Well-groomed cars fetch better prices
WHEN it comes time to trade in the family car for a new model, putting in a bit of preparation before listing it for sale will pay off, Turners Auctions Wellington branch manager Jade Stevenson says.
Mr Stevenson says ensuring that a car is clean and well presented will help you get the best price – and make it an attractive proposition compared to other cars for sale.
‘‘Make sure it is groomed and cleaned, that is the biggest thing. If it is missing a hubcap, make sure you get the hubcap back on it, or get a new set of hubcaps.’’
He says getting a specialist to clean the car is cost effective and worthwhile.
‘‘A groomer will have specialised machines, they will shampoo the seats, they’ll shampoo the carpets, they can do the roof linings, they will do the things you don’t think about and get a good result.
‘‘If you really want to get the best money, invest $150 and you’ll probably end up getting an extra $500 back for your car.’’
Mr Stevenson says car groomers can also do a cut and polish on the exterior paintwork to restore a showroom shine.
He recommends getting any minor faults on the vehicle repaired before putting it up for sale.
‘‘Those are the sort of things that people will pick up when they are test driving it, so if you have got a little rattle, at least if that is fixed and you have got a fresh warrant on it then people are not going to ask for a discount.’’
And if you haven’t got the time or money to fix the car, Mr Stevenson suggests getting a written quote for the work so at least the buyer knows how much it will cost to fix.
‘‘You can say, ‘I know the electric window doesn’t work . . . I really wanted $5000 for the car, this is going to cost $300 to fix, so I am willing to take $4700’.’’
He advises keeping a service history for the vehicle showing when it has been serviced, and what repairs have been done.
‘‘That is always a huge bonus if you can pull out a folder and say ‘here’s the service history since I’ve owned the vehicle’. It shows people that you have looked after it.’’
For those who don’t want the hassle of selling the car themselves, Mr Stevenson says, Turners have a buy-now service as well as their regular auctions.
‘‘We offer cash now. If we see a car that smells nice and has a fresh warrant and registration, we are always willing to pay more money.’’
For more information, go to: www.turners.co.nz.