Are you about to sell your car?
Are you about to sell your car? Here are some top tips to help you achieve the best selling price
If your car is in a sorry state you are not going to get the best possible price for it, muddy bodywork, filthy interior and cracked light lenses are red flags to a potential buyer – all warning signs that you haven’t taken very good care of this vehicle. It really is worth spending a little time and money to get your car looking good and it may just make the difference between making that sale and watching your buyer walk away
The first point is the most obvious one, wash your car! Give it a good shampoo and rinse and you will be amazed at the difference, or you could pay someone to do it of course
Once you’ve finished the outside it is time to clean the interior, another obvious point that is overlooked by so many, no buyer wants to sit in a car that stinks of last night’s burger and chips, with the wrappers still on the floor! Throw away all the rubbish, vacuum every nook and cranny, polish the dashboard, centre console and other areas of trim with the correct type of cleaner and use an upholstery cleaner on the seats. Use glass cleaner on the windows, clean and shiny windows look great. Consider paying for a full valet, they come to your home and even shampoo the seats
Fit new floor mats, a full set of rubber mats is an inexpensive fix for worn carpets
If your paint has faded a rubbing/cutting compound will help return it to its former glory, following that you should apply wax and then polish, polish, polish until your car is positively gleaming. This will also help to eliminate any scratches, or at least make them less obvious
The next point is your wheels, whether they are steel or alloy they will not give a good impression if they have been kerb damaged, it will be a good investment to have this repaired and there are many businesses out there that specialise in this kind of repair. Another option is to buy a set of wheel trims, although this will not look as good. Ensure your wheels and tyres are clean and use a tyre shine product to make your tyres look as good as new, shiny tyres are a car showroom trick that really is effective
Consider having any dents, bad scratches or rust spots taken care of, this kind of repair can be costly but it may well pay for itself and will almost certainly help make the sale
Ensure you have no warning lights displayed on the dashboard, if your car is overdue for a service then get it done; nobody wants to buy a car which is immediately going to cost them money for servicing
Check under the bonnet, is everything clean and tidy? Wipe any oil spills from the engine bay and check oil, water and other fluid levels are correct
Check all headlights and indicators are working, replace bulbs where necessary
Replace any missing chrome badges, if you can do so without spending a fortune
Check that you have all the vehicle documentation and service history
A photo ad is always a good idea, your clean and shiny car is certain to stand out above the rest after all
Greet potential buyers with a smile
Good luck with your sale
Special Thanks Daniel Oines for providing the image