How to Increase Your Car’s Resale Value

Selling a car can be a daunting process, often leaving you unsatisfied at the end of the sale. If you want to sell your car at your desired price, there are a few simple steps that you can take to boost its resale value.

And as you’ll see, a lot of these ideas are simple and don’t require a lot of expertise or money — all you need is time and dedication to make sure you say goodbye to your once-beloved car in the best possible way. So, let’s dive in!

Have your car evaluated

This might seem obvious but a lot of people miss this. You need to be able to know your car’s current value if you’re going to improve it. Also, having your car evaluated by an expert mechanic might reveal a lot of room for improvement that you would not have been able to spot otherwise.

There are a lot of mechanics out there, and one good way to compare different mechanics in terms of their prices, customer reviews, and offered services is to use an online marketplace like Enji. 

Start parking your car indoors

Parking your car indoors will not increase its resale value per se, but it will certainly prevent it from depreciating further. 

Outdoor parking can not only damage the exterior of your car but also the interior if it stays in the sun for too long. Now, if parking indoors is not an option for you, you can try contacting a car self-storage company. 

These companies offer indoor parking spaces for both for long- and short-terms. If you’re not going to be using your car prior to selling it, this might be a good option. 

Maintain your car’s maintenance record

Regularly maintaining your car is an obvious way to maintain its resale value. And you don’t even have to go to a mechanic because a lot of basic things can be learned from DIY tutorials on the internet.

These include replacing the battery, changing the coolant, the brake and power steering fluid, the engine oil, and the spark plugs. 

But many people fail to maintain a record of their car’s maintenance, which deprives them of any evidence of the car’s well-maintained condition to show to a potential buyer. To avoid this, make sure you keep the receipts of every battery change, oil check, and tire replacement etc. 

If you have been maintaining such a record, find and organize it prior to selling your car so that you can show it to buyers, some of which might be willing to pay extra for this documentary reassurance!

Sell the complete car

When you bought your car, the car wasn’t the only thing that you took home. A lot of cars come with extra items like the spare wheel, tool kit, and the parcel shelf. And sometimes, buyers and dealers want you to include them in the car’s price.

If you’ve lost them, chances are that the buyer will try to negotiate the price on this point, so it’s best to search thoroughly for any items that came along with your car before selling it.

Clean your car properly!

You’d be surprised at how many people set out to sell their cars without paying any attention to how it looks, from both inside and outside.

You should keep in mind that for your buyer, your car is something new and thrilling — and so the buyer expects it to look like something new and thrilling. And a car that’s not been cleaned properly doesn’t really meet that criteria.

So it’s important to clean it properly. And proper cleaning means using a good-quality cleaning product as well as brushes that will reach most parts of your car. If you can afford to, it might be a good idea to get your car cleaned by a professional. 

Don’t forget to clean the interior as well because “new” cars come with pristine interiors!

Limit the miles you put on the car

Your car’s mileage will have a major impact on its resale value. The higher the mileage, the quicker your car depreciates in value.

And while you can’t reduce your car’s mileage, you can certainly stop it from increasing further. If you’ve planned out your car sale ahead of time, one good idea is to limit its use as much as possible. 

This is another place where car self-storage might come in handy — you can park your car inside a vehicle storage unit to prevent Nature from getting to it and making it difficult for yourself to increase its mileage.

Work on the tires and brakes

Tire maintenance is essential because not only does it improve your car’s appearance (which helps when you’re trying to sell it) but it also maintains a good gas mileage.

The most basic thing that you can do is to keep your tires properly inflated. Rotating and aligning your tires frequently is also a good idea. Also, if your tires are showing considerable wear and tear, investing in new tires prior to selling your car is worth it. 

Brake pad replacement is an essential part of car maintenance because one, it’s important for safety and two, it helps maintain your car’s resale value, which many people don’t know.

Ideally, you should have your brake pads replaced at every 25, 000 miles, and getting ceramic pads that last longer could be a worthwhile investment. If you’re reluctant to pay a mechanic around $200 for pad replacement, check out this DIY tutorial to do it yourself at home. 

Get a new stereo

A new stereo is an easy (and relatively cheap) way to modernize your car’s interior. The more inviting your car’s interior looks, the higher its resale value is going to be.

Other small improvements that can make dramatic improvements in your car’s interior include  getting new seat covers and floor mats. People often overlook these small changes but they can make a drastic change in how buyers perceive your car, which can have a considerable effect on the price you’re going to get for it!