Caravans For Sale - Selling Tips For The Unexperienced Seller

Every caravan owner in the world will eventually want to sell their caravan. This can be for an array of reasons which include wanting to upgrade to a newer or larger model. Many times people want to upgrade because they no longer can get enough use from it which does not warrant holding on to it. However, regardless of your reasons you will want to get the best deal i.e. the highest price. Below we look at a few tips which should help you get the best possible price. The one thing you always need to keep in mind when selling anything is to be honest, this will help to prevent disputes later on.

Dealer versus doing it yourself

Before you can put your caravan on the market you need to decide if you want to sell it on your own or via a dealer. Whichever option you end up with make sure that the caravan is in the best condition. To do this get it inspected by a caravan mechanic. Let them take a look and fix whatever they think is wrong with it. Make sure that it also looks good cosmetically. This will aid you in commanding a higher price. 

Clean it thoroughly

Clean the caravan thoroughly both on the outside and inside. The first impression will go a very long way and if the potential buyer is impressed with his or her first look there is a good chance they will buy it.

Carry out required maintenance

Source: Dick Penn, cc-by-3.0, flickr

Before you put your caravan on the market make sure to carry out minor maintenance procedures like fixing the electrics and the plumbing. If there is an issue that you currently know of it needs to be fixed right away. The brakes and tires need to be in good condition, if the tires look worn then get a set of new ones.

Selling privates

If you have decided to sell your caravan privately there are a number of places where you can advertise it. The more advertisements you put up the higher your chances of getting buyers to contact you. When speaking personally to potential buyers either over the phone or in person you should be honest and very helpful. The idea is to answer their questions as best as possible because if the buyer even thinks that you may be hiding something it will arise some suspicion and they may not buy.

Allow them to inspect the caravan

When they are looking at your caravan they should put up the tables and beds etc. in order to be able to gauge the conditions of the vehicle themselves. That said if the vehicle is in good condition then you have nothing to worry about.

Be careful

When dealing with buyers you need to be careful about scams. There are a few people who prey on first time caravan sellers. When advertising your caravans for sale there are a few things you need to avoid. Try to arrange a meeting in your home and ideally have someone with you when you show the buyer around. Always get the names and addresses of the people in order to be able to check exactly how they may be.

Too good to be true

You need to be aware of buyers who surprisingly offer you much more than the asking price. Be very suspicious with such buyers. Also, be wary of people who try to buy your caravan from abroad or say they may give you money prior to even checking out the caravan. In 80% of the cases these are scams.

Take electronic payment

Perhaps the safest way to sell a caravan is to accept electronic payments or via a check because then you’ll have to wait for it to be cleared. Bank transfers and electronic payments are traceable as opposed to cash transactions and will go on record which is good for you.

If you do take cash you should strongly inspect the cash you take prior to allowing the buyer to go off with the caravan. Draw a formal receipt or a good sales agreement template that the buyer and you sign this will provide proof of your exchange.

About Author:

Manu Alias is an independent caravan sales person. He works as a caravan dealer running his own dealership based on Sydney. His caravans for sale are often ones that were used commercially. Mark also runs a number of his own caravans transporting goods.