With a bit of preparation, it is easy to turn your preowned gadgets into cash!
Reselling your older laptop model for cash is the best way to go whenever you decide to get rid of it. Yet, there are a few things to consider if you want to get the most cash for laptops.
This post will walk you through the process of used tech resale and share a few helpful preparation tips.
Before you can sell your laptop for cash, start with the following:
Backup Your Stuff
If you haven’t backed up all your files yet, this is a good place to start. Making a backup is actually easier than it sounds. And if you do not have an external hard drive for that reason, you can save your files on the cloud. Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud are all great options for safe and free data-keeping.
De-authorize Your Accounts
If you plan to receive cash in exchange for your preowned computer, be sure to log out of your Microsoft or Apple ID accounts and de-authorize any digital software, including programs like Adobe Creative Suite or iTunes. Doing so provides an extra layer of security to prevent the next owner from accessing your data. But not only that, laptops linked to active password-protected accounts often cannot be resold.
Format Laptop’s Storage
The next step is to remove everything from the drive by erasing it. This action will delete any trace information from the computer. We have already covered the procedure in one of our previous posts, How to factory reset a dell laptop? Just one thing to remember: follow the steps carefully and make sure your notebook is connected to the power supply during the formatting and reset process to avoid bricking the system.
And if you have an Apple laptop, check our How to factory reset an Apple laptop post.
Reinstall an Operating System
Once your laptop’s hard drive is wiped, it is time to put original software on it. Selling the laptop without an operative system will reduce its value. If you happen to have backup media with your genuine Windows or macOS, use it to transfer the software onto your laptop. But in most cases, you don’t even need to do that, as most computers today come with a recovery partition built-in. Alternatively, PC users can download the latest Windows copy directly from Microsoft.
If you want to sell your computer on eBay or Craiglist, it makes sense to complete OS installation and configure it. In addition, because you need to take photos of the device when creating a sale listing, you want to show that the laptop is fully working, and for that, you need desktop access.
Clean Up Your Laptop
Lastly, properly clean your laptop to make it look appealing to potential buyers. If it has stickers, take time to remove them and clean up any residue. Wipe off dust and fingerprints from external surfaces. When cleaning the computer, make sure it is powered off and unplugged from the power outlet. Please do not attempt to clean it with water or other liquids. Instead, use a clean, soft cloth to remove any staining or residue. Electronic disinfecting wipes work great for that.
Selling Laptops for Cash Online
More and more people opt to sell their preowned tech via online buyback sites for a fast and easy turnaround. Sure, you probably could get a little bit more money for your used laptop if you were to sell it yourself on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, but it is a tedious, time-consuming process. And lucky for you, there are many recommerce buyback services, big and small, out there happy to help you turn that laptop into cash speedily and efficiently.
Of course, different buybacks accept different brands and certain types of electronics, but they all work more or less the same.
So, to get cash for laptops online, please follow these easy steps:
- Pick a buyback site, get an offer based on your laptop’s make, model, and condition. Then proceed to checkout online.
- Receive prepaid shipping labels. Some companies may even send you a box, but most of us provide labels electronically to reduce environmental impact and speed up turnaround. Package your laptop well and drop it off at your designated carrier.
- Wait for the package to arrive and receive your payment within one to two business days. Easy!
Each laptop model is different, and its resale price largely depends on the overall working and cosmetic state. Thus, every dollar estimate is very individual. Yet, we can give you a few of the most frequently sold to Gadget Salvation computer model examples:
- A preowned Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 with Intel Core i7 and 512GB storage goes for up to a $411 cash offer.*
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 AMD Ryzen 7 NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti can be resold for up to $391 on our site.*
- A four-year-old Apple Macbook Pro 15-inch i7 2.8GHz 512GB SSD (2017) laptop holds an outstanding resale yielding up to $745(!) in cash.*
In Conclusion
It might be easier than you think to recycle your preowned laptops for cash. The key is to do it before the model becomes outdated. And if you are looking to get the most money out of your used computer, be sure to prepare it for sale beforehand. This preparation includes: cleaning the surfaces, removing passwords, linked accounts, stored data, and preferably resetting the laptop to an out-of-box state. And if you have any questions about selling your used gadget, please feel free to contact us any time!
