It's crucial that you price your car at the right level; too low and you'll be out of pocket, too high and you'll get no interest. Always leave yourself room to negotiate and don't start too low because you can't talk the price up - but you can knock it down.

When it comes to establishing your car's value, look around to see what other people are charging. Visit Yahoo! Cars classified search to get a better picture click here . If you've got an especially nice example of a car, it'll be worth a premium - but you have to work out just how much. The same goes for if it's a particularly rare or well-specified example. However, ask for too much of a premium and the phone will never ring.

Trawl through classified adverts on websites, in newspapers and also magazines to get a feel for what others are charging for their cars. If you sell a car privately, you'll get more for it than if you trade it in - but don't expect to get the same as a dealer selling on a forecourt as they've got overheads to pay that you haven't.

If your car is especially unusual or old, get in touch with the relevant owners' club and ask them to help you value it. However, as with any valuation exercise, you have to accept that it's an inexact science. There's a large element of the right buyer being around at the right time, which is why values can fluctuate significantly from one week to the next.
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