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Wording your ride correctly

It sounds so obvious when you read it but it is such a common error that a lot of people make when it comes to selling their ride. The wording is the first point of contact between you and your potential buyer. The images draw most buyers in but the wording can really sell a car and that is where you need to sit down and concentrate.

Were not saying you have to milk the description and make the car sound like the best thing since sliced bread as your seller will be thoroughly disappointed when they come to visit and more than likely probably walk away empty handed.


Here are a few ideas to use when placing your ad:

  • Exact type and Model of your ride: Its always helpful to give as much information as possible really so instead of ‘Rs Turbo’ you’d be better of putting ‘Escort Rs Turbo, 1.6 Turbo,' and any additional model or special edition it may be for example ‘Escort Rs Turbo, 1.6 Turbo,’90 spec'.

  • Year and registration letter: Now you could either put just the year of manufacturer or you could give the buyer more information to go on just by adding a few extra letters. A ‘2000 Saxo’ is ok but a ‘2000(W) Saxo’ can take the buyer a lot further. This would already indicate to us that this car is more than likely a Mark or Phase 2 Saxo as 2000 was the change over year for that model. That information can make a lot of difference in the long run.

  • Mileage: We wouldn’t recommend putting this in your title but we would definitely add into your description somewhere. A low mileage car is always a good sign but there is nothing to say a well looked after high mileage car isn’t necessarily a bad thing either!

  • Colour: You could be a helpful seller by adding the general colour of the vehicle. Knowing your paint code is good but if your buyer doesn’t know it its virtually pointless. An advert with ‘Light Blue’ is so much more helpful than ‘Mattiese Metallic’. If the buyer asks any further questions about the colour then here is the point you can add the exact name or paint code.

  • Tax & MOT: Always say how much Mot and Tax your ride has left when placing and add.

  • Service history: If your car has a full manufacturers Service history then good, mention that in your ad. If you have a friend who is a mechanic who does the work for you and you have the paperwork to prove that, then mention it! Service History of any description is better than listing a car with none what so ever!

  • Number of owners: This is very helpful for the buyer but not necessarily essential in the eyes of Street Rides. If you want to mention it you certainly can do though.

  • Features: Features and Luxuries give the buyer a good feeling. Knowing that you ride has Air Conditioning or 4 TV screens built in will give the buyer a good impression so always list the good points to the car even if the factory fitted luxuries on most cars go a long way, especially if it’s a high spec model!

  • Price: It’s essential you set a fixed price in your mind. If you don’t want to take less than £3000 for your ride then mark it up a little higher on your ad. A buyer will always look for downfalls on a car in an excuse to knock you down in price so be prepared! The worst thing you can do however is to mark up the price so high that it doesn’t attract any buyer’s attention. A 1.2 Bog standard Nova is never seriously going to be worth £10,000 so be realistic about the price no matter how much work or money has been put into it.

  • Colour photograph: An ad without a picture of the car will create a blank canvass for the buyer. They will imagine the ride in their head judged on the description given by you, which in turn may thoroughly disappoint the buyer as he comes to view the ride and ending up in a ‘No Sale’ situation. You can avoid this by listing photographs of your ride in your add. Street Rides allows you up to 8 pictures to be listed so there is no reason why you can’t show the car as it is inside and out. You can of course edit these images at any time if you come across some better shots of your ride.


  • Things not to say... When it comes to listing your car there are hundreds of obvious things not to say but for some reason we still always see them in other seller’s descriptions! ‘Good Condition, Good Runner, Drives Beautifully, One lady owner...’ These are all about as useful as saying, ‘I have three dogs and they like this car’ so please try and leave this information out of your listing.