If you are considering selling your car, there are a few ways in which you can improve the condition of the vehicle that won't necessarily break the bank but could result in more profit. Is it a good idea to spend money on a car that is going to be sold soon? Well, dealerships do this all the time, where they get a vehicle fixed and cleaned up as then the vehicles tend to sell quicker and for more profit. Below are a few key areas to focus on if you are considering making repairs to your vehicle before selling it.
Key areas
1. The starting point when it comes to selling your car is to give it a good old fashioned clean-up. And we don’t just mean spraying it with a hose and leaving it to dry in the sun.
2. Detail cleaning gives the whole car a loved and cared-for look, and that’s the impression you want to make. Get into all those crevices and get rid of accumulated grime beneath the bumpers and behind the number plates, and so on.
3. When you have cleaned it thoroughly, door jams, in the grooves of the taillights, everywhere you can think of, give it a good polish with a mildly abrasive polish to bring back the shine and remove “dead” paint, and then a wax job. And be sure to rub off any polish or wax streaks. You want the car to look new, not like it has just had a half-hearted polish
4. Wheels are king! Nothing can make a car look as good as a set of well-cared-for wheels and tyres, whether they be alloy wheels or ordinary ones with hubcaps. If your rims are scraped by kerbs, it is well worth it to get them repaired, by a wheel repair centre if necessary
5. If the upholstery on your car is shoddy, it may be well worth your while to get one or all of the seats recovered. Car upholstery should be done by an expert, but often it is not nearly as expensive to redo this, as you might think.
6. Now we get to the mechanicals. Firstly, make sure your car starts easily. If this means replacing the battery, it is worth it. A car that starts on the first twist of the key will make a good impression.
7. Engine tune. If your car runs rough at idle or under throttle, get it tuned by an expert. A smooth running engine makes a big impression!
8. Speak to many a used car dealer and they will tell you they always replace worn tyres, even if there is tread life left on them. Again, it’s all about first impressions. Plus, on a test drive, new tyres always feel better (as long as they inflated correctly!).
9. If your car’s windscreen is badly stone-chipped or cracked, have it replaced by an expert. Again, it is much cheaper to do this than you may think, and some firms will even visit your premises to carry out the replacement.
10. Think about having any scratches or dents professionally repaired too. If you shop around, you should find a panel shop that can do a bodywork repair at a reasonable price.
11. Brake pads. Have these checked out, or check them out yourself, to see if they have enough life in them. Any signs that they are getting near the end of their life should mean an instant replacement.
12. If your car has any leaks, investigate what it would cost to have them repaired. If the radiator is leaking, this needs attention, as it could lead to a major engine blow-up and you don’t want any come-backs after you’ve sold your car. Bad oil leaks can either be cheap or very expensive to repair, depending on where they are coming from.
13. Exhaust leaks should also be repaired. They make the engine sound rough and they can be dangerous, leading to fumes leaking to the inside of the car. Again, exhaust repairs are generally cheap to carry out.
14. Shock absorbers, if worn, can make a car ride terrible. Again, replacing the shocks is not a very expensive repair, but only do so if they are badly worn or leaking.
15. Lights with chipped or cracked covers give a bad impression. But watch out here, as some modern headlight clusters are extremely expensive to replace!
16. Repairs to the steering system are always a good idea, and if your car’s suspension and steering joints are worn, it is a good safety tip to get them replaced. You’ll know if there is a problem with any clonks or clunks in the system when you turn the wheel or apply the brakes. Again, have quotes done at various outlets and don’t accept the first quote for a job that you are given.
Related: Is a private car sales agreement legally binding?
We understand that not all these types of repairs will be 100 per cent necessary when it comes to selling your car. But the ones we have detailed here are the kind of repairs that a dealer would have carried out before selling a car.
And if a dealer can put a reasonable mark-up on a car for doing just this, why shouldn’t you, as a private seller?
