Print These. Use These. Keep Your Profit.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

— Ben Franklin — The most famous preparation quote in history is so critical in used car flipping.

Every chapter in this book comes down to a process. The checklists below are that process in its shortest form. Print the ones that match your operation and work through them on every deal. The sellers who skip steps are the ones who call me later with a story that starts with “I thought I could just...”

You cannot think your way through a busy day on a tow yard with 40 units moving. You need a list.

Side note: PDF versions of these checklists can be found at kevinleigh.com/badasschecklists

Checklist 1: Before You Buy or Haul It

Use this before you commit money or lot space to any vehicle.

  • Run a VIN check through Carfax, AutoCheck, or NMVTIS.
  • Confirm lien status is clear at the DMV or through a title search service.
  • Identify the title type: clean, salvage, rebuilt, bonded, or certificate of destruction.
  • Check for open recalls using the NHTSA VIN lookup tool.
  • Verify the odometer reading matches the history report.
  • Confirm the VIN on the vehicle matches the VIN on the title.
  • Note any frame damage, flood history, or prior accidents from the report.
  • If it is a lien or impound unit, confirm your state’s required waiting period before you list.
  • Pull comps on your target platform before you agree to a purchase price.
  • Confirm the vehicle is worth your haul cost and lot space before you commit.

Checklist 2: Prep That Pays

Use this before you photograph or list any vehicle. Every item here costs less than it returns.

  • Wash the exterior. Clay bar if there is heavy oxidation or industrial fallout.
  • Clean and dress tires and wheel wells.
  • Shampoo carpets and fabric seats.
  • Wipe down all interior surfaces: dash, console, doors, vents, and headliner.
  • Condition leather seats and surfaces if present.
  • Replace all burned-out bulbs, interior and exterior.
  • Top off all fluids: oil, coolant, washer fluid, and brake fluid.
  • Set tire pressure to spec on all four tires.
  • Replace broken trim pieces, lug covers, or door handles if the fix costs under $50.
  • Treat surface rust with rust-proofing spray before photographing.
  • Run an ozone treatment if any odor is present.
  • Stop adding work the moment the car stands up straight. Do not over-invest.

Checklist 3: Photos and Listing

Use this every time you photograph a vehicle for any platform.

  • Photograph all four corners of the exterior.
  • Photograph all four wheels and tires.
  • Photograph the front interior looking toward the dash.
  • Photograph the rear interior and rear seats.
  • Photograph the dash with the engine running and no warning lights showing.
  • Photograph the odometer showing current mileage.
  • Photograph the VIN plate on the dash.
  • Photograph the engine bay.
  • Photograph the trunk or cargo area.
  • Photograph every piece of visible damage, no matter how small.
  • List every known mechanical issue in the description. Do not guess. Do not hide.
  • Confirm the asking price matches current comps on that platform before you publish.

Checklist 4: Setting Your Price

Use this before you set any reserve or asking price. Do not skip the fee step.

  • Pull at least three comps from your target platform: same model, same year, similar mileage.
  • Adjust your target price up or down for condition, mileage, title type, and options.
  • Write out your full fee stack: transaction fee, listing fee, transport, arbitration admin.
  • Set your floor: the minimum hammer price that returns cost plus fees plus desired margin.
  • Set your reserve at or above your floor. Never below it.
  • Note any value-adding options: tow package, navigation, premium audio, sunroof.
  • Note any value deductions: high mileage, worn tires, cracked glass, branded title.
  • Price the car the way a buyer prices it. Remove sentiment from the number.

Checklist 5: Choosing Your Platform

Use this before you list. The wrong platform costs you money before the auction starts.

  • Salvage or branded title: list on Copart or IAAI.
  • Clean title, late model, under 100,000 miles: use Manheim or ADESA. Confirm dealer license is active.
  • Impound or tow unit with unknown history: use Autura Marketplace.
  • Collector car or barn find: use Bring a Trailer or a specialty collector platform.
  • Read the current fee schedule for your seller tier on the chosen platform.
  • Confirm the platform accepts your specific title type before you list.
  • Decide: do you need speed (physical lane) or maximum reach (national digital)?
  • Review the platform’s arbitration policy before you list.

Checklist 6: Title, Paperwork, and Compliance

Use this on every deal. These steps keep you out of legal trouble.

  • Confirm you hold legal authority to sell: title in hand, lien cleared, lien sale period complete.
  • Confirm your dealer license is current if your state requires one for this sale type.
  • Prepare a Bill of Sale with the VIN, sale price, buyer information, date, and “As Is” language.
  • Both seller and buyer sign the Bill of Sale at the time of the transaction.
  • Do not sign the title over until payment is confirmed and cleared.
  • File a Release of Liability or Notice of Transfer with your state DMV the same day the vehicle leaves.
  • Keep a signed copy of the Bill of Sale and a copy of the title in your deal file.
  • Never jump a title. Transfer it into your name before you sell, or use a proper dealer reassignment if your state allows it.
  • Report the sale to your state if required. Rules vary. Check your state’s DMV website.

Checklist 7: After the Sale

Use this from the moment the hammer falls to the moment the vehicle leaves your lot.

  • Confirm payment is cleared before you release the vehicle. No exceptions.
  • Take a full gate photo set before the vehicle moves an inch. Timestamp it.
  • Hand the keys over only after payment confirmation or Gate Key verification.
  • Sign the title over at time of pickup, not before.
  • File the Release of Liability with the DMV the same day.
  • Set a pickup deadline of 48 to 72 hours and communicate it to the buyer in writing.
  • Charge a written storage fee for every day the vehicle sits past the pickup deadline.
  • Send the buyer a copy of the Bill of Sale after pickup.
  • Archive the deal file: signed Bill of Sale, title copy, gate photos, and payment confirmation.
  • If a buyer raises a post-sale complaint, point to the gate photos and the signed Bill of Sale before you discuss anything else.