Before you embark on a process that can be stressful consider whether you want to sell your car privately or trade it in.

* Trading your old car in on your new car is the easiest way of disposing it. You can negotiate with the dealer, and once you've agreed on a price you hand him the keys and you're on your way.

* Selling it yourself might result in a slightly higher price than you could get as a trade-in, but it can be a little more involved. First you have to sit by the phone waiting for potential buyers to answer your ad, and then you have strangers coming to your house to look at your car, and whatever else might take their fancy.

* Many people know how hard it is to sell a car privately and use that to try and force your price down. If you don't like hard bargaining with a stranger in your lounge room think long and hard about selling your car privately.

ADVERTISING

If you decide to sell your car yourself there are a number of ways of going about it.

* Internet is an effective and economic way to sell your car. CARSguide.com.au offers online ads for as little as $9.95. Click here to find out more.

* Another more traditional option is newspaper classifieds. Place your ad in one of News Limited's country-wide newspapers. Find out more here.

WRITING THE AD

If you want to attract a buyer you must write an ad that is clear, concise and correct.

* Be precise in your description of your car, detailing the make and model, year of manufacture, engine and transmission details, major options and its general condition. Include odometer reading if it is low for the age.

* Avoid abbreviations and jargon that might make it hard to understand for the reader.

* Keep the words to a minimum, 20 to 30 should be enough to get your message across.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I ASK

Putting an unrealistically high price in your ad will almost certainly mean you'll waste your weekends waiting for the phone to ring, but put too low a price in it will have you rushed off your feet by tyre kickers hoping for a bargain.

* In the weeks leading up to running your ad scan the classifieds and websites and get an idea of the prices being asked for similar makes and models as yours.

* You can also get current values for your car from CARSguide. Click here to value your car now.

PREPARING FOR SALE

To create a good impression on a potential buyer you need to prepare your car so it's looking its best when the buyer arrives.

* Consider having it detailed by a professional detailer. For a couple of hundred dollars you can have your car cleaned from top to bottom in a way that would take you a couple of weekends.

* If you opt to clean it yourself make sure you clean in all the hard to get at areas, like door openings, boot openings, engine bay.

* Never leave anything lying around the interior or boot making them look untidy in the eyes of the buyer. Loose items can rattle and bang around and create a poor impression on a test drive.

* If you're a smoker clean the ashtray and make sure the interior doesn't smell of cigarette smoke. There's no better way of putting a buyer off than to show them a car that smells of tobacco. If it does smell get a deodoriser and leave it in the car for a week or two before advertising it in the hope the smell will go away. Don't leave the deodoriser in the car when showing it to a potential buyer.

* Wash and polish the exterior including the wheels, windows and all chrome or stainless trim. Clean up any residue of polish after you're finished to avoid giving the impression you've just cleaned the car up to sell it.

* Consider having the engine oil changed a week or two before selling it so it looks nice and clean if the buyer pulls the dip stick. Doing it a week or two before will mean it won't look too fresh on the day.

* Make sure the windscreen washer reservoir and radiator are topped up to the marks so it looks like you have cared about your car.

* Take the time to inflate the tyres to the correct pressure. There's nothing worse than going on a test drive and being shaken and shimmied because the owner didn't set the tyre pressures.

* Have the car's service record on hand to show the potential buyer that you have had the car serviced regularly. It's another way of demonstrating you've looked after it.

* Also have the car's title on hand to show that you are the owner of the car you're selling.

* Consider investing in a vehicle history report. Checkitout.com.au will supply you with a full vehicle history check and certificate for around $30.