Maintain Car Value In Three Easy Steps

23rd September 2018

It doesn't take much to put a serious dent in the value of your motor. A few seemingly little things can have a huge impact when it comes to selling. Here are a few tips, not only keep your car in good condition, but also to ensure you get much more money for it when you move onto your next one.

Maintain Your Cars Value: Keep It Clean

This sounds obvious, but taking the time to clean and look after the bodywork is the very least you can do. This means buffing and protecting the body with wax, or some sort of polish.

If you let the body deteriorate and fade, then putting it right is very expensive. That's why at part exchange time, the value will be marked down by how much it takes to at least make it look presentable.

Also, regularly cleaning your car means that you can spot problems early and get them sorted out before they become a major, costly problem.

Clean Your Car Like A Pro

This Cutie Is Banned!

Maintain Your Cars Value: Don’t Smoke And Ban Pets

Sounds obvious, not smoking, but you could use this as a reason to give up. The simple truth is that many car dealers can knock up to 20% off their part exchange offer if there's smoke damage as they need to try and get the car ready for resale.

That could be anything from a discoloured roof lining, to burn damage to the upholstery or trim. Or something as simple as the smell of smoke in the seats and climate control.

Pets are more problematic as it's difficult to avoid taking them on trips, or holidays. You might want to read our guide to this.

How To Get The Dog Smell Out Of My Car

The bottom line is that on a hot day, the pong of someone else’s hound can make a vehicle unsaleable.

Maintain Your Cars Value: Up To Date Servicing

This is where MotorEasy comes in. Keeping on top of repairs and maintenance is absolutely crucial to making your car saleable.

Skipping a service is always a false economy and it means that minor issues will become very costly indeed. Always use the right parts and a properly qualified garage. Or head to MotorEasy where you can have your own personal engineer monitor your service and make sure all the work is necessary and the price is right.

Why It Pays To Keep Your Car Serviced

Looking after your car could not be simpler. It really is sticking to the absolute basics of car care, which means that the next owner will be happy to take it on and pay the true market value.