In my youth I’ve bought my share of clunkers, and inevitably I’ve driven them to a point when they simply won’t run any more. So after that, I didn’t waste money on useless repairs and simply decided to Sell My Junk Car.

From experience, here are the things I learned I needed to do first before I finalized the transaction with the junk car company buying my car. Below are the things you need to do as well.

Sell My Junk Car Things To Do

1. Check your paperwork. If you want this transaction to go smoothly, then you’ll have to be able to prove that the junk car is actually yours. That’s because junk car companies aren’t fences who buy stolen goods. They’ll want a valid title which you can sign over to them when they buy the car from you. And of course, you’ll need to cancel the insurance and return license plates.

If you don’t establish the transfer of ownership properly, then you may still be held liable for the car in the future. There are some states, however, which don’t need this requirement if the car is older than a specified age. So check with your local DMV to discover the rules pertaining to your junk car sale.

2. Turn in your license plates. In many places, you have to return the license plates to the local DMV before you can have your registration cancelled. And many insurance companies need you to turn over your plates and registration first.

3. Remove personal items inside the car. If you’ve owned your car for a long time, then you may have left things inside and have forgotten all about it. It’s not only because some of these things have monetary or sentimental value for you. It’s also because the junk car company may not want to buy the car if you’ve treated it as some sort of dumpster and you’ve left in lots of unwanted garbage inside. So check the glove boxes, compartments, and the trunk. Inspect above the visors and under the floor mats.

4. Check for items and parts which you can sell easily. Before you negotiate with the junk car company, see if you can remove all the parts that still hold significant value. You can’t do this after you’ve already negotiated a price, because the junk car company will expect the car to be in the same condition as you described it to them. They’ve based their offer on what you told them about the condition.

The most obvious things you can remove are the car tools in the trunk, the stereo, and perhaps the GPS system too. If you’ve placed aftermarket wheels or custom rims on your car, replace them with cheap alternatives first. You can even siphon the gasoline from the car, and the junk car company will thank you for it because that’s something they need to drain from the junk car.

Now when I sell my junk car, these things are always first on my list of things to do. They should be in your list too if you’re selling your junk car.