Getting a second-hand car ready to sell in Perth doesn’t cost much, but it does take a bit of planning. Buyers here have plenty to choose from, so anything that lifts your car’s value — and gives them fewer reasons to haggle — tends to come back to you in the sale price. The tips below are the ones that genuinely move the needle, and none of them need a workshop or a big budget. They’re written for a car worth advertising privately; if yours is already more trouble than it’s worth, selling it as-is may beat spending another dollar on it.
Sort the mechanical basics first
1. Keep the service history up to date
A complete logbook is worth real money at sale time, because the buyer isn’t left guessing about what’s been done. If a scheduled service is due, book it in before you advertise and keep the invoice with the book. Lost the logbook? A printout of past invoices from your regular mechanic covers most of the same ground and still reassures a careful buyer.
2. Fix the faults a buyer will spot
Walk around the car as if you were the one buying it. A dashboard warning light, a smearing wiper, a blowing exhaust or a chipped windscreen all get used as bargaining chips, and most cost far less to repair than a buyer will demand off the price for them. Deal with the cheap, obvious ones first — they do the most damage to a first impression.
3. Check the tyres, brakes and other consumables
Tyres are one of the first things a switched-on buyer checks. A set near the wear bars invites a big discount, while decent, evenly worn tyres suggest the car has been looked after. The same goes for brake pads that squeal, a battery on its last legs or an air-conditioner that isn’t cold. These are low-cost items with an outsized effect on how the car feels on a test drive.
Make it presentable
4. Give it a proper clean, inside and out
Presentation is where the least money buys the most value. Wash and polish the exterior, clean the wheels, vacuum the carpets and mats, wipe down every surface and clear out the clutter. A professional detail costs a fair bit less than the difference it can make to an offer, especially on a car with pet hair, smoke odour or built-up grime.
5. Take care of minor cosmetic damage
Small scratches, kerbed alloys, a dinged door edge or hazy headlight lenses are quick, inexpensive jobs that make a car look cared for. You don’t need a full respray. On common models — a Hyundai i30, a Corolla, a Mazda3 — even used panels and light lenses are cheap and easy to find at a Perth wrecker if something needs replacing outright.
6. Tidy up a tired interior
Worn seats, cracked dash trim or a missing boot cover drag a car down more than sellers expect. Fresh floor mats, seat covers that actually fit, and a proper clean of the upholstery go a long way. Replacing a broken vent or a torn seat base is usually a cheap part and an hour’s work.
Price it right and get your paperwork ready
7. Work out what the car is actually worth
Before you settle on a number, take the time to work out what your car is really worth from recent sales of the same model, year and condition — not the hopeful asking prices still sitting on listing sites. Pricing a little under the crowd usually sells the car faster, and often nets more than a high price that drifts for two months.
8. Gather every record you have
Beyond the logbook, dig out receipts for tyres, batteries, a timing belt or any major work, plus the owner’s manual, both keys and the spare-wheel tools. Handing a buyer a folder rather than a promise removes doubt, and doubt is what drives lowball offers.
9. Sort the WA paperwork before the sale
In WA you don’t need a roadworthiness inspection to sell a car that’s currently licensed — inspections only apply when a vehicle is first licensed here, when its licence has lapsed by more than three months, or when it’s arriving from interstate. Once the car sells, both you and the buyer must notify the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure within seven days using the Notification of Change of Ownership (MR9) form, and you’ll need the buyer’s name and address. Standard WA plates stay with the car.
Write a listing that sells
10. Take proper photos
Photos decide whether anyone clicks. Wash the car first, park it somewhere clean and open in soft light — early morning or late afternoon — and take fifteen to twenty shots: every panel, the wheels, the engine bay, the boot, the odometer, the seats and any damage. Honest photos of the flaws attract serious buyers and filter out the time-wasters.
11. Write an honest, detailed ad — and meet buyers safely
List the service history, recent work, known faults and the reason you’re selling. A specific, straight ad builds trust and cuts down on haggling. When it’s time for inspections, meet buyers somewhere public — a shopping-centre car park in Gosnells or Cannington rather than your driveway — bring someone with you, and photograph the buyer’s licence before any test drive.
Work through the list in order — mechanical, presentation, paperwork, listing — and you’ll usually recover far more than the few hundred dollars and the weekend it costs. And if you’d rather skip the ads, the inspections and the tyre-kickers altogether, we buy second-hand cars right across Perth, sort the paperwork and collect the car for free.
FAQs
Is it worth fixing a car before selling it?
Usually yes, for small visible faults. A chipped windscreen, worn wipers or a warning light cost far less to fix than a buyer will knock off for them. Big-ticket repairs on an older car are different: if the bill is close to the car’s value, it’s often smarter to price the car accordingly and be upfront, or to sell it as-is.
Do I need a roadworthy certificate to sell a car in WA?
Not for a car that’s currently licensed. WA only requires an inspection when a vehicle is first licensed in the state, when its licence has been expired for more than three months, or when it’s being brought in from interstate.
How much value does detailing add?
It varies from car to car, but presentation is consistently the cheapest way to lift an offer. A clean, odour-free car with tidy paint photographs better, draws more enquiries and gives buyers less to bargain with. There’s no fixed figure — the gain depends on how rough the car looked to begin with.
What paperwork do I need to sell privately in WA?
The logbook or service invoices, both keys, the owner’s manual, and receipts for any major work. After the sale, you and the buyer each lodge the Notification of Change of Ownership (MR9) with the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure within seven days. Standard number plates stay with the vehicle.