Whatever the reason, with so many online car buying services opening up offering different prices, you may be left asking: “How do I know what my car is worth?”
It’s the end of the year, and money can often be tight. You might be wanting to sell your vehicle fast to free up some cash. You might just want to downsize the number of cars on your drive.
What My Car is Worth?
Well, let’s give you a little background about the car buying industry. Around the dot-com boom, dealers would solely use their websites as a shop-front to attract part-exchange vehicles to their forecourt where a deal would later be done. During which time, behemoths like the automotive classified website AutoTrader and auction site eBay Motors stepped up a gear if you want to sell your car privately.
How Can I Make Sure I Sell My Car For More?
One of your first priorities should be how your car looks. First impressions go a long way. So, make sure any dents, scratches, scuffs, or dirt marks are popped out, buffed up, and cleaned. If you get a re-spray and a good valet before going down to sell your car, you could save up to 75% in retained value, especially when selling to a trusted dealer. Tyres and wheels are the next most noticeable factor. Use a tyre tread depth gauge to make sure it’s at least 1.6mm across the central three-quarters. Preferably, you want 3mm, though.
Interior Condition:
Interiorly, stains, scratches, and marks to your vehicle’s seating, door panels, and windows from kids and pets may let you down. A little wear and tear are accepted, particularly if your car is six years or older. Luckily, there are quick fixes that could help your car retain up to 10% of its potential value — based on most online car buyers valuing a vehicle of poor interior condition.
Seating and roof lining marks can be washed with anti-bacterial spray. If there are any scratches to the door panel, sand the damage with some grit sandpaper, you could enter some super glue hardener, sand again, clean and apply a couple of coats of the factory-made dye. Last, but by no means least, the vehicle’s mechanics should be tip-top. Ensure you have a healthy battery, your central locking clicks in, your ignition fires the engine the first time of asking, and any electronics like windows and stereo works. A battery health check is highly recommended if you tend to use your car only for very short journeys and commutes.
You can do some DIY tips to improve the car condition as well. For more tips and guides visit our site.
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