How to Sell a Car in North Carolina

If you live in North Carolina and you want to sell your car, there are several ways that you can go about it. You can sell the car to a dealer or a used car lot, you can trade it in while buying another car, or you can try selling it yourself. Selling the car to a dealer or trading it in is the quickest way to go, and the easiest, but that may result in your getting less for the car than it is worth. Selling the car on your own could be time-consuming. If you are in a hurry, selling the car yourself is probably not the way to go, but if you have the time, that kind of sale probably will yield a higher price for your car.

Instructions

1

Take your car to a dealer, such as CarMax or a small used car dealer that buys cars outright. The dealer will inspect your car to make sure it meets certain standards and doesn't have any mechanical problems. If the car passes inspection, the dealer will make you an offer. If you take the deal, the dealer will handle all of the paperwork. If you owe money on the car, that amount will be deducted from your payout and sent directly to the lender.

2

Trade in your car while buying a new car. The dealership where you buy the car will be happy to take the old one off your hands. Research the value of your car in Kelly Blue Book to ensure that you are getting a fair price. When negotiating with car dealers, look at the trade-in value--not the retail value. The retail value is the price for which the dealer will sell the car bought from you.

3

Sell the car on your own. Advertise online, in local trade papers or in classified ads. Give a short accurate description of the vehicle along with the price and condition. Keep your car clean on the off-chance that someone wants to see it. Selling the car on your own may be the easiest course if you do not owe anything on the vehicle and have the title in hand. For print advertising in North Carolina, try your local newspaper or a regional paper such as the Charlotte Observer or a want ads-only paper like the IWANA. For online advertising, try Sellmycar.com or Oldcaronline.com, which used to be Old Car Trader.

4

If you sell the car on your own, go to the bank with the buyer to make sure that the payment will clear.

5

Go with the buyer to the tax office to transfer the title and ensure that all future property tax on the vehicle is in the new owner's name. If you don't own the car yet, you will need to call the lender while the buyer is with you. Give instructions that the title on the vehicle is to be changed to the new owner's name and mailed to the new owner. Inform the lender that payment is on its way.

6

Fill out the section on the title transfer papers that pertains to liens if the sale of the car won't cover the loan payoff. This will help transfer loan obligations to the new owner. Contact the lien holder first to ensure this is all right and give the lien holder any information required.