How to create a great van advert

Although writing a van advert doesn’t seem like a particular difficult thing to do, there are some ways to make it the best that it can be, giving you the best chance of selling and getting the best price possible for it. Below we have listed some tips you need to remember when writing a used van advert.

Keep it short and sweet

Long chunks of text are very boring to read. Most people just want the information they really need to know available to them. Keep the description short and only include the most relevant information. Avoid using any abbreviations or jargon, as most people looking for a van won’t understand this. When creating your advert be sure to include the following:

Mileage

Mileage is a very important thing to include in your van advert. It is something that everyone looks out for and is interested in knowing. If there isn’t a milage on an advert it could look like your hiding something or prevent someone from getting in touch and being interest. If you are still using the van whilst the advert is up, be sure to mention it could rise.

Year of registration

People often like to know the year the van was registered. You should be able to find this out in your paperwork or from your number plate.

Colour

This one is very obvious, but colour is often quite important to buyers. You may think that putting up a picture will show them this, but lighting isn’t always great and it is still important to put it in the description. It also means that if someone searches the colour your advert will come up.

Service and MOT history

You need to be sure to state any service history the van has had. If you are up to date on your MOTs then it will be more desirable to buyers. Vans sell a lot better when it has passed its recent MOT, so be sure to write it if it has. Do not put up any false information as not only can it cause people to back out when they find out the truth but it can also be illegal if the sale goes through and the person didn’t know the correct information.

Number of owners

It is important to list how many owners the van has had as this is something that people want to know before buying. If the van has had any notable owners, then be sure to list them.

List of equipment or features

When writing the advert make sure that you list any notable features the van has. You don’t need to include everything, especially the obvious features that all vans have like ‘windscreen wipers’. If your van has a rare feature that you believe should be pointed out then do this in the description, but don’t use too many words to describe it. You can also add whatever feature it is into the title if you believe it is important for them to know straight away and might make people click on the advert in the first place.

Damage or faults

You need to be truthful and list any damages or issues the van may have. Being upfront about it might seem like you are going to put people off, but you don’t want to waste anyone’s time including your own. Keep the description of the damages brief and to the point.

Price

Before you create the advert, you need to think about what price you want to sell the van for. Don’t put the price too high if the van isn’t worth that money. Be realistic and do some research by looking at what similar vans are selling for. If there are damages then factor this into the price. If you are open to negotiations, it might be worth writing that in the van advert so that people aren’t put off if it isn’t the exact price they want to pay. You can value your van for free by entering your registration on the HPI Check website.

Contact details

Your contact details are probably one of the most important things to list on your advert. If you forget to add these people will not be able to contact you. Make sure you list them clearly and correctly. It is best to leave a few different contact methods if possible, such as phone number and email, so that if they can’t get hold of you one way, they can try the other.

Pictures

You need to take some high quality photos of your van to attach to the advert. Most people don’t even bother showing interest without photos. It is important for them to see what it looks like. If you don’t have any photos, it can look like you are hiding something. Take these pictures in good lighting, a good location and get multiple different angles of the inside and outside of the vehicle.

Conclusion

When creating your advert keep it as short and as simple as possible. Include all the important things that someone would be looking for in the advert and when people get in touch, reply to them as soon as you can.