**This is a collaborative post

Car buying can be complex, especially when you have kids. Is there room for two car seats? Can you squeeze the youngest’s scooter in the boot?

When you spent so long finding the right car for your family, it can be hard to put it up for sale. However, if your family of three is about to become four and you need to upsize, it’s time to let go of the old model and start thinking of getting something new.  

If you’re planning on selling your current car and want to make sure you get a good deal for it, here are some top tips to help you walk away with the amount it’s worth.

Work Out its Worth

Before putting your car on the market, it’s important to know how much it’s worth. The best position for you to be in is to own the car outright and not have any finance left to pay.

Assuming the car is completely owned by you, the first step to take is to use a car valuation tool, such as this one from the AA, to get an estimate. You might be given a couple of values, based on whether you’re trading your car in or you’re privately selling it.

Make sure you have as much information about your car as possible and it’s been checked over and repaired where necessary. Everything from how much of the service history you have on record to whether there has been any damage will affect its value.

Choose a Selling Method

Now you have an idea of what your car is worth, you can advertise your car for sale. How you advertise it will depend on whether you’re selling privately or you’re selling it to a dealer.

You’ll probably get more if you’re selling privately, however there are benefits to selling to a dealer, such as it being less time consuming as they take care of everything from advertising the car for sale to dealing with enquiries. Should you opt to sell privately, you can advertise the car for sale online or in a magazine.

If you opt to sell to a dealer, you can either part-exchange it or sell it outright. If you part-exchange it, you’ll probably get more than if you sell it outright to the dealer as the dealer will buy in full from you based on its trade value and condition. Choosing to sell to a dealer means you can use dedicated services that value your car, give you a free listing and then let you choose the best offer from the bids you receive.

Once you know how you want to sell your car and who you’re selling it to, make sure you’ve prepped it so it’s in the best condition possible. Have it valeted, serviced and make sure any repairs are done to avoid any issues with the sale.

Since buying my first car 20 years ago I’ve sold four cars and always either part-exchanged or sold to a dealer but it’s definitely worth finding out all your options and knowing how much your car is worth however you’re going to sell it.

Are you ready to sell your car? What car will you buy next?