When it comes to selling your car, you want to try and achieve the best price possible, however, with some older vehicles, it can seem quite a challenge to find ways to add value. From scrapes and bumps to just general wear and tear, our cars go through quite a lot during the lifecycle of ownership, but thankfully there are some relatively easy quick-fixes you can do that will increase the selling price you might realize.
If you’re looking for ways to increase the value of your old car, below are some ideas for fix-ups you can make that will help you achieve a better price.
Clean the car
It really should go without saying, but a car that looks the part is far more likely to be appealing to a prospective buyer than one that looks untidy or unclean – both of which can be a signal that you haven’t looked after the vehicle. Before you do any of the other tips in this list, ensure you’ve thoroughly cleaned the car inside and out – plus decluttered and removed any personal items you might have lying around.
Get bumps and dents repaired
While you might be able to cover up smaller scrapes and scratches, for more significant bodywork problems you’ll need to take your car to an auto repair shop that has air compression tools to fix the issues (learn more here).
Take a close look at your car and try to think like a prospective buyer. Any issues you notice will likely be seen by them too and dents or bumps will just flash dollar signs in front of their eyes as they imagine the cost of repair. Rather than putting buyers off from the start, you should fix these things yourself.
Collate the paperwork
Any buyer will want to see the full service history of your car plus invoices for repair work. You should make these details freely available, so the purchaser can get a better idea of how well the car has been looked after (note, this also includes by other previous owners before you).
Have the car serviced before selling
If you’ve ever bought a second-hand car, you’ll know only too well that sense of impending dread when you put it in for its first service. Sure, all can look well and good on a surface inspection of a vehicle but cars can hide a multitude of sins very easily. Instead of leaving buyers guessing, put your car in for a full service to remove any doubt. Showing the car is in good order is one of the best and easiest ways to get a higher price.
Add desirable extras
While you don’t want to go spending a fortune on your car before selling, small additional extras like quality alloy wheels will make your car look like its worth much more.
Ensure you include everything that came with the car originally
It’s all too easy to forget to replace items like the parcel shelf, spare wheel or tool kit – but this will immediately put off potential buyers. Make sure you put back everything that came with the car when you first bought it.