Let’s face it, your car is probably the second most expensive thing you’ve ever bought – behind your house, if you’re a homeowner, or the rent you have to pay each month as a tenant. Because of that, when the time comes to invest in a better, more affordable, and fuel-friendly vehicle, you’re going to want to get the best price possible.
The first thing to do is investigate the current worth of your car, in much the same way you’d investigate any other second hand model before putting a deposit down. Then, it’s time to boost that value in many ways possible.
And yes, there are quite a few methods you can use to increase your vehicle’s worth before you put it back on the market. We’ve recommended a few of the most impactful down below.
Take it to the Garage
A used car can have a few faults – that’s to be expected, especially if your car has quite the mileage on the clock. Because of that, before you put it up for sale, be sure to take it in for a service.
Get it seen to by a professional mechanic to ensure there’s nothing that needs replacing or fine tuning, and that the car itself is in proper working order. You don’t want to accidentally sell a dud; you’re likely to have the buyer demand their money back that way.
It’s also best to retain proof of this service. The buyer may want to double check that the car has been maintained by a professional in recent months, so ask for a full report to be sent your way too. A receipt alone may not be sufficient evidence, and it’s unlikely to have the amount of required detail either.
Check Over the Paint Work
This is where you’re looking for dents and dings, scratches and chips, and anything that’s harmed the paint work over the years. Any marks on the car can bring down the price by more than £20 a piece, so you’ll want to be sure you’re not thinning out your potential profit margin here.
After all, the new owner is just going to have to pay for those issues to be repaired off of their own back. No one wants to have to stump up a high price for a car, only to then need to pay extra to get it into good condition.
Register a New Number Plate
Private plates are up for sale all the time. Buying one and registering it to your vehicle can raise the initial selling point, thanks to the novelty of the new plate you’ve attached. You’ll have to hand over the documents of ownership as part of the sale, but if you keep them all in the same folder as any insurance information and the like, you’re unlikely to lose them.
Private number plates tend to appreciate over time, so an older number plate will have the most impact here. However, the more unique and ‘sought after’ the reg combo is, the higher a price someone will be willing to pay.
This can make arranging a private sale easier too. Anyone interested in cars with unusual plates, such as a collector, or someone who is looking for a plate that represents their name, is much more likely to reach out to you directly.
Clean the Interior
Good news though – you don’t need to hire a professional to get the interior ‘professionally’ cleaned! You can do it to the same standard yourself, as long as you’ve got the right tools, techniques, and time on your hands.
A deep interior clean is a lot simpler than it seems. Indeed, if you’ve never quite got everything up off the mats using the vacuum before, make sure you bring the brush attachment out with you. Screw that onto the end of the pipe and only then go to town on your car’s floor.
You can also use your vacuum in the cup holders, inside the glovebox, and underneath the car pedals. It’ll probably be best to have a handheld unit with you for this, or even a ‘desk’ vacuum that’s small enough for tighter spaces, but you can get that professional sheen!
Sell at the Right Time
Unfortunately, there’s no general rule to this. The right time to sell a used car will depend entirely on the kind of car it is.
For example, if it’s an old model that’s only good for going from A to B, it has potential to be the first car of a teen or young adult who’s just passed their driving test. Most people tend to have their driving tests booked for the spring and summer months, so you may want to put your car on the market at the same time.
You should also be aware of when people are least likely to be looking for a new car. The winter period, and particularly around Christmas time, people are using their spare cash for the holidays. They’re probably not keeping a dedicated separate pot for a used car purchase!
Getting the Best Price for Your Old Car
If you want to increase the value of a vehicle for the second hand market, you’ll need to invest in a bit of maintenance and repair work. If you’ve got the time to do so, get your car in for a service, check for scratches, dents, and chips in the body work, and then give the vehicle a good deep clean.
You might also want to boost the value by adding some modifications, like a personalised number plate and new car detailing – but that will depend on just how high a return you’d really like to see.
The most important thing to remember though? Make sure you’re selling at the right time. The second hand market goes up and down over the year, and you want to enter when it’s on an up!
