Most people think it's obvious to clean your car prior to putting it up for sell, however many people don't really know what that means or how to do it.  Run the car through a car wash, vacuum it out, add a for sale sign and call it good!  You can do this, but you will be leaving money on the table and lowering your chance for a quick sell.

First, you don't need to go overboard, but you should give a little more than you would for a normal Saturday wash for yourself.  Get out some toothbrushes and paint brushes, clothes and cleansers and prepare to jump in!  Start by vacuuming the interior of the car, this will bring down the dust levels inside the car so you limit the amount of dirt shifting.  Once you do that move to the door jams and spray them down with a good strong cleanser.  Go all around the door; above, below and on the sides.  Clean door jams give a car a much cleaner look and feel.

Next, move back into the car and start with top and move down.  Clean the car roof liner, then the dashboard and rear window area and so forth.  This will allow you to move the dust and dirt down, so when you reach the nooks and crannies and start using the toothbrush and paint brush you will only need to do it once.  This area can be the most frustrating part of the process and you will want and need to get this really clean.

Once the interior of the car is completely cleaned up start with the outside by cleaning up the engine space first.  You can go to a auto supply store and purchase something to help you get the engine area as clean as possible.  A clean engine will provide confidence to the future owner of the car.  Once you have completed that and have also cleaned in the hood jams then move onto the trunk, clean that along with the jams.

Next, clean the wheels and tires thoroughly and the tires with a solution that will bring out the luster of the rubber.  Last, wash and wax the car like you normally would. 

This may seem like a long process and it will take you longer than normal, but it will be well worth it and will help you sell your car quicker.

Often people wonder how much work they should put into their car prior to selling it.  The answer is seek a good balance between spending too much and making the car run better.  Prior to doing all of this gather maintenance records so the potential purchaser can see how well the vehicle has been maintained.  Not surprising many people don't keep records, but you can go to your auto maintenance facility and ask them for a print out of services, many will have them.  Once you have the records put them in order by date and place them in a file.

Have the oil changed and while they are doing that ask them to check the fluid levels, air filter and anything else that can improve the performance without adding too much expense.  Consider what other known problems you have, no one will know better than you do.  A simple way to figure out whether it makes sense to fix something or not is if the added expense can be recouped through the sale price.  Along with this ask yourself if it will help the car sell quicker?  

If you choose not to fix something with the car, consider letting a potential owner know of the problem.  If it's seriously mechanical disclose this early.  

The bottom line is you will want to prepare the car to move fast and sell for the greatest possible amount.  It's a balance between the two, but having a decent to great running vehicle that looks clean will increase your chance to sell your car quickly.