How to prepare a car for sale - and get the most money out of it
Here's a handy guide to getting the most out of your car when it comes to putting it up for sale.
If you thought buying a car was tough, selling can be an even more difficult experience especially if you've never done it before.
The trick is to be very well organised and follow a logical procedure when preparing a car for sale, so you can be sure you've done everything you need to. We've put together some tricks from the trade to help you out...
1. Look after the car throughout ownership
It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that the better a car is looked after, the more it will be worth.
Make sure you clean your car frequently. Not only will this make the car easier and quicker to clean in the future, but it will look generally better, with no etchings being left by tree sap or bird excrement. Applying spray wax regularly will aid this.
It's also wise to ensure you stick to your car's servicing schedule and stay on top of the regular maintenance necessary to keep your car in good running order. If your last service or MOT brought up any advisories, it would make sense to get those sorted before selling the vehicle.
All this care will mean prospective customers will be able to tell your car has been looked after well throughout its life, meaning they'll be more likely to want to buy it and pay extra for the privilege.
2. Value the car
When selling a car, it's vital you know how much it's objectively worth. This allows you to work out what you expect to get for it and how much a customer will likely seek to pay.
The easiest way to do this is by using an online car valuation site. There are plenty of websites to choose from and it's usually a free service, so get a few quotes and work out an average figure.
The best of these sites will not only take into account your car's spec level and mileage, but will ask you about the condition and even allow you to input exactly where any issues, damage or wear and tear are.
3. Have the car valeted
While cleaning your car regularly is a good idea, when it comes to the pre-sale wash, you need to do something more substantial if you want your pride and joy to stand out in adverts, and in the metal.
Going to a local car wash and putting down a €20 note will get you a basic valet service where the inside and outside of your car will be given a thorough clean, which is a good option for those on a budget.
If you can stretch your wallet a bit more, it's worth getting a professional valeting job done, where your car will be meticulously cleaned in every spot. Each valeter charges differently for this, so it's worth doing your research in advance.
4. Have the car detailed
If you do go to a professional valeter, it's a good idea to ask about their detailing service.
This is where the valeter really gets into the nitty gritty, focusing on the finer details of the car and removing scratches, scuffs and marks to really get it into concourse condition.
On a more expensive model or a low mileage example, this will pay dividends when it comes to resale value.
5. Dent removal
On another aesthetic point, it's worth remembering dents can significantly reduce a car's value.
There's a service called paintless dent repair, or PDR, which allows dents to be "pulled" away from a car's bodywork using specialist tools. This doesn't always produce perfect results, but it is a highly cost-effective way of smoothing out any visual nuisances on your vehicle.
6. Check fluid levels and tyre pressure
Although it comes under general maintenance, we can't reiterate enough the importance of making sure your fluid levels and tyre pressures are correct before selling a car.
If a prospective customer notices that one of these factors is not as it should be, it will be a sign to them that the car has not been looked after properly.
If you risk not keeping a close eye on these aspects, you risk knocking the confidence of those who would otherwise buy your car.
7. Get an MOT
An MOT is a certified document that proves your car is roadworthy, so it's best to have one done with plenty of time left on it.
If your car is on a statutory off-road notice, or SORN, or doesn't have long left on its MOT, that may be a sign to buyers there's something wrong with it.
Your best bet is to take the car along to a garage and get the MOT done, sorting out any advisories as well, to make sure the vehicle is in top condition.
8. Collate the paperwork
What with the likes V5 certificates, vehicle logbooks and warranty documents, there's a lot of paperwork to go with a car.
As much of a faff it may be to collate all this, it really is a necessity, not just for legal purposes, but also to further prove to prospective buyers that the car has been well looked after.
It's easiest if you keep all of these documents in a file for easy access and so you can hand it right over to the new owner when you do sell the car.
9. Decide how to sell the car
When it comes to the method by which you sell your car, you have quite a few options.
The most obvious is to create a listing on an online vehicle marketplace where customers can see pictures of your car and read a detailed description. Interested parties can then contact you via phone or email and you go from there.
Another option is to use an auction site, where you may get lucky if a bidding war starts, but this of course, runs the risk of you not getting quite what you hoped for.
If you really can't be bothered with all the fuss, you can always take your car to a dealership and sell it there, but be aware that you will almost certainly be offered a trade-in price that's lower than the vehicle's actual retail value.
10. Empty the car of belongings
Whether it's a coffee cup in the cup-holder, a packet of chewing gum in the door pocket or a pile of coats on the back seat - get it out of there.
Not only does it look bad to have a messy car in pictures, but prospective buyers who come to look at and test drive your car do not want to have to wade through piles of rubbish to see the car in detail.