there are hundreds of thousands of used cars for sale, so how do you make yours stand out from the rest? The key is to come up with an advert that lifts your car above all the others out there.

The first golden rule is that you take some time compiling your advert. Don’t just throw it together; make every word count so the reader isn’t left asking questions. There are certain pieces of information that you must include, most of which focus on the car’s specification. But one that’s often left out is why the car is being sold; if it’s so desirable, why don’t you want it any more? It’s also worth mentioning where in the country you are, especially if your car isn’t worth much. Nobody is going to travel 300 miles to buy a £600 supermini, but if you’re selling something rare, valuable and sought after potential buyers will travel a lot further.

These are the pieces of information that you should include, and be specific while you’re at it. So don’t just mention that your car comes with an MoT; say how many months are left before a new ticket is due.

• Make
• Model
• Engine size
• Fuel type
• Trim level
• Bodystyle
• Year/registration
• Mileage
• Colour
• Service history
• Tax and MoT
• Number of owners (if low)
• Transmission
• Key features
• Price

Be honest

Make sure that your advert is clear, informative and completely honest. Try to cover anything up and you’re wasting your time as well as the buyer’s. Being honest is also essential because if you’re deliberately misleading you could be laying yourself open to prosecution. Deliberately misdescribe a car, and anyone who buys it could take legal action against you. So if there’s damage say so, and be open about the car’s history, in terms of how it’s been serviced as well as any major expenditure such as new tyres, a fresh cam belt or a recent full service.

When it comes to your car’s specification, don’t get too carried away – especially if you’re selling a prestige model. Anyone buying a premium motor will expect electric windows, alloy wheels or climate control, so focus on any options like leather trim, parking sensors or sat nav.

Also keep your advert objective. Don’t include subjective remarks like ‘good car’ or ‘good runner’, and be sparing with abbreviations, because these are seen as jargon and can be intimidating. Not only will many potential buyers fail to understand them, but you might come across as a trader. Avoid using lots of exclamation marks and capital letters too, because that’s seen as shouting and it makes the advert hard to read.

The bottom line is that your advert should tell you what you’d want to know if you were buying rather than selling, so put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and make sure you include all the relevant information as a result. And just as importantly, exclude any information that takes up space but doesn’t tell the reader anything. So avoid phrases such as:

• Lovely driver
• Good car
• A joy to drive
• Excellent condition
• No time wasters
• First to see will buy

One of those pointless phrases is the throwaway line at the end which is often found in classified adverts – ‘no canvassers’. Such agencies universally ignore this, which is why it’s better instead to pay for a caller screening service, where available. This can’t completely prevent canvassers getting in touch, but it does massively reduce the chances of them getting through.

Setting the price

Many sellers struggle to work out how to set the asking price, but there’s nothing to worry about here as you can get a free valuation from the experts at cap. Pitch your asking price at a level where there’s interest, but you’re still able to haggle so the buyer feels they’ve got a bargain. Work out what you’re prepared to accept for your car, then add around five per cent. If you’re prepared to haggle, say so. Include ONO for ‘or nearest offer’, but if you’re not prepared to haggle, say ‘no offers’.

So that’s the words sorted, but what about the pictures? A decent set of images will make a big difference to the response rate, so it’s essential that you put some effort into getting the best shots you can. Use the maximum number of pictures possible, clean the car inside and out and position it against a contrasting background. Don’t shoot into the sun (taking pictures when cloudy is best) and make sure all the major areas are included, like the front seats, back seats, engine bay and wheels, along with the exterior from various key angles. If you don’t do this, potential buyers might think you’ve got something to hide, so use the opportunity to show off how good the car is.

Come up with the information contained in this ideal template – along with a decent set of pictures – and you can expect the phone to ring off the hook:

2008 (58-reg) Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec estate, finished in dark metallic blue. Manual gearbox and 140bhp diesel engine. One private owner, garaged from new, 87,000 miles. Full dealer service history, taxed and MoTed until March 2012. Unmarked interior, excellent exterior apart from a scrape on the front bumper. Factory-fitted extras include front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and heated front seats. Selling due to new company car, asking £4,400 ONO. 01234 567890 or 07777 777777 (Bedfordshire).

Richard Dredge

April 2016