There are tons of reasons why you might end up with an old car taking up space in your driveway. Regardless of whether you simply don’t need it anymore or it has some repairs you don’t think are worth your time, you probably wonder how to get rid of an old car.
Luckily, there are several fairly easy and popular methods to get that space in your garage or driveway back. Here are a couple of ways you can consider regarding how to get rid of an old car:
Private Sale
One of the first things you might consider to get rid of that old car is putting it up for sale. Maybe someone is looking for a similar car, and you can end up with a few bucks in your pocket. It seems pretty straightforward, but selling an old car is actually a ton of work.
Typically, you’ll have to get the car ready for sale. That means cleaning it up, making a few repairs, etc. You can skip these steps, but it will impact how much you can expect to get from the deal. Then you have to market the car. The days of just parking it with a for sale sign in the window are long gone. You’ll have to take a couple of pictures and post them on various websites and marketplaces.
Once the car is listed, you’ll take phone calls and e-mails from interested parties. Some of these buyers are serious others are just looking for a good deal. Between answering messages, setting up times to view the vehicle, and negotiating low ball offers. By the time you make the sale, you might not have made enough to justify all of the time and effort.
Sell It To a Dealership
If you’re considering a new vehicle to replace the old one, trading it in is a popular option. In this case, you simply take your car to a dealership and negotiate with them on your new car and your trade. You can even just sell it to the dealership without buying another car from them.
The challenge here is that the dealership is in the business of making money. That means they succeed by buying used vehicles at a low price and then selling them for a profit. You won’t get top dollar from the dealer, even if the process is much simpler and more straightforward.
Junk It For Cash
There are a number of junkyards and companies that will buy old vehicles for scrap. The process is usually pretty straightforward, but the payout is limited. These companies will typically come get the vehicle from your property, which makes it a great option for vehicles that are beyond repair.
You can expect a little bit of cash from the deal, even if it comes after a little bit of negotiating and haggling from the tow truck driver.
Donate It To A Worthy Cause
You can also get rid of an old car by donating to charity. There are a host of non-profit organizations that accept vehicle donations. Some prefer getting cars that are in working order as they use these automobiles for transportation. Other organizations will simply sell the donated car and use the profit to fund their programs.
There are even some non-profits that use car donations as educational materials. For example, there are organizations that teach at-risk adults the necessary skills to become auto mechanics. These programs rely on donated cars to use as hands-on textbooks. Students learn while restoring and repairing old cars back into working condition. The cars are then sold to help keep the program running.
When you donate to a charity, you can earn a tax deduction come tax time. While this isn’t the same as putting cash in your wallet, it could make the difference between owing on your taxes and getting a refund. The non-profit will usually help you with the necessary paperwork and can even arrange to pick up the old car.
Final Thoughts
When you’re trying to figure out how to get rid of an old car, consider what kind of work you have to put into the task and whether or not there is any benefit to you. Some old cars might be worth enough that selling or trading them makes sense. Others may be in such bad shape that junking them is the only option. It’s always worth seeing if a worthy charity can use the vehicle as well. The bottom line is that you can clear up some space or even earn a tax credit by simply getting rid of that old car.
