back to articles | August 10, 2020 | Dave B

Categories: Tips & Insights For Car Buying Buying & Selling Cars Vehicle & Buying Research Useful Automotive Information

5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Car’s Value Before Selling

If you are keen to sell your car seamlessly quick in order to upgrade to a new one, there are a few neat tricks you could do to boost your car's value. After all, it would only make sense to maximize your return since you’ve already put so much money into it in the first place. Time to put a halt to depreciation and earn a few extra thousands of your hard-earned cash, back into your pocket.

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If you are keen to sell your car seamlessly quick in order to upgrade to a new one, there are a few neat tricks you could do to boost your car's value. After all, it would only make sense to maximize your return since you’ve already put so much money into it in the first place. Time to put a halt to depreciation and earn a few extra thousands of your hard-earned cash, back into your pocket. Let’s dive into it.

Headlight Restoration

The headlights must be clear as day. Having dulled, yellow and oxidized lights is straightforward unattractive since it is so obvious to point out no matter how clean or immaculate your car looks. Not only is this a safety hazard, it can really leave a sour first impression with your potential buyers. With an effective buff or sanding process followed by a recoating of clear coat to protect it, you’ll achieve crystal clear headlights in no time. Such a small task goes a long way when it comes to restoring your headlights.

Interior Shampoo for Carpet, Mats and Seats

It is time to remove all the stains of your car interior so it would look and smell as good as new. Better use a proven automotive upholstery shampoo brand so that the results are second to none. You can't afford to gamble with a shampoo that is still new to the industry. Better buy one that has been proven to be effective in the many ways it was used in the past. Don't forget to let the carpet, mat, and seats dry for a few hours after applying natural shampoo on them. There is no doubt they are going to smell great afterwards.

Besides, no one would be happy about buying a car with the interior resembling to that of a dumpster. Chances are, they will be spending a great deal of time in it themselves along with the family. It would only make sense for it to look clean and sanitized to ensure a hygienic and safe driving environment. We always recommend using an upholstery shampoo and extraction machine to help agitate stains and have them removed by extraction.

Odor Treatment

The car may already have a bad odor due to the many things that were spilled inside it across its lifetime along with the many dust particles breeding in it. Sometimes a deep shampoo will help eradicate some of the unpleasant smells, but first, be sure to find the culprit and have it removed. No matter how much shampoo you use, if there is a rotting piece of fruit wedged in somewhere, it will still remain stinky. Treat bad smells at the source!

Exterior Detailing

Better enlist the services of a good car detailing company so you will get rid of all those scratches and dents in your exterior. It will certainly look better for the buyer if the vehicle does not have any dents or scratches. It is normal for the vehicle to get some dents and scratches over the past few years it was used. Those were certainly bad memories and it would be better if those were eliminated from the exteriors permanently. Besides, nothing spells out new better than a shiny and glossy car. Make sure to have your car serviced with professionals who can provide machine buffing, polishing and waxing to ensure that it can be restored to a presentable and sellable condition. Unless your vehicle has paint protection in the form of a ceramic or graphene coating, then we would advise not to machine polish or wax, but simply go for a regular car wash shampoo. The last thing you want to do is to remove any of that protection on that vehicle, as it also helps to provide a gloss too.

Engine Bay Clean

Often overlooked, the engine bay, which is normal for it to have a ton of grease marks over the years, but doesn’t mean you should not clean it. It would be best to clean that area so it would not look too dirty. It may take several minutes to make this part of the car look great but it will be worth it in the end. It will clearly have better value when the engine part does not look too dirty. You will be able to see the parts there pretty clearly like where the oil, water, and engine is. It also gives an indication of how often you service and maintain your car. If there is an abundance of oil, spider webs and years of collected leaves in there, it really does not paint a positive picture for you. Buyers like purchasing reliable cars that have been regularly and properly maintained, the engine bay, is one of the main areas that will determine this for you.

So, there you have it, when you have accomplished all the above, you can be pretty confident about showing your vehicle to interested buyers. You will also feel confident about asking a huge price tag for it, one that it truly deserves. Just remember, the more blemishes your vehicle has, the greater the likelihood a buyer will haggle the price down. Prep your car up for pre-sale and leave no space for haggling customers with these tips today.