subject: Hold Your Car's Value: Tips [print this page] Whether your car was purchased new or used, the chances are that at some point in the future you will probably need or want to sell it on. Therefore, to many motorists ensuring that as much value is kept in the car as possible is quite a high priority. So how do you go about doing this? You'll never be able to beat the harsh realities of depreciation but there are a few things that you can do to minimise the loss of value. This article goes through a few points that we believe are key in making sure your vehicle holds it's value. You may have to spend a little bit of money during the time you have the car, but you should earn this back when it's time to sell.
Regular Servicing
Keeping your car regularly serviced will not only help you have a reliable car, it will also go a long way to protecting the value of your car when it's time to sell. Cars with a complete and full service history will often sell for considerably more money than a car of equal age and mileage that suffers from a poor service history. The point is that when someone's looking to purchase a car, they like to feel confident in the fact that the car has previously been well looked after and cared for properly. Having your car serviced at a main dealer, accompanied by the appropriate stamps will also make a big difference here.
Interior Condition
No one likes to ride around in shabby conditions. Having a high quality, non damaged interior is of great appeal to buyers. It creates a great impression that the car has been well looked after, so it's important that it is cared for throughout the time you have it. That unfortunately means getting out and cleaning it, removing dog hair and repairing any wear and tear that will inevitably arise from regular use. If you or your passengers smoke, avoid smoking in the car if possible. It creates quite a strong odour and can cause nasty damage to the decor.
Bodywork
Maintaining bodywork can be one of the hardest methods to keeping the value of your car as high as possible. Prevention is certainly much easier than curing in this instance. Removing rust, dinks and scratches can be quite arduous so it's much better if you can avoid these issues in the first place. Regular washing will really help prevent any rust. Scratched and dented bodywork is harder to avoid, but its recommended that these issues are fixed as and when they arise. Having an immaculate looking exterior will promote a really good image of your car to potential buyers.
Paperwork
The general rule of thumb is; the more you have the better! The absolute must haves are the log book, the service history and the most recent MOT certificate. Anything else that you can keep hold of will be beneficial when selling. Receipts for items such as brakes, tyres, and other maintenance works should be retrained to prove that the work has indeed been carried out. Try to keep it all as tidy as possible as once again this creates an impression of care.
