Think your car can only decrease in value? Think again. If you’re planning to sell or trade in your car, there are simple, low-cost ways to drive the value up, so you can get more for your used vehicle. Overall, it comes down to focusing on the interior and exterior elements that most factor into appraisals. Get those areas as close to “excellent” as possible, and you’ll be able to drive a greater ask when you sell or trade-in.
Start here: get it past inspections…
First and foremost, make sure your car can—and will—pass inspections. Consider this the most basic benchmark. If it can’t, you’re going to get a lot less and, likely, have to seek out a buyer who’s either experienced in auto repairs or open to investing some extra TLC in their next vehicle purchase.
Next, tackle anything glaring
From there, check—and troubleshoot—anything glaring. If you hearing a grinding sound when you hit 50 mph, figure out what it is and either repair it or be prepared to speak to it. Same goes for any other oddities—those sounds, smells and other hiccups you may be comfortable driving around with but that could, instantly, throw off a new buyer.
And don’t forget, appearance counts
While it’s tempting to say a car has “good bones” or try and lead on a vehicle’s dependability and overall quality, don’t forget that the main factor in determining market value is appearance.
If you want to get more when you flip your car, spend time making it look its best—that means fixing damage, getting a proper detail and ensuring everything looks as good as as possible. It sounds simple, and it is. But getting your car showroom-worthy—or close enough—will attract more buyers if you’re going into a private sale, while eliminating a costly step of the process for dealers if you’re trading in. Either way, it’s a win/win.
Ready to get started?
Contact Enfield’s Detail for comprehensive pre-sale detailing services. From complete packages to exterior and interior detailing, paintless dent repair, wheel repair, windshield repair, wet sanding, headlight refinishing and more, Enfield’s will get your car up to buyer standards. Check out our Detailing page for our latest before and afters, let’s get in touch to learn more and schedule your detailing.