Cars are a big investment that depreciate over time. While you will never get what you originally paid for it, it’s still possible to sell it for a good amount if you look after it.
In order to get the most money for your car sale, it’s essential to maintain both the mechanical side and the visual aspects of your car.
We’ve put together some helpful tips on retaining the value of your car below:
Without regularly servicing your car, once small minor issues can turn into major mechanical problems. Invest in regular servicing to reduce the likelihood of a larger and expensive repair down the line.
Regular servicing will help to extend the life of your car parts and will help you to sell the car for a higher resale value. Whether it’s a fuel injection service or replacing an auto part, keeping on top of your car maintenance will increase its resale value.
Furthermore, regular servicing will make your car more appealing to a potential buyer. Remember to keep receipts of all repairs and you will likely sell it easier and at a higher price.
Monitoring your tyre pressure is essential to ensure your vehicle drives well and is good on fuel. Deflated tyres have increased rolling resistance which means more fuel is used to maintain the same speed. Overinflated tyres can lead to poor handling on the road.
If you don’t regularly check the pressure and adjust it as needed, your tyres will wear a lot faster and therefore cost you more as you will need to replace them more often. Use high-quality tyre pressure monitors to know when you need to adjust the pressure.
Don’t be afraid to use an OBD2 tool for overall car maintenance as well. These nifty little diagnostic tools provide an insight to your car’s issues and how to fix it . Those with a GPS tracker doesn’t hurt either, so that you have your car located at all times.
Overtime cars will gain scratches and lose their shine. Without regular waxing and polishing, the paint will become discoloured which is hard to reverse. To keep your cars value, ensure you give it a good wax and polish a few times a year. This will help to protect the paint against fading and scratches.
While the paint job on your car is a superficial aspect, for many potential buyers the look of the car is the first thing they notice. If your paint job is scratched and faded, you may find it harder to sell it for the price you want, even if mechanically it is perfect.
If you regularly wax and polish your car, you won’t need to worry about an entire paint job when it comes time to sell it.
We are all guilty of a messy car. Whether it’s from eating, spilling a drink, a sandy wet dog, keeping your car clean is a hard task. Stains accumulate, as does bad smells.
Luckily, there are some easy ways to keep your car clean and protected:
Wear and tear is common in the interior of cars. Invest in the following accessories to keep your car in perfect shape:
Keeping your car undercover will protect it from the elements. It will help to reduce colour fade from the harsh Aussie sun. In storms, your car will be protected from hail that can cause dents and marks or from branches that fall on it. If your house does not have a garage or carport, marquees are a great and cost-effective alternative.
If your car is damaged from a severe storm, ensure that you have car insurance to cover any costs to repair the body or windows.
A less common tip to maintain the value of your car is ensuring you drive the car smoothly. Driving your car thoughtfully will help to extend the life of its parts. Avoid rapid acceleration, sharp turns and hard braking as this will lead to wear and tear on the tyres, brakes and suspensions parts.
Try to use the brakes less by taking your foot off the accelerator earlier when coming to a stop rather than riding the brakes. If you are coming up to turn a corner, start to slow down earlier and take the turn lightly.
