Whether you are selling your vehicle privately or trading it in on your next car purchase, there are a few areas of the vehicle that will determine the value of the car. While as an owner, you cannot do anything about the mileage of the vehicle or its age, you can improve the overall condition which should return a higher price when it comes to selling or trading in.
Below we list a few steps you can take that will most likely increase the value of the vehicle when you are negotiating a price with a buyer or dealership.
Documentation
To bolster the value of your vehicle, try to obtain all evidence of servicing and or repairs made to the vehicle such as invoices. Also, make sure that the vehicle's service handbook is up to date. Vehicle buyers are more inclined to pay more for a vehicle with a more complete ownership history than they are for a vehicle without any proof that it has been serviced regularly.
The last thing you want to happen after successfully negotiating a good price for your vehicle is realising you have misplaced the registration document or vehicle licence. This could lose you a potential buyer that is in a hurry. That is why you should prepare these documents and have them ready for the next potential owner. If the vehicle was financed, you will have to obtain the registration document and a settlement letter from the bank which could be a timely process.
Mechanical
If some time has passed since you last took the vehicle for a service, it will be in your favour to have a minor service completed. While you are at it, try to complete any mechanical repairs that you might have put off over time. Furthermore, having the vehicle inspected by a trusted vehicle inspection company to get a report of the vehicle's overall mechanical condition will also be to your benefit and if the vehicle is in a good overall condition, it will demand a higher price.
Appearance
If the exterior and interior of your car are in a good condition, still consider having the vehicle valeted and polished. Presenting a perfectly clean and polished vehicle to a potential buyer, not only make the vehicle more desirable but also show the buyer that you took care of the vehicle over the course of the ownership period.
If your vehicle has or small dings or scratches on the exterior or some tears or stains on the interior, consider addressing these condition issues before marketing to potential buyers or trading in the vehicle. Again, not only does this convey that you kept the vehicle in a good condition while you owned it, but it also saves the new owners time and effort getting it fixed and could result in a better selling price.
Original equipment
Almost all new vehicles come with standard equipment such as wheel spanners or small toolsets for small maintenance tasks. Having all the original equipment that came with the vehicle and in a good condition too will appeal to potential buyers, especially if the vehicle you are selling is considered collectable in certain circles. Having all the original equipment once again speaks to the vehicle's condition and the care you took to keep it as close to its original condition as possible.
Accessories
Accessorising your vehicle could be risky, especially just before you want to sell it or trade it in. However, if instead of applying custom sticker sets or an aftermarket sound system, you are considering accessories from the original manufacturer, it could bolster the overall value of your vehicle. These accessories could include new alloy wheels to a boot lip spoiler that is usually found on the higher specified derivatives of your vehicle model.
