"Saving Ford's hot hatch from becoming a fridge"
A resource site for owners of the Mk1 & 2 Fiesta

Project Bobcat Ford Fiesta resource site

Writing a good for sale Advert

Selling your Ford Fiesta

There will probably come a point where you will probably want to sell your car, taking the time to write a decent advert can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most money. Many people quickly throw together an advert with few details and few (or even no) pictures, not realising that they are putting off a decent percentage of potential buyers who, although serious about buying, don’t want to have to waste their time going to view a shed.

Roadworthiness

One of the main considerations for a buyer is actually getting the car home, if at all possible having some MOT and Tax on it makes things a lot easier, the MOT also gives an indication that the car is at least somewhere close to being roadworthy (there are exceptions to this of course). If the car is a project and doesn’t move under it’s own power, having it on wheels so it can easily be pushed onto a trailer can also help with the sale

Mileage

With cars of the Mk1/2 Fiesta’s age, mileage is less important, people are predominantly looking for a rust free shell, but listing the mileage is something that is expected in any car sale ad, and low mileage can be a selling point as it is associated with good condition in the eyes of many buyers.

History

Car History

A good history and receipts for purchased parts always helps to convince the buyer that the car has been looked after, if your history is looking a bit thin, even print-offs of email confirmations for part’s you have bought, or a handbook bought cheaply off eBay can improve things.

Main Description

It’s important to think from the perspective of the buyer, if you can predict any possible questions and answer them without the buyer having to contact you, it’s one less opportunity to lose their interest at this stage. Many sellers moan about the stupid questions they receive, but if they give little information then they are bringing it on themselves.

It is good practise to describe in detail, the overall condition of the car. If there are any areas that need attention, explain this in the advert so that you aren’t wasting everyone’s time. Buyers in the market for cars such as the early Fiesta’s are likely to have a rough idea of what they are looking at and a poor description isn’t going to fool anyone. Going through the common rust areas (such as inner wings, boot floor corners, sills etc.) and explaining their condition is a great way to convince the buyer that you are an honest seller. If you can offer any evidence that shows the car has been looked after such as servicing or description of work completed, this again will help.

Modifications to the vehicle are another area worth mentioning, you may be describing a list of items that a potential buyer was considering adding to the car anyway, so you are throwing in added value with the purchase. On the other hand some buyers might be looking for an original example so if you have altered the vehicle but still have some of the bits you have removed; it is usually worth including them with the sale.

Photos

Include as many as possible, I would suggest 10 as an absolute minimum and include the following as essentials: front, rear, both sides, interior shot showing the seats, another showing the dashboard, and engine bay shot and one of the boot area (if it’s a Fiesta then one showing underneath the boot boards would be best.
In addition to that try and photograph the common rust areas such as sill’s and the joint between the front panel and the outer wings.

Another thing to note is the quality of the camera, camera phones are excellent these days so even if your camera is rubbish, it’s easy to borrow one. Take the photos in good light and make sure they are in focus. If you’ve just washed the car then moving it away from the puddle you’ve left stops people thinking that you are just trying to hide dull paintwork by showing it wet.

Good luck with the sale!

Page Last Updated: Thursday 21st of March 2019