As data center equipment continues to evolve, it’s important to take the necessary steps before selling your old gear. Failing to do so could result in lost revenue, increased costs, and missed opportunities. Before you sell your data center equipment it’s important that you perform a number of checks and inspections.
This ensures that any prospective buyer is getting what they paid for and helps protect you from fraud. Whether you plan to list your equipment online or sell it directly to buyers, determining how to properly prepare your equipment for sale can be a huge time-saving aid.
In the following, we’ll be discussing the important steps before selling your old data center equipment.
1. Conduct A Full Inventory
Make sure to list every piece of equipment you want to sell. If you’re selling racks, include the number of racks and their dimensions. If you’re selling servers, list each server’s configuration and serial numbers.
Even if it seems like overkill at first—but especially if it’s a large data center with many different types of equipment—the importance of accuracy will become clear later on in the process when buyers come in with specific requirements for what they want to buy and how much they’re willing to pay for it.
Once all this information has been compiled into one place, it can be stored digitally or printed out as a reference guide during negotiations and conversations with potential buyers (or even just for yourself).
2. Understand Valuing The Asset
The next step in evaluating the value of old data center equipment is understanding how to price it. To do this, you need to research how much the asset is worth, whether it’s still in production and whether there’s a market for it. You should also consider whether it is still in demand, and check with other companies who have sold similar equipment.
If you’re going to sell your old hard drives or switches on eBay or Craigslist, we recommend doing some research beforehand so you know what they might be worth.
For example, if they’re still functional but not very new anymore (as opposed to being completely outdated), then they could potentially fetch a higher price than if they were unusable due to age or damage from improper storage conditions during their working years at your company—but only if someone wants them!
3. Research Potential Buyers
Next, selling your data center equipment requires finding buyers who specialize in buying your particular type of hardware. Each type of hardware has a specific set of buyers that buy it, and you’ll want to ensure that you’re finding the right buyer for your equipment.
You should also make sure that the buyer knows how they will use the equipment and if they have a history of using it properly. You don’t want to sell your equipment only to have them take down the system after installing it because they didn’t know what they were doing.
Lastly, be sure that any potential buyers are reputable businesses with positive reviews online or through social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. This way, you can feel confident that if something goes wrong with your sale (which happens all too often), then at least there will be recourse available through legal channels or other avenues like credit card disputes if necessary.
4. Negotiate A Fair Price
Negotiating a fair price is one of the most important steps in selling your old data center equipment. You must understand the value of it before you can negotiate for a good price. There are many different factors that affect the price of equipment, including its age, functionality, and condition.
Knowing what type of equipment you have will help determine its long-term value. For example, if you have racks or cabinets with only one shelf unit (or “shelf”) per rack or cabinet, then those assets are worth less than assets with multiple shelves per cabinet.
This is because they cannot be easily upgraded later down the road when there are newer technologies available on the market (such as more power densities).
5. Prepare For The Transaction
Be prepared for an inspection of your equipment by a prospective buyer. The buyers will want to know what they are buying, so provide as much information as possible. Provide a detailed inventory of all items included in the sale and relevant support documentation if applicable. If possible, provide relevant warranty and other product documentation.
This will give buyers confidence in their purchase and help keep them happy long after the sale has been completed. Also, inform the buyer of any damage or missing items on any piece of equipment before it is sold; this way no one gets caught off guard later on when they find something unexpected about their new purchase!
In addition, inform them if repairs have been done before or after purchase as well as whether there were any modifications made during those repairs (for example installing additional memory).
6. Complete The Transaction
As you know, there are many things that can go wrong when you sell your old data center equipment. One of the best ways to protect yourself is through a purchase agreement, which clearly states what terms will apply to both parties.
This means including all details such as price, payment schedule, and return policy for example. You should also make sure that everything is agreed upon by both parties before finalizing the sale. Also, don’t forget about shipping! If needed, include an estimated cost for shipping as well.
Takeaway
Selling old enterprise equipment is a good option if you need to upgrade much of your data center. For example, if you have an older data center and are planning on upgrading it in the near future, selling your existing equipment can be a great way to make some extra money.
Additionally, getting rid of old data center equipment that has been sitting around for years can actually help reduce clutter in your space and make things easier for employees who come into work every day. When these pieces get sold, they can also help someone else with their own IT needs.
