Boosting The Value Of Your Car Before You Sell

When it comes to selling your car, you will naturally be looking for the best price possible. However, while it might be tempting to simply sell your vehicle as it is, you could stand to make more money by upgrading or enhancing it beforehand.

Before you accept payment for a private car sale, it’s worth considering how you can boost that price tag. Here are a few simple, cost-efficient ways to get your car value up and revving.

Tune it up

Tuning up a car isn’t as expensive or as problematic as you might think. Most service centers will help you get the best out of your motor for a flat fee. Otherwise, there are ways you can tune up your car from home.

The reason why this is such a value booster should be pretty apparent. No one is going to want to buy a car that performs at anything beneath its best. By tuning up, you are effectively pushing your vehicle to its logical limits, though this doesn’t mean you’re pushing it to breaking point. Consider tuning the engine if you really want to sell your car at its best.

Get it clean

This really should be a no-brainer. Before you even think of selling your car, deep clean it as thoroughly as you can. It means more than just the soapy sponge and hose treatment. It means going deep into wheel trims, checking for rust, scuffs, and more.

The better the first impression you make, the more chance you will have of getting your asking price. Therefore, cleaning and sprucing up your car before a sale is actually a massive value booster.

Check the bodywork

When cleaning and tuning up, you may well come across a couple of other points that need your attention. Namely, you need to be pretty ruthless with the paint and bodywork. Even if there are a couple of scuffs or scrapes, these could still drive down the potential value of your sale.

Therefore, make sure to take your car in for professional spraying if it is required. What’s more, if there are any scrapes or dents, you are going to need to get them filled out and smoothed away before you let any buyers anywhere near your car.

The same goes for your windshield. Can you expect to sell a car for the price you demand with a chipped or scratched windshield? Probably not.

Get all paperwork in order

Yes, believe it or not, getting all the paperwork in hand can boost your sale value. Any work that your buyer doesn’t have to do at the point of sale will be a significant boon to them. Ensure that you have paid up any duties that need paying, and that you have all relevant documentation with your vehicle when it is time to sell.

Otherwise, your buyers are going to be looking for a car that’s easier to manage and take to the road from the get-go.

Sort out your tires

Tires are one of the biggest let-downs in terms of car value. If you are still running the same, worn treads, or even have the wrong type of tires installed (such as summer fits in the winter), then you’re going to need to take another look.

A car’s value depends not only on its look, security, and suspension but also on its wheels and treads. Test your tires. Inflate them fully. If all else fails and patching them up is going to be an ordeal, make sure to replace them.

Believe us – while replacing tires outright will cost a little in upfront fees, the cost will be more than offset by the money you will make back on that final sale.

Put yourself in your buyer’s shoes

This is, crucially, what we are talking about. Think about what you would be willing to pay more for as a car buyer. You’d want a great-looking car that you can start using straight away. You’re also going to want a vehicle that comes with all the relevant documents.

Therefore, when thinking about boosting your car’s financial value, think carefully about what you’d want from a convenient, great value vehicle. What would really ‘wow’ you at the point of sale?

Follow this line of thinking and you’ll boost your car’s financial potential in no time at all. It’s a formula that works wonders!