Best Houston Limos

At some point in your life, you might face the problem of how to get rid of an old car that has been taking up space in your garage or backyard for years. If it is still in a reasonable condition, you can of course donate it to a local charity, sell it out of hand, or call the wreckers to remove it. But is removal to the wrecking yard as it is always the best option? In some circumstances it might not be, so let us look at some other options.

Does the car run?

To the wreckers it makes almost no difference if the car is a running condition or not, but in monetary terms, it can make a great deal of difference to you. The price you get from a wrecking yard is determined by the weight of the car, so the thing to do is to determine how well the car runs, and if it does not, how much it will cost to get it running satisfactorily.

However, before you fix anything, call all the wrecking yards like Cash for My Cars to obtain quotes, and so get an idea of what the car is worth. If the body work is still in good condition without dents, dings, and rust, it might be worth spending up to around 25% of the best price you were offered to fix it. But then again, you must ask yourself if the repair is worth the cost and hassle, or if you even need the car.

If you decide that the cost is worth the effort of carrying out minor repairs, it might be good idea to sell the car out of hand after fixing it by advertising it in the local paper, local auction sites, or even by parking it in a visible spot, or even in your drive way, with a “FOR SALE” sign on it. If the car runs well, you are almost certain to get a higher price for it by selling it privately than you would have received from the wreckers.

You can sell its parts.

Sometimes, depending on the car, and the demand for its parts, it is easier to forego repairing it and just to offer its useful parts for sale. However, it is important to first determine the demand for parts, so make a list of all the working parts, and advertise them in the “Classified” section of a few local papers.

For instance, if the engine and transmission is in working condition, you can probably get twice as much for the engine set as you would have done for the entire car from the wrecking yard. Similarly, if the interior is still good you can sell the seats as a set, for which you can easily get as much as the wreckers offered you for the whole car.

Clean it before selling it.

If the car had been standing outside in the rain and sun, and not undercover, it might be a good idea to give it a good wash. It does not have to shine like your new car, but if it is reasonably clean, with no trash inside the passenger compartment and boot, it will be much easier to negotiate a better price when the wreckers call to look at it.

Also inflate the tyres if they are flat, and make sure all the papers are in order- if you can’t produce the title, it might be impossible to get a reasonable price for the car- if you can sell it at all. If there are wires hanging from under the dashboard, tuck them away out of sight.

Negotiate the best price.

Wreckers and scrap yards fix the prices for the wares they sell to the public, which means that there is nothing to stop you from negotiating the best possible price for your old wreck. For instance, if the engine still runs, it is highly unlikely that the wrecking yard will crush it together with the body. They are far more likely to remove and sell the engine separately, which will more than make up the amount they are willing to pay you for the whole car.

Merely accepting the first offer from a wrecker is the worst thing you can do, because with a little effort, imagination, and the determination to get a better price, you can almost certainly get top dollar for your wreck.