If you’re preparing to sell your car, you may not want to fix it up before doing so. Believe it or not, some repairs are worth doing because the new owner may not see the older car like a worthwhile investment otherwise. Cleaning out dirt, stains, or adding new seat covers can entice potential buyers, or make your older car look more valuable to other drivers, so you don’t feel embarrassed when you take it out for a drive.
New Paint Job
A faded paint job looks messy and can reduce the value of your car significantly. Chips and rust can be fixed easily because they can be sanded down or removed and replaced. However, if the entire vehicle has old paint, you may need to repaint the whole thing. If you’re unsure what your cars original color is because of how faded it is, look to the area inside the door frame because it rarely gets exposed to chemicals and sunlight. You could also polish or wax your car, but it may never get the car back to its original color or shine. To keep your vehicle shiny in the future, opt for a household detergent, like dish soap, which will preserve the finish longer.
Private Number Plates
An often overlooked part of your vehicle is the number plates because unless they’re covered, you don’t need to clean or wax the metal on the plate. Most car owners never clean them until they need to be sold, and at that point, the stains accumulated are unlikely to wash off. Replace your number plate with a new, fresh one to make your vehicle look newer. However, if you want to make it more expensive, find an online plate dealer like Absolute Reg for unique plates that can express your personality. Some rare ones can up the value of your vehicle significantly.
Renovate the Interior
Even when your exterior looks nice, the interior of the vehicle may make your car look dirty, old, and unsellable. Although other drivers will pay more attention to the exterior, a driver spends all of their time inside the vehicle, not outside of it. Keeping the inside clean can also make the drivers experience more comfortable, and it doesn’t have to cost much to spruce it up. For example, new rubber mats can be as low as $20, while cleaning the inside with a vacuum, paper towels, and a Swiffer is free if you have cleaning products already in your home.
Quick Fixes
Some car repairs take minutes and don’t require a professional to do, which cuts on labor costs. For example, dingy headlights that look dirty can be replaced with new ones or cleaned with a plastic window cleaner. Wheels are another easy repair job that can be done by you with a few tools, but if your tires were recently changed, you could clean the treads, so they look newer. Finally, make sure none of your lights are burnt as that could pose a legal problem rather than an aesthetic issue. Check your dashboard lights to determine whether a quick fix is needed, or looking under the hood and taking your car to the repair shop is necessary.
Look Under the Hood
Aesthetics are one thing, but nothing makes a vehicle more unsellable than it being a few KM or Miles from breaking down. Look under the hood and see whether your oil needs to be changed, you need a new battery, or some components are rusted. Many things are easy to fix, like filling up windshield wiper fluid or repairing fuel lines, but if your engine is oxidized, it may be better to junk the vehicle. Its always better to take your old car to a mechanic to determine if the shell is worth saving.
Have Papers and Proof
So you’ve done all the above repairs, but without proper documentation and proof that you’ve done these repairs recently, the seller isn’t going to believe you. Keel a folder of maintenance and repair records in your vehicle, preferably in your glove box, because it adds value to your investment. Besides providing evidence, an orderly folder shows that you really cared about your car and maintained it regularly and didn’t repair it just because you’re about to sell.
