Do you plan to sell your MacBook and purchase a new model? Or maybe you are looking to make some money and downgrade to a lower-end computer?
Regardless of the circumstances, selling a Mac should not be even if it is second-hand. So long as the computer is in decent condition, you can expect to make decent money.
However, before you put an ad for the device and claim that you sell it, there are a few things you need to take care of first. Otherwise, you can expect to receive a call from a buyer who will be unhappy with the purchase.
1. Get Rid of the Dust Inside
First and foremost, you should do your best to take the MacBook apart and clean the dust inside. The filth that accumulates over time is a hindrance to the overall computer performance, particularly when it clogs the internal fans that fail to cool the system.
Loud noises and overheating are two indications that the amount of dust inside the MacBook is too much. The problem amplifies even more when you run high-end applications or try to play video games.
In case you do not want to risk damaging your Mac and are uncertain if you can put it back together after taking the device apart, find someone who can do the work for you.
You can also consider getting a cooling pad and including that as part of the package when selling the MacBook. Such an accessory offers a lot of value if the overheating problem gets out of hand despite cleaning the dust inside the laptop.
2. Delete Unnecessary Files
Not leaving files for a new owner on a MacBook’s drive is another important step. You want to make sure that the device’s drive is more or less clean, so go through all the files you have downloaded and remove them.
Temporary system clutter can be a problem as well, and you have to get rid of cache, old system backups, and other unnecessary junk manually or by getting a cleanup utility tool.
It might take a while to remove the files, but the effort is worth it given that you want to present potential buyers with a device that does not make them question whether the choice to buy it is good or not.
If you find yourself in a situation where deleting files individually is too bothersome, you can take a different approach and reinstall the operating system. Doing so would wipe the data and give the MacBook a clean slate.
3. Remove Personal Information
Just like how you should delete files on a MacBook, you should also get rid of traces leading back to your personal information. A buyer might seem like a reliable person, but it does not mean that they will not try to look for traces of your personal details and use them against you.
Many people who sell desktop computers often replace the hard drive or a solid-state drive with a clean drive to reduce the risks. While the odds of recovering data on a supposedly clean drive are small, it can still happen, meaning that it is better to be safe than sorry.
A good example of personal information is your internet browser. And it is not just the browsing history. Some browsers store personal login details, such as passwords, and not all computer users are aware of this happening in the first place.
Given potential threats, it should be a no-brainer that you have to do everything you can to minimize the risks and not present a computer that could potentially have your personal data.
4. Check If the Battery Is Charging Properly
The overall maintenance of a computer is also important. If your MacBook causes various problems, you are unlikely to sell it. There are some instances when sellers lie on their advertisements, but doing so is bound to work out against you.
For instance, if the mac won’t charge or takes too long to charge, then it is usually enough to make the device more or less useless. Replacing a battery is difficult and expensive, so it is important to consider what you can do with the computer after.
Whether you are planning to sell the MacBook later or not should not matter when speaking of the device’s maintenance. You should do it consistently regardless.
5. Back Up Files You Want to Keep
We talked about deleting files and leaving no traces on the MacBook, but you should also consider the files you want to save. Backing up an entire drive is an option and simplifies everything, but you can take a different approach.
Find files that you find useful and transfer them to an external HDD or a USB flash stick. Or, if you prefer, you can use iCloud for it.