Car accidents are traumatizing and inconvenient, at best. The most important consideration, of course, is the well-being of the people involved. However, assuming everyone is healthy, being left with a wrecked car that’s not drivable is a nuisance.
In most cases, the wrecked car can be repaired and driven again. However, in some instances, the insurance company may decide the vehicle is a complete loss and ‘total’ it. You will at that point need to purchase a new car. If your insurance company reimburses you the amount needed to purchase another car, you are set. But if not, you may have to sell the car yourself. And selling a wrecked car is not the easiest of tasks.
Below are some suggestions for selling a wrecked car:
Find out who repairs crashed vehicles and get an estimate for the repair.
If the cost of the repair is not exorbitant and it seems to make sense, go ahead, invest in the repair and get the car running. It will most likely pay off, assuming the value of that particular make and model is good.
Research where to sell wrecked vehicles and contact them to learn what their offer would be to buy your car.
Car buyers aren’t eager to purchase a questionable vehicle. So, they will need to have a good handle on what will need to be done to make the car profitable. Until that is understood, they will offer only pennies on the dollar.
You can help in the valuation process by providing a detailed estimate of the actual cost of repairing the damage to potential buyers. That will take the guesswork out of the negotiation. Do this by contacting two or three car repair shops and getting an estimate from them. They will need to view the car and the damage.
Keep in mind that buyers will expect a big discount when buying a wrecked car. They will have to put in time and effort to arrange and oversee the repair; And, they may incur additional expenses, such as towing. The costs can add up, so your discount will need to be significant. Some articles will say that the discount for cosmetic damage will need to be 50% of the value of a car in good condition. And the discount for a car that is not drivable will need to be as much as 80% – 90%.
Identify what the fair market value would be for your car, whether it is still wrecked or has been repaired.
Check online for tools that can help you put a realistic value to your car. FYI, these tools can provide a post-accident valuation. Remember that algorithms can vary greatly and what you will get is not an actual bid for your car. The value they provide depends on the details you submit. So be objective with how you present your car.
Prepare your car for selling, even if it’s damaged.
You should prepare your car to hopefully get a little extra money for your car, just like you would with a vehicle that isn’t damaged and wrecked. One simple but effective thing to do is to thoroughly wash and clean your wrecked vehicle. It will surprise you how much merely cleaning your car will increase its marketability.
Consider selling your car to a junk car dealer.
You may not consider your wrecked car ‘junk’, but a junk car dealer does not only deal with end-of-life vehicles. Many people sell their running and non-running cars to these companies because they offer good money for them. And it is super simple and fast. No time is wasted on the above activities that could very well end up earning you the same amount of money, or even less. You simply accept the cash offered for your car and the junk car dealer does the rest. It is up to them to remove it from your property, repair any damage, and handle the paperwork.
At Bellinger & Son Wrecker Service, we can help you with this entire process. Our goal is to make the problems dealing with a wrecked car as easy as possible, and to provide you with the most cash possible for your car. Contact us to learn what your wrecked car is worth and let us take care of everything else.
