How to prepare your car for resale

optimise its value and appeal to prospective buyers. A major way you can do this is by ensuring that it is in great condition before handing over the keys. Preparing your car for resale in this way – making it clean and presentable – will greatly enhance your chances of selling it quicker and at a better price than you maybe would’ve.

Preparing your car for resale can be broken down into five simple steps that we’ll cover in this handy blog post, so read on to understand how you can enhance your car’s appeal and make a lasting impression on potential buyers.

And for the easiest, quickest way to sell your car today with BigWantsYourCar.com, then stick around to the end of the blog post where we’ll reveal all.

Key Takeaways

• Clean your car
• Check for repairs
• Check MOT status
• Gather relevant paperwork
• Value your car
• Ready to sell

Clean your car

Before showcasing your car to potential buyers, ensure that it is as spotless as you can get it – both on the inside and out. A pristine interior, including the glove box and front door bins, can greatly enhance its appeal to buyers and will do wonders for first impressions.

A well-maintained appearance is crucial since buyers may doubt its previous care if there are obvious dirty spots or unpleasant odours. Use a vacuum cleaner and detailing brush to do the majority of the work for you.

Or, similarly, you could hire a professional who will save you the time and effort – as long as you don’t mind paying a premium for the privilege. No matter who does the cleaning, make sure that floor mats and car seats are especially taken care of, any odours are eliminated, and any grime on the paintwork and wheels is removed.

Check for any possible repairs

Though it will eat into your finances initially, ensuring that your car is fully functional will pay dividends when it comes to selling, that’s why it is such an important part of preparing your car for a resale.

Make sure all electrical components are in working order, including:

• Lights
• Wipers
• Radio
• Air conditioning
• Displays

Similarly, inspect and refill all the fluids in your car, such as:

• Engine oil
• Power steering fluid
• Washer fluid
• Coolant
• Brake fluid
• Power steering fluid
• Radiator fluid
• Transmission fluid

Check the condition of your tires, and ensure all the mechanical aspects of your car are in working order.

Outside of major repairs, make sure to address any minor issues or damages to further enhance your car’s appeal and increase its final selling price. We also suggest you remove any modifications that could negatively impact your car’s worth overall, such as:

• Suspension upgrades
• Turbochargers
• Window tints
• Neon lights

Although you should fix as many major repairs as possible, in certain situations it may be more financially viable to negotiate with a buyer if the cost of a repair outweighs the value they’d add to the sale price.

View our post – Should I repair my car before selling?

Check your car’s MOT status

If your car’s MOT is expiring soon, get it renewed.

This will avoid bothersome price negotiations based on potential issues, and shows buyers that it is in good condition and that you’ve been looking after it, increasing peace of mind and security that the car is in a good position to be bought.

Gather all your paperwork

In addition to the car itself, don’t overlook the importance of gathering all relevant paperwork, including:

• Purchase receipts
• MOT certificates
• Records of past services or repairs

Having a comprehensive documented history enhances the value and appeal of your car to potential buyers. It also provides them with the reassurance that the car has been well taken care of.

Get a free car valuation

Once you know that your car is in good repair and you have all the necessary paperwork to hand, it’s time to get it valued. This will help you get a rough idea of what you can expect price-wise when it does eventually come to selling, and gives you better negotiating power for potential buyers who want to undercut you.

You may be wondering how you should go about doing this. In fact, this step is often quite off-putting for people who feel like getting their car valued is more effort than it’s worth.

Fortunately, the world of online car valuation is upon us, and it’s truly never been easier and more convenient to get a fair, competitive quote on your car. Best of all? It’s FREE.

The online car valuation tool at Big Wants Your Car is a free to use tool that respects your time by offering a quick, easy quote for your car in mere minutes. You don’t even have to leave the couch. It also uses reliable data directly from the automotive industry to reflect current market trends and conditions.

Don’t believe us? Try it out for yourself here, and if you like the look of our price for your car, you can also enjoy a range of other benefits, including:

• Free, doorstep collection
• Zero admin fees – what we say is what we pay
• Money paid directly into your account upon collection
• A professional team of experts at hand to help at every step

View our post – How to transfer car ownership

You’re all set to sell your car

If you’ve followed these steps, you should be in a better position than ever to sell your car. Preparing your car for resale in this way may take more time than you’d like – and maybe even cost you more upfront – but it all goes a long way to ensuring that you get the absolute best value for your car when it comes to selling it. By giving your car a clean, a once over for repairs and MOT status, and a preliminary valuation, you’re not only increasing the value of your car, but ensuring that it is in the best condition to continue driving on the road with whoever takes it off your hands in the future.