How to value your own car?

As you probably know by now, I am not the most knowledgeable girl in the world when it comes to cars, but I try my best! I am sure that everyone (car lover or not) has a dream car they aspire to own but their piggy bank requires a few more coins before they can quite afford it. Having a dream car is great, it gives you something to work towards, direction if you will, but it can also be dangerous should you not know enough...

It’s exciting buying a car, new or used and you can easily get swept up in the process, but don’t forget about your trusty motor left on the driveway. Most people see selling their old car as a burden, a hassle, but it does not need to be this way. A trade in is often the route most take to prevent any extra hard work and many a website offer you advice and help on how to go about this. Whatever the decision you make, it is most important that you know the true value of your car and you settle for the best deal you can possibly get.

Deciding on the cars true value is a difficult decision to make. The aim is to be as impartial as you can and take yourself (and your purse) out of the equation. The value of the car determines how much you will ultimately get for your car, but it is unfortunately not as straight forward as you think. Pricing either too high or low can be detrimental in its selling, especially if you are on a motoring budget. What you are aiming for is the perfect private party price.
When you go to sell your car, ultimately it will have depreciated in price since when you bought it. This is frustrating as you will replace your car with less of a budget than when you first started. With buying and selling cars this is unfortunately the name of the game. Using a guide on used car prices can be very helpful when valuing your used car. Be aware though that using a guide can only give you a rough idea as it is based on an average as opposed to being specific to your car. Car reviews are available online to aid you with your pricing which would be more beneficial.

Another way of valuing your car would be to consult various advertising, such as online car magazines, used car supermarkets or even cards in newsagents. This will give you an idea of what other people are pricing up for their cars and it can help you with your own cars value.

I should take heed and practise what I preach as my little brum is sadly on its last legs, wonder if they will part exchange my ten year old KA with a BMW Z4? Hmn........