With 7.9 million used cars being sold in 2019 and the North West being the second most popular region to take advantage of the market, we’ve gathered some of our top tips to help your car retain its value.
Whether you’re returning a personal contract purchase or a lease hire car or you’re trading in a car you’ve owned outright, you’ll want that vehicle to be valued as highly as possible to get the biggest discounts or deposit on your next purchase. Even if your plan is to sell it on privately, it’ll need to stand up to the scrutiny of buyers.
Now we know nobody likes to spend money unnecessarily and certainly not on something they aren’t planning on keeping, but these three tips, in the long run, will save you money in the battle against depreciation and help you defend your car’s value.
A car valuation expert declared, “If you’re selling a car for £2000 it’s probably not worth spending £100 on SMART (Small and Medium Area Repair Technology) repairs. If you’re selling it for £8-9000 it definitely is worthwhile. I think more often than not, SMART repairs will pay for themselves.”
Keeping the body of a car pristine during its lifetime is impossible. It is inevitable that there will be general wear and tear, and this is factored in by many dealers however getting these little things repaired before trading in or returning your vehicle for sale is a good idea.
Although the idea to touch up any small areas yourself is tempting, a patchy botched job will only draw more attention to the area and could hike up hidden fees or dramatically affect the valuation of your car. We would recommend taking your car to a reputable body shop and getting the scratches and nicks touched up to a good standard.
Avoid Damage to the Wheels
As above it’s inevitable that there’ll be some general wear and tear to your wheels, but many private buyers, as well as dealerships, will pay close attention to the condition of your car’s wheels. We’ve all got too close to the curb and ended up scratching or denting the edges of the wheels, but it can result in costly charges if you’re not careful. If you took out the wheel and tyre insurance upon purchases, a main dealership could quote around £599 in excess to pay to repair these simple mistakes. We can repair your dented or damaged alloys from as little as £79.99 per wheel!
As previously mentioned, nothing looks worse than a “do it yourself” paint job or an obvious attempt at fixing something yourself. Put simply DIY repair jobs often end up doing serious damage to the resale value of any car, as well as potentially it’s safety. While we’re not promoting only ever using a mechanic or repair shop for any minor knock or dent, it is advisable to have professionals do the major repairs on a car so as to ensure that the vehicle looks good and retains its value. Alloy wheel repair kits include all the materials needed to repair damaged alloys; however, they are only recommended for fixing light to medium cosmetic damage. Other than the obvious reason that we are trained to ensure your wheel is restored to the best possible standard, we’re also able to determine the current state of the alloy before carrying out any work. Cosmetic alloy damage varies in severity and most can be covering up a bigger problem with your wheel which can also impact your car’s performance if you drive on it. This is something we are able to spot and will be able to advise whether your alloy is actually repairable.
As the saying goes, first impressions count, and this is especially true when it comes to cars and potential buyers of them. If you’re in the market for a new car, we’ve taken a look at what the launch of the new September registration plate could mean for you here. If you’re looking to make some repairs to your alloys, we’re offering 10% off services on two wheels or more until the end of August.
