How to Prepare Your Car for Sale

You clean your home when you are expecting company. You wear a nice outfit when you want to “sell” yourself on a date or an interview. These are just natural things to do when you want to make a good impression.

The same can be said for selling your car. You have to get your car up to par when you want to impress buyers. Sure, you can’t change the car’s age or mileage, but you can make other improvements to the interior and exterior to make it attractive to buyers. While you may have to spend a little bit on such maintenance, as the saying goes, “You have to spend money to make money.” Here are some improvements you can make to your car to maximize your selling price.

Engine: Get the engine cleaned at a garage. They will get rid of dirt and dust to ensure that the engine is quiet, smooth and powerful.

Oil: Change the oil so it’s not too low or dirty.

Exterior and interior: Make the car presentable by cleaning it inside and out. Get it washed and waxed on the exterior and vacuumed, cleaned and deodorized on the inside. A clean, shiny vehicle will show that you’ve taken good care of it.

Repairs: Fix anything that is easy to replace, such as headlights or car mats. If you are short on time, get an estimate of the repairs and factor those costs in when negotiating a sale price.

Paint: Paintless dent repair or airbrushing at a body shop can fix small dents, scratches and chips in a few hours.

Windshield: No one wants to buy a car that has a cracked windshield. See if you can replace it yourself, or get an estimate from a body shop.

Tires: Make sure tires are the right size and type for your vehicle. They should be relatively new with some tread life, clean, and inflated.

Written records: By supplying a buyer with organized and neat vehicle records, you’re showing that the car was in capable hands. If the car was serviced at a dealer, get a computer printout of the car’s service history. Also, be sure that you have the title and any other helpful written materials.