What to Do With Your Old Car

Getting a new car, or upgrading your vehicle is a super exciting time for all drivers. A more modern model means better comfort, better performance, and more perks, all coming together to make your experience on the road a little bit better. 

 

However, getting a new car can also be a bittersweet moment for some, as it means that they have to say goodbye to their previous car, which many would have grown attached to. This means that figuring out what to do with your old car can be a bit difficult. Of course, the easiest option would be to scrap it and get a nice cash injection from its parts and metal, but that might be too barbaric for those who have fond memories of their car. Either way, with your awesome new car on the horizon, there’s no space in the garage for both of them. Here’s what you can do with your old car when you upgrade and get a new one. 

 

Donate It to Charity 

 

Donating cars isn’t the most popular thing to do, mainly because most people want to get back some of the value that their car has. However, if money isn’t an issue for you then donating your old vehicle can be a super good option when getting rid of an older car. This is because the vehicle will benefit someone who will vastly appreciate it in their life. 

 

It’ll help them travel and move around and can even be what they need to be able to commute to a new job, which would turn their life around. In return, you’ll receive the satisfaction ofknowing that you’ve helped someone and improved their day and life chances, while being a positive effect on your local community. 

 

If your car is old, and isn’t worth much, then it’s really worthwhile looking for the best place to donate a car to charity, so that you can offload it and move on to your new machine. 

 

Sell Your Car 

 

If you’re looking to get money from your car, then selling it is a good option. Now, selling your car as an individual can be tricky, as you first have to attract buyers, deal with interested people, and then strike a suitable deal. Depending on the value of your car, this hassle may not be worth it, and the best option might just be to sell it to a car dealership who can offload it on their own accord. This does mean that you’re likely to get a reduced price for it but can be handy if you need the money quickly and can’t be bothered to organize your sale yourself. 

 

Another easier option when selling a car is to do so online, selling it either on sites such as eBay or Craigslist. As it’s online it opens you up to more potential buyers, and the auction format of some of these sites can help you drum up the price and get a better deal from it.  

 

However, if you’re set on selling it individually in person, then be sure to read up on the things you need to do when selling a car. You need to learn how to negotiate well, as many buyers will try and haggle the price down. Due to this, list the car for a higher price than you expect to sell it, so that when people try to haggle down, you’re still getting a decent price. 

 

Scrapping Your Car

 

If you’ve decided that your car has more value in metallic parts than it does as a running unit, then scrapping it can be a good option, if you can stomach seeing your old pride and joy be crushed that is. The issues with scrapping is that you need to be so careful on who you choose to do it for you. 

 

It’s always important to shop around and do your research when looking to scrap your car. Good, trusted options include Car Take Back or Rewarding Recycling, as these are partners of both Ford and Toyota, respectively, having handled the destruction of over 1.25 million cars. 

 

There are countless sites online that say they will scrap your car, but instead might have plans to sell it aboard or use it themselves. Others might scrap it, but they might not be licensed and offer to pay in cash, which would get you in a lot of trouble. There’s also the risk of the scrapping site simply not offering you a good enough price, trying to use your lack of knowledge to swindle you out of a good deal.

 

Thanks to Nathan Dumlao @nate_dumlao for making this photo available freely on Unsplash 
https://unsplash.com/photos/Eh8PK-jlLCI