Article from RV Daily
Summer is an ideal opportunity to sell a caravan or camper-trailer. It’s when those folk that don’t have one or want a change often look to buy as they’re inspired by the weather or annual leave. When it’s time to sell your RV, there are a number of things that you should do to achieve the sale as quickly and easily as possible. If you follow these hot tips, expect to get the result you are after.
1 PREPARATIONGetting the RV ready for sale is the most important step. Looking after your RV is something you should always do. Keep it clean, keep it maintained and when it comes to preparing it for sale, it will be an easier task. Before taking the all-important photographs, clean your RV from top to bottom. Make it sparkle inside and out and it will shine in the images.
2 PHOTOGRAPHSWhen selling online, visual is everything and buyers love to see lots of images of your RV. Use a decent camera to take your selling shots, smartphones are okay, but the first thing potential buyers are going to want to see is a set of great photographs that really show the RV at its best. Gumtree suggests using images up to 4MB and shooting in landscape.
3 KNOW YOUR LIMITSThe best way to calculate the current market value of your RV is researching what others are selling for. Once you have decided on the advertised price it is a good idea to also decide on your lowest price. When it then comes to negotiating with potential buyers, not only will you know if the buyers understand the market value, but also if they are serious contenders or just tyre kickers. This will also hold you in good stead when you finally reach the crucial haggling stage with the eventual purchaser.
4 ADVERTISINGThere are a number of places to list your RV for sale. The major websites; Gumtree, Caravan Camping Sales and Trading Post have a variety of fees, however, there are other places to advertise for free. On Facebook there are numerous sites similar to RVs Buy, Swap Or Sale or see if there is a webpage for owners of your brand of RV. When listing your RV, be truthful, accurate and thorough. Write detailed comments ensuring that your grammar and punctuation are correct. The Trading Post charge by the month for advertising your RV which can make it cost prohibitive.
5 MARKETING YOUR RVWhen you list your RV online, most sites will send you weekly updates highlighting your ad’s performance and suggesting ways in which you can boost your listing. It is very important that you promote your RV as heavily as you can and weekends are when the majority of buyers are active. This is the perfect time to ‘bump’ or ‘pin’ your listing or mark it as an urgent sale. Refresh your ad every few weeks with new photos or updated comments.
6 ADDED EXTRASDo you have anything that you can throw in to further tempt a potential buyer? Driving mirrors, shackles, extra tow ball and extra ropes are all things of minor value to you but if it saves the buyer some cash, it adds value to your sale.
7 CHECKING IT OUTSo you have a buyer contact you and they ask for a viewing, this is what you need to do. Air your RV out for a couple of days prior, give your RV a wash, put your batteries on charge and make sure there is water in your tanks. Also test power, lights, air-conditioner/heater, hot water and turn the fridge on before they arrive, that way you won’t look stupid when something doesn’t work.
8 SOLD!So you have sold your RV, congratulations! A deposit of 10 percent is a good figure to seal the deal and have the remainder paid via bank cheque or direct deposit. Don’t forget to let your insurance company and road authority know so that you can apply for any refunds. The road authority will ask for the number plate to be returned if you have sold it interstate.
