Every experienced, experienced car enthusiast who has resold quite a few cars in his life knows several tricks and ways to get the best price when selling his used car. Here are these 6 simple steps to get maximum resale value for your car.

First, let’s agree that you have a used car. in working order and on the move. This is the most important condition – because if the car is running and has no serious damage, only such a car can you sell at the highest possible price.

If you’re planning to sell your car in a few years, it’s in your best interest to start preserving its value now. These 6 tips will help you maximize your car’s resale value.

1. Vacuum and clean the interior thoroughly

One of the most important (and often overlooked) aspects of your car is the overall condition and cleanliness of the interior. The appearance of the interior is critical when it comes to making a good first impression on potential buyers.

Here are 4 steps to follow:

• Remove all items that belong to you from the car. This includes any debris on the floor and in the trunk, air fresheners, anything hanging from the rearview mirror, etc. This should all be removed from the interior. Try to give the initial factory look to the interior of your car, buyers will appreciate it.
• Vacuum all fabric or carpeting, and even under rugs. Remove the attachment from the vacuum cleaner and use only the pipe. Any more serious stains can be treated with a carpet cleaner spray or the like. Alternatively, if your carpets are really really dirty, you can get the interior dry-cleaned at your local garage.
• Wipe all surfaces with a cloth. If you want to do it right, use some car interior cleaner from your local car dealership. Most of these cleaners will make all your plastic surfaces look as good as new.
• Clean windows inside and out. Use glass cleaner and a glass cleaning cloth to get rid of fingerprints or smudges that accumulate on the inside of windows. You can also use the same cleaner on any clear plastic surfaces, such as the dashboard and media screens.

Once you have completed the above steps, your car’s interior should look and smell much better than before.

2. Complete external washing of the car and parts

Once you’ve cleaned the interior, it makes sense to move on and give your car a full wash outside. It may seem obvious, but there is a difference between a bucket and a rag and a thorough, detailed wash.

• First, before closing the doors, wipe down the painted surfaces around the door frames. These are areas that the exterior sink does not reach and are often overlooked, but are very noticeable when the door is open. Wipe them with a damp cloth before washing and close the doors.
• Hose down your car to soften any dried dirt on the paint. This is an important first step before washing your car because it will remove any tough, dry dirt and prevent scratches when you run the sponge over the surface.
• Wash your car with car wash solution and a good sponge. Car wash solution is radically different from dishwashing liquid, so use the right solution for best results. Make sure you clean off as much road dirt as possible, and don’t forget to wash the inside of the rims (above the tires) if they are clearly visible. Finish by hosing down the car to remove all the soap.
• Wipe the car down with a dry cloth if possible, as this reduces the chance of streaks drying on the window glass and paintwork.
• If your car was recently polished, still have it done again. Even if your car’s paintwork looks good at this stage, you can always benefit from some extra shine.
• Open the hood and clean everything there. Many cars these days use plastic covers and components in the engine compartment. Also clean these parts using a rag and some of the cleaners you used inside the car. You just need to clean what you see, without having to climb into hard-to-reach places. Most buyers will want to pop the hood and see what’s in there after all.

3. Give your car’s wheels and tires some love.

Wheels and tires are major factors when it comes to how good a car looks. Cars that have not been taken care of will often have dirty wheels with a lot of dust, brake wear particles, missing valve covers and the like.

• Start by washing the wheels. Thoroughly wash the front (visible) surface of the tires. Make sure you remove as much dirt and dust as possible, even in small, hard-to-reach areas.
• Dry the wheels and wipe them with a dry cloth and see how they look clean. If the wheels have small scratches, then you can try polishing them. Otherwise, if you have more serious damage and large scratches, contact a car service center and have the discs repaired. Beautiful, clean and serviceable wheels will significantly increase the value of your car!
• Check the tire tread. If your tires have low tread, it may be worth replacing them to keep your customers happy. After all, worn tires are another reason buyers can use to lower their selling price.
• Apply some tire ink. Buy a can of cheap tire ink from your local car dealership and spray it on the sidewall of your tires. This will give them a rich black color, making the tires look newer and in better condition than before.

4. Check for faults

The goal here is to remove the reasons why a buyer might beat you on price. If your car has some obvious faults or problems, the buyer will take advantage of them in an attempt to negotiate a lower selling price. Depending on the vehicle, it may be financially worthwhile to replace certain parts if they have a large impact on the overall presentation of the vehicle.

For example, you’ve cleaned the interior of your car and it all looks fantastic, except the steering wheel has some terrible wear marks. Depending on the value of the car, it may be worth calling your local garage to find out how much it would cost to replace the steering wheel.

Likewise, if your car’s exterior is spotless except for some damage to the front bumper, it may be worth taking it to a body shop for repairs. Minor dents can be repaired, missing exterior trim or faded taillights can be replaced. Remember that some repair costs can be easily offset by an additional premium in the selling price.

5. Contact a car service center for service

If you know your car is due for service, find out how much it will cost to service it. For just a few hundred bucks, it will give potential buyers peace of mind that you really care about the vehicle, and it will even help fix some small problems like rough engine idling. If your car was serviced 6 months ago and it is still running well, then don’t worry.

Cars that are still under warranty are also worth taking advantage of. For example, the vehicle has premature wear on the steering wheel, noise from the front suspension, and some movement in the base of the driver’s seat. All of these issues can be covered under warranty and fixed free of charge, so it makes sense to put your warranty to good use. After all, you paid for it!

6. Take good photos for the ad.

After all, good quality photos sell cars, so it makes sense to take a lot of them when your car is clean and looks almost new.

Make sure you shoot from all angles so buyers can get a good idea of ​​the car’s condition, as well as several interior photos that show the dashboard, seats (front and back), and any other parts you’d like to highlight. Highlight your car’s strengths and show them off, and try to leave the parts that don’t look as good as others out of the photo if possible.

It is also important to take the time to give as complete a description as possible about the car, including notable features and a detailed overview of the condition, and don’t forget to write why you are selling it.

REMEMBER: You can always contact our car service center, where your car will be happy to receive professional technical assistance. You can also make an appointment with us for a scheduled technical inspection! Please familiarize yourself with our car repair and diagnostic services.