How to Maximize Your Car’s Re-Sale Value

Even if you currently love your car, there’ll come a point when you decide to list it for sale and buy a new vehicle.

The planning for that sale should occur much earlier than when you start putting together the advert. Or at least, it should do if you want to get as much cash from the sale as possible. The reality is that well-looked-after cars can sell for thousands of dollars more than ones that haven’t received quite as much TLC.

What’s more, taking the steps to maximize your vehicle’s re-sale value typically leads to a better overall driving experience. So not only will you get more money, but you’ll enjoy the time you do spend with your vehicle even more.

OK, so how do you maximize your car’s re-sale? We’ve put together a few handy strategies that can make all the difference.

Stick To The Maintenance Schedule

Sticking to your car’s maintenance schedule is the easiest way to keep your vehicle in tip-top condition. It’s during that routine maintenance that potential issues can be rectified before they have a chance to become more pronounced problems. You can find the key information about your vehicle’s servicing needs in the owner manual.

Work With Brand-Specific Mechanics

Many car owners simply take their vehicle to the nearest garage when it needs work, but this may inadvertently harm re-sale value. It’s not just whether a car has been serviced or repaired that makes an impact, but how well it has been serviced/repaired. For that reason, it’s nearly always better to work with a mechanic that specializes in your specific brand of car. If you’re a Chevy owner, then you’ll get better results by taking your car to a Certified Chevy service & maintenance center, just as BMW owners would benefit from making an appointment with a BMW repair shop. Ultimately, these brand-specific experts will know exactly what your vehicle needs to be at its best — and that can make all the difference when it comes to selling.

Invest in Cleaning

It’s what’s happening under the hood that will be of most interest to potential buyers, but they’ll also pay a lot of attention to the overall cleanliness of the car — and they’ll be a lot more likely to pay top dollar to make the vehicle theirs if they see/feel that the car has been well looked after. It’s easy to overlook vehicle cleaning, especially the interior part, but you’ll be thankful that you took the time to deep-clean when it comes time to sell.

Avoid Major Modifications

Many car owners assume that expensive modifications = higher re-sale price, but that’s not the case. While there will be some people interested in buying a vehicle that has been modified with turbo kits, suspension upgrades, and custom paint jobs, you’ll lose a big percentage of your potential buyers. Ultimately, the greater the number of people who are interested in your vehicle, the greater the chance that you’ll be able to make a quick sale at your preferred value.