You probably have a rough idea of what your car is worth. People ask less often when to sell it. Yet a few weeks can change how a buyer looks at it. The odometer passing a round number, a warranty expiring, an inspection that is getting old, a major service coming up: each of these deadlines ends up showing in the listing, and each one costs you in the negotiation. This article helps you spot these deadlines on your own vehicle, so they do not catch you in the middle of a sale: sell before them, or just after dealing with them, with proof in hand.
Value drops all the time, but not evenly
A car loses value every month. That is no surprise, and there is not much you can do about it. What matters more is the shape of that decline. It does not slope down gently. It drops in steps, at moments you can predict.
These steps rarely come from the car itself. They come from what the buyer reads: a mileage figure, a warranty end date, an old inspection, a missing timing belt invoice. The day one of these tips over, the buyer adjusts the offer. The car itself drives exactly as it did the day before.
Selling at the right time mostly means not being caught by a step: sell just before it, or just after clearing it with proof in hand. The article on what sets the price of a used car explains how the price is formed. Here, we only talk about timing.
The mileage thresholds buyers look at
Buyers often think in round numbers. The 100,000 km mark is the most common example. Many see it as a border, even though a well-maintained car does not change its nature between 98,000 and 102,000 km.
This perception is not always right mechanically. But it exists, and it drives the offer. A listing at 97,000 km and a listing at 103,000 km are not read the same way, even if the real difference is small.
In practice:
- if your odometer is close to a round number, put the car up for sale before you pass it;
- allow for the time it takes to sell: you will probably keep driving while the listing is online;
- if you drive a lot, start earlier.
The end of the manufacturer warranty and service contracts
A manufacturer warranty that is still running is reassuring. So is a prepaid service or maintenance contract. For the buyer, it means a period during which some of the bad surprises will not be their cost.
These benefits only count at resale if they pass to the new owner. That is not automatic. It depends on the brand, the contract and sometimes on whether the servicing conditions were met.
Before you set your timing, get your documents out and check three things:
- the exact end date, and the mileage limit if there is one;
- the conditions for transfer to a new owner;
- what is actually covered.
If in doubt, ask the brand's dealer or the contract issuer to confirm. If the warranty can be transferred and it ends in a few months, put that deadline at the top of your list.
The major service coming up
Some costs are easy to see coming: timing belt, clutch, brakes, tyres. A careful buyer spots them in the service book and deducts them from the offer, often with a safety margin.
When it comes to timing, you have two options:
- sell before the deadline, and state it clearly in the listing so the buyer does not discover it during the test drive;
- sell after, with the detailed invoice in hand.
The choice depends on the cost of the work and what it really adds to the sale. This trade-off is covered in the article repair before selling, or lower the price. One thing is certain: do not let the deadline arrive while the car is for sale without having mentioned it.
Before or after the inspection
You do not freely choose the date of the periodic official inspection: it comes with a notice. Depending on the canton, a vehicle can also be presented without a notice, with lead times and fees that vary: check with the road traffic office before relying on it. When the notice arrives, you have two options: present the car first and then sell it, or sell it straight away.
A fresh inspection is a real selling point. The reasons are explained in the article on why a recent inspection changes the price. If your car is in good condition and the notice arrives, presenting it before you sell is often the logical choice.
Everything changes if the car might fail. Selling it in a hurry just before the date solves nothing: the buyer will ask, and a known defect must be disclosed. In that case, refer to the article repair before selling, or lower the price, which sets out three ways forward for a vehicle that would not pass.
To find out the date of your next inspection, rely on your notice or ask your canton's road traffic office.
The season, depending on the type of car
Not every car sells the same way all year round. What counts is the buyer's logic: people look for a car when they expect to use it.
- Convertible or roadster: interest mostly picks up as the warm season approaches. In the middle of winter, few buyers picture themselves driving with the top down.
- All-wheel drive: it finds a buyer more easily before winter, when snow and mountain roads are back on people's minds.
- City car or family compact: it is not very seasonal. It meets an everyday need that does not depend on the weather.
The advice that follows: prepare the sale a few weeks before the favourable period, not in the middle of it. Cleaning, photos, documents, the listing: all of this takes time. A car that goes online just as buyers start looking is better placed than one that arrives when the season is already well under way.
The deadlines that come from you
Timing does not depend only on the car. It also depends on your life: a child on the way, a move, a new commute, a job that comes with a company car.
These changes are often known several months in advance. That is when to start, not on the day the new car is delivered. The classic trap is buying the next car before selling the current one. As long as both stay registered, you pay two insurance policies and two vehicle taxes, and you still need to park both cars, sometimes for weeks. And under pressure, people often end up accepting a lower offer just to get it over with.
A leased car is a special case. It belongs to the leasing company, not to you, so it cannot be sold like any other car. The possible solutions are set out in the article on ending a lease early.
Selling time is part of the timing
A sale does not happen overnight. You need to prepare the car, publish the listing, answer the first enquiries, arrange test drives and negotiate. No one can guarantee this timeframe in advance. It depends on the model, its condition, the asking price and the season.
The practical rule: start before the deadline you are aiming for, not when it falls. If your mileage, warranty or inspection tips over in a few months, now is the time to think about it.
The way you sell also changes how you live through this period. With consignment sales, online or in the showroom, you have two options:
- online: the car stays with you and you keep using it while it is for sale. Just keep in mind that the odometer keeps turning;
- in the showroom: it is on display at all times and can be viewed and test-driven without you having to be there.
For concrete examples of models and profiles, see the vehicles already sold.
Talk about it before the deadline
The right time to sell is rarely decided on the day the listing goes online. It is prepared by looking at a few dates: the next mileage threshold, the end of the warranty, the inspection, the next major service and the season that suits your type of car. The nearest deadline sets your timing.
To take stock of your car and the right time to sell it, take the time to talk to us about your vehicle before the next deadline.
