Sellers Guide

Thinking about selling your vehicle with Boattrader? Make sure you take the time to read the below guide on how to sell your vehicle to make sure you have the best possible experience.

Make use of photos

At Boattrader, your vehicle listing will have 6 photos included as part of your Free package, 12 for a Value, and Unlimited for Premium. We have found that the more photos you have, the faster your will sell your vehicle.

We recommend having at least the following photo angles: side, front, rear, front ¾ angle, interior, engine. For the larger packages, we recommend including photos of the standout features of the vehicle too.

Descriptions are vital

Be sure to describe your vehicle in as much detail as possible. While photos are important, it is recommended that you add as much written information as possible that is relevant to potential buyers.

Also, make sure that you are giving the potential buyer 100% accurate information. This will save you hassle down the road and will make for a smoother sale process.

Wash your vehicle

Dirty vehicles don’t attract any attention. Spend time washing, drying and waxing your vehicle. Don’t forget the windows and tyres.

Photo size & orientation

Adjust your camera settings to shoot the largest photo possible. These days your phone can do the job quite well. Test out your camera to make sure the size is correct before taking photos of your vehicle. Pic sizes of 1mb or more are recommended. Landscape orientation is preferential over the portrait.

When to take a photo

The best time of day to take a photo is early in the morning or late afternoon when your vehicle is not in direct sunlight. Taking the photo in sunlight will give the vehicle a glare that can be distracting. Another perfect time to take a photo is on a cloudy day, because the clouds diffuse the sunlight.

Location

Set up the vehicle in an open space with few distractions in the background. Avoid backgrounds with houses, trees, etc. It’s best not to park your vehicle on grass, as it reflects in the paintwork! Make sure your vehicle is centred with some background space around the vehicle. Avoid parking anywhere that will create a shadow on your vehicle.

If you are camera savvy, we recommend using a lower f-stop setting to blur out the background – giving more focus to your vehicle.

Angles

Classic angles work best, for example, front on, front 3/4, rear, however, alter the height of the camera. Shooting up from a lower level exaggerates the proportions of your vehicle, making it seem big and impressive or you could try standing on a step ladder and shooting down towards the vehicle, creating something similar to a bird's eye view. Don’t be afraid to get down and dirty! In every photo, make sure you get the entire vehicle in the shot, and if you’re shooting from the ground, try to get all 4 wheels in the photo.

Features

Make sure you take a photo of any standout features of your vehicle, both interior and exterior. If you have modified your car, be sure to include photos of these as well.

This goes both ways; be sure to photograph any dents or rust spots so the seller knows what they are in for.

Other details

Take photos of the interior, as well as the engine bay. Make sure the steering wheel is straight, and the interior of your vehicle is clean! Taking a good photo of the engine may be challenging. Open the hood as a side as possible to let more light in. Try to avoid shooting from eye level, a photo from above would be best. Make sure you don’t catch your shadow in any photo and turn the flash off!

DON’T photograph the vehicle in a garage or shed, where part of the vehicle is concealed or hidden by dark shadows.

My vehicle has been sold

Have you successfully sold your vehicle? Congratulations! Be sure to let potential buyers know that you have sold your vehicle by marking it as Sold.

Simply go to your Dashboard, click on “My Ads”, find your vehicle, then click on “Mark As Sold” and you’re all done!