Selling Your Wheelchair Van? Follow These Steps

Selling your wheelchair van is much like selling a regular vehicle. Before you list your van for sale in the classifieds or online, follow these tips to ensure that you get the most for your money.

Before You List Your Wheelchair Van for Sale

Thoroughly clean the interior and exterior of your wheelchair van and check its conversion parts.

Just as a fresh coat of paint can transform a room in a home, a professionally cleaned vehicle can go from looking like a used wheelchair van to looking nearly brand new.

When cleaning your wheelchair van, be sure to check that all of the conversion parts are in good working order. The last thing you want is to sell your wheelchair van to someone only to have problems creep up later.

Get all of your wheelchair van papers and information organized.

You should carefully organize any and all information pertaining to your wheelchair van, such as maintenance records and original receipts for any parts or special conversion items that may have been added, as well as any original manuals, handbooks, or other information. You may also find it helpful to further label this information into separate file folders for a neater, more organized presentation.

Clear the title.

When selling a vehicle independently, you must ensure that you have a clean title. If your vehicle isn’t paid off, or if it has liens or other issues associated with it, you won’t be able to sell it. Clear up any legal matters long before you even decide to list your van for sale.

Obtain several estimates for the actual value of your wheelchair van.

There are a number of great, reliable resources on the Internet to help you assess the value of your wheelchair van. However, you may consider approaching a trusted, reputable wheelchair van dealer to help give you an honest appraisal of your vehicle. Doing so will help you have more realistic expectations for what your van is worth. Don’t be afraid to obtain several professional opinions!

Properly price your wheelchair van before listing it.

There are three common types of pricing options used when pricing a vehicle, and it is important to recognize the differences between these options:

Retail – used when you are selling your wheelchair van to a retail buyer

Consignment – Many reputable wheelchair van or mobility dealers have consignment programs, which typically charge you a percentage commission to help you sell your wheelchair van. The benefit is that you don’t have to do any of the real leg work (i.e. marketing, etc.). This option is a great choice for those who don’t have the time to sell their vehicles themselves.

Wholesale – In some instances, wheelchair van dealers may be interested in buying your wheelchair van from you directly. The pros of this option include a faster sale of your vehicle; however, you will likely get the least amount of money from the sale of your wheelchair van, since the dealer will only give you the cash value.

Set realistic expectations about time.

On average, a wheelchair van/handicap accessible vehicle can take anywhere from three to six months to sell. Because it is a special kind of vehicle, buyers will have more questions as well as more concerns before agreeing to a purchase. Be prepared to answer any and all questions related to your van and ensure that everything in your wheelchair van is in proper working order. The more prepared you are, the better the sales process will be!

For additional information about selling your wheelchair van, or for assistance in selling your wheelchair van, contact one of our mobility specialists today:

Raleigh: (919) 238-4597

Wilmington: (910) 302-7722