Pass to the technical control

If your car is more than four years old and the last technical inspection dates back more than six months (or more than two months if you had to make a counter-visit during the last inspection), you must pass it again: the certificate of technical control is obligatory to conclude the sale. This is of course the best way to repair small faults in order to be able to offer a vehicle with all the safety guarantees.

Check the paperwork

In addition to the proof of technical inspection, you will need to provide:

the registration certificate (the famous “grey card”). If you have an old registration card model, it will be given to the buyer with the mention of the date of transfer (“Sold on ../../…”). If you have a recent card model, you will need to fill in the upper part (date of sale), then the detachable coupon (stating the contact details of the buyer and the date of the sale) that you will give to the seller. It will allow him to circulate until he receives his own gray card. If the address on your registration certificate is not correct, you will need to have the gray card updated before selling your vehicle;

the certificate of administrative status (certificate of non-pledge). It attests to the absence of pledge registration on the vehicle and of opposition to the transfer of the gray card. Conversely, therefore, you will be refused this certificate if the vehicle is “pledged”, for example when you have not finished repaying the lease that allowed you to buy the vehicle or even sometimes when you have to the state a significant amount of fines. You can request it online on the website of the Ministry of the Interior  ;

The declaration of sale

. Once the transaction has been completed, you must declare the sale to the National Agency for Secured Titles (ANTS). This process can be done online on the ANTS website  : the document is completed in two copies (one for the buyer, one for the seller);

The transfer code.

 At the end of the declaration of sale, a transfer code is given to you. You will have to send it to the buyer so that he can apply for a gray card and register the vehicle in his name;

Insurance.

 Of course, do not forget to contact your insurer to transfer your Auto contract to your new vehicle from the day of the transaction. To do this, you will need to send a letter of termination for sale . With some insurers, in the event of transfer of your Auto contract to a new vehicle, the old one remains insured free of charge until it is resold, within the limit of thirty days.

Taking care of appearances

It goes without saying, and yet not everyone takes this trouble: thoroughly clean your car, exterior and interior, to present it in its best possible light. Polish the interior plastics and the small scratches on the bodywork with a polish (approximately €10 to €20 in a specialist store), clean the seats, remove the old covers and stickers, change the floor mats. And of course, empty the glove box, trunk and other compartments: the car should be clean, ready to go with its new owner.

Set the right price

Many specialist sites now offer to estimate the resale price of your vehicle. This is particularly the case of Carizy , a platform that allows you to make an estimate at the right price of your vehicle. Depending on its condition (very good or on the contrary rather degraded) and certain more subjective criteria (unusual color for example), you may need to modulate this price up or down by 10 to 20%. Test your ad for a few days or weeks at the desired price before lowering if you do not meet with the expected success.

Choose the right sales channel

Essential sales platforms, as well as traditional classified ads will offer maximum visibility to your message and allow you to sell at the best price. You can also look at newcomers such as Carizy , which specializes in the sale and purchase of used vehicles, which offers additional services (vehicle verification, selling price estimation tool , direct trade-in, etc. ). Another solution: the recovery of your vehicle by the manufacturers via their second-hand networks. Advantage: it’s fast and reliable, and you don’t need to manage visits, but the discount applied makes the sale price often less attractive than between individuals.

The text must be simple and clear, and state the essentials in a few words: the model, the year, whether the vehicle is first or second hand, whether it is parked indoors or outdoors, the general condition. Report any repairs to be planned. Be honest and realistic as required by law ! Take care of the photos: taken outdoors, in daylight for good light, in a neutral setting (no dark garage, cluttered yard or sinister parking lot). The message that will pass: I am careful, so my car is well maintained, you can buy it with your eyes closed!

Ask for a cashier’s check

To secure the payment, ask the buyer for a cashier’s check (a check issued by his bank), which guarantees his solvency. To avoid any risk of a forged check, don’t hesitate to ask the buyer for their ID and to call their bank branch directly to check the authenticity and amount of the check. And for a 2.0 and even more secure transaction, new digital transaction services protect you from fraud and secure transactions. The identity of the buyer is verified and the funds are held until the moment of sale.