How Can You Improve a Car’s Resale Value?

Do you have too many vehicles taking up valuable space in your driveway? Do you just want a little extra money in your pocket, and you’re not really using that car, truck or SUV in the garage? Not only does Davey Auto Sales want to buy that vehicle, but we also want to give you the best deal possible. There are several ways you can improve your car’s resale value that doesn’t require a huge financial investment or extensive automotive knowledge. We got a few of our product experts to share some of the best tips and recommendations. Let’s take a closer look at some information you might need.

READ MORE: Tax Advantages of Trading In a Car

Best Tips for Increasing a Used Vehicle’s Resale Value

One of the hard truths that plague the automotive industry is that every vehicle loses value over time. It’s just the nature of the business. However, that doesn’t mean you’re destined to get nothing back when you’re selling it to a private party or to a dealership like Davey Auto Sales. Even if you’ve been a bit lax when it comes to keeping up with maintenance, you can still do a few things to get the best possible offer for the car, truck, van or SUV that you want to sell.

1. Gather Necessary Documents/Accessories

When you bought your car, you likely wanted to know that it was well-maintained by the previous owner. The person you’re selling it to is no different. Pulling together maintenance records will be useful in showing a potential buyer that oil changes and other tasks were completed on time. Also, make sure to have all registration and insurance documents.

Other than documents, you’ll also want to make sure that you collect as much of the equipment that came with the car as possible. Examples include:

• Owner’s manual
• Spare tire and jack
• Spare keys
• Sunshades, cargo covers, etc.

2. Schedule a Check Up

Bring your vehicle to a repair shop you trust and have them look it over and identify any problems. Small issues like burned-out headlights, replacing the brakes if necessary and other similar tasks can go a long way toward adding more than a few dollars to the resale value. Our experts don’t recommend making major repairs to major systems because the cost-benefit ratio isn’t likely to be in your favour. 

3. Find Professional Detailing Services

If you were going to spend a little bit of money getting your vehicle ready to sell, scheduling an appointment with a professional automotive detailer might be the most effective. A detailer would be able to restore the vehicle to what it was when it first rolled off the assembly line or at least more than reasonably close.

Make an appointment with a Davey Auto Sales product expert, today, if you have questions about selling your car or finding a new (to you) model that would better fit your needs and budget.