Research

Whether you've been in New Zealand for two months or two years the market may have changed since you bought your campervan. Seasonal highs and lows can have a big impact on the market, and besides you've probably racked up a few extra miles and maybe even a few scuffs and crapes along the way. Inevitably the campervan you bought won't be worth what it was before, but fear not, if you play your cards right it could even be worth more! Either way you need to have a look around and see what similar vehicles are going for and how fast they are selling.

The VanExchange is a great place to start your research. Using our advanced search facilities you can search cars and campervans listed in the area where you plan to sell, you can specify price ranges, makes, models, locations and even the fuel type giving you a clear picture of what else is available for buyers. From this you can ensure you position your vehicle competitively to attract interest from buyers and make the sale.

Presentation

The research mentioned above is great preparation for designing your own advertisement - think about which adverts look appealing to you, which make you want to buy the vehicle and use these good ideas for your own listing. Many ads are put together hastily in internet cafes, they are poorly laid out and contain spelling mistakes, with just a little extra effort you can make your ad stand out from the rest by making it clear, concise and easy to read.

However presentation doesn't stop with your advertisement, it extends to the vehicle itself. If you're taking photos to use with your advert make sure you tidy the van up, and try to get some interesting shots. A beautiful landscape with your campervan barely visible in the bottom corner does not show your vehicle off to it's best potential. The same goes for viewings, if you have buyers coming to see your vehicle make sure it's tidy. Things can get a bit 'relaxed' on the road and after a few months you might be used to Coke cans and McDonalds wrappers littering the footwells, but for the newbie traveller gives a bad impression and makes it difficult for them to imagine 'living the dream' in your van. In addition people associate cleanliness with care, if your campervan looks spick and span the chances are people will feel more confident that it has been cared for and will be in good working order.

Detail

All too often sellers omit information from their listing when selling their campervan, but the more detail you can provide about your vehicle the better. If you can give a clear and accurate picture of the vehicle in your advertisement you can almost persuade a buyer that this is the van for them before they've even seen it! What's more the better you describe your vehicle and the more information you provide the less likely you are to waste time arranging viewings with ill-informed buyers who aren't interested in your van because it's nothing like the advert promised. Further to the obvious we recommend including the following details:

• When it's available - many users log on to the VanExchange to research in advance, if your van is available when they arrive then they may get in contact. Even if your van is 'available immediately' it gives a sense of urgency and encourages buyers to get in touch.
• Is the price negotiable - let buyers know if it is. Most people will assume your price is negotiable, but some won't and may may over look your listing if you don't mention it.
• What's included - take a long hard look here and think about everything no matter how big or small. If there's a campervan similar to yours at the same price, but it doesn't come with portable chairs then you've got the advantage!
• What you've done - this might sound like a bit much, but giving this extra bit of background can be quite confidence inspiring. For example "We've taken this Van from Cape Reinga to Bluff without any problems" or "Managed our two weeks snowboarding up and down Coronet Peak without any issues" demonstrates the reliability of your vehicle.
• When it can be viewed - what if you miss a call from a buyer, you don't have access to your email, or even worse you post the wrong telephone number on your ad by accident! If you organise viewing days and publish your times in your advert buyers can still make their own way to see your vehicle, more about this below.

Plan

Selling your campervan is an difficult time, as your trip nears it's conclusion you desperately want to enjoy the last few days and weeks of your adventure, however there's work to be done to sell your van. You need to drive around and meet buyers, you need to be advertising your vehicle and you need to take care of the administration to change ownership etc. none of which is much fun. However with a bit of planning you can minimise the hassle and still enjoy the remainder of your travels.

We recommend setting aside viewing days where you bring your campervan to a central (easily accessible) location between certain times and let buyers come to you! This could be as simple as the carpark of your favorite pub where you were having lunch anyway, but the idea is simple: instead of arranging viewings one by one publish your viewing times in your advert and encourage all buyers to come and see the van during those times. In between viewing days you can venture out of town and make the most of your remaining time.

Price

Price is always going to be your main concern as a seller, as you head off to your next travel destination you want to recoup as much money as possible for your campervan, but what is the best strategy - should you start high and discount or just hit the market with a reasonable price for a quick sale?

Most sellers make the mistake of basing their initial asking price on the amount they paid for their campervan and even make the mistake of artificially inflating the asking price to compensate for buyers that try to negotiate the price down. However a hefty price tag can cause buyers to overlook your ad and as the days tick by you may be forced to slash the price even lower than you intended in the first place.

Whilst the majority of buyers will expect to negotiate over price the amount of flexibility is entirely up to you, the seller. Just as a buyer should avoid rushing into a decision about buying the first vehicle they see, sellers should be weary about selling to the first offer.

Don't inflate the price unnecessarily, but do take into account any 'cost of sale' expenses and try to factor them into the price e.g. if the van needs a mechanical inspection (cost $100-$150) you could either incorporate this as a 'free' extra included in the full asking price, or you could offer the buyer a discount of equivalent value if they pay for the inspection themselves, but if you don't take this into account you may find yourself paying for the inspection and knocking the price down just to make the sale.

Ultimately your selling price should be based on a little bit of research (as mentioned above) this doesn't mean hours of market analysis - but a quick look at similar vehicles for sale in your area is essential. From there you can get a 'buyers perspective' - armed with this information you can put your campervan for sale at a reasonable price that you know will attract buyers attention. Once you have generated interest in your vehicle and you begin to receive offers you can make the informed decision to sell. If you have followed the advice on our site we are confident you should get a slight premium on the current market value,