Whether you're planning to sell your car soon or simply want to be prepared for the future, a bit of care now can make a big difference in your vehicle’s value when it's finally time to say goodbye. Here, we'll dive into some common factors that can hurt your car's resale value, beyond make, model, and mileage. Let’s dive into the details!
Avoid These Common Resale Killers
In an effort to avoid a laundry list of issues to address all at once when you’re ready to sell, think of the following as things to stay on top of during your entire ownership period:
Interior Odors
No one wants to be able to smell the previous car owners’ history when they plop down into the driver’s seat for a test drive. Hey, we want you to enjoy your vehicle, but keep in mind that our focus here is on resale value, so if you, for example, smoke in your car, be ready for some steam-cleaning detail work if you truly desire top dollar. It’s also amazingly easy to acclimate to your own potpourri of spilled beverages, wadded up workout clothes, and Rex’s post-dog park contributions to the back seat, so if you want to play it safe bring in a friendly second party to give your ride a sniff test even if you think it’s fine.
Exterior Blemishes
Unless it’s a precious collector’s item, people understand that a used vehicle will have signs of a life lived around children, shopping carts, and road debris all working to chip and nick away at its exterior. That said, when these scratches start showing rust a buyer’s leniency will experience a decline. Cracks in tail lights, foggy headlights, and especially untreated chips in a windshield are often easy fixes, but if ignored can create a poor first impression for a buyer, as they’re left wondering what else has been neglected. Be sure to catch paint chips and scratches early, and especially get that windshield chip filled before it has a chance to turn into an expensive crack.
Interior Wear and Tear
Whether it’s sun damage, you sliding in and out of the driver’s seat thousands of times, or passengers dragging their shoes across the face of the glovebox every time they cross their legs, consider the “high traffic” areas of your vehicle. Items like seat and steering wheel covers, as well as windshield sun shades are inexpensive protection options, not to mention UV protective cleaners you can apply to most interior surfaces. Easily overlooked too can be screws that may have slowly loosened in things like your center console, glovebox, and even trim. They’re easy to identify when you notice pieces not snapping shut like they used to or slightly hanging loose. Give ‘em twist as soon as you find them and avoid potential cracks or lost screws (which can sometimes be difficult to replace if you want OEM parts) in your future.
Neglecting Maintenance
This one’s a well-known no-no, but we couldn’t skip it. Most buyer’s would like some peace of mind, that you can provide them, in the form of proof of maintenance documentation. Showing regular oil changes, tire rotations, proof of recall repairs (if applicable), and even inspections show that, at the very least, this car was cared for, lessening the concern of big, bad surprises once they get it home.
Excessive Modifications
Of course, there can be exceptions here, but by and large, your normal car buyer wants something reliable, and the more mods on a car, the more nervous that person will be. Though aesthetics like body kits and the like are subjective, and thus down to taste, “performance” modifications bring into question who did them, were they done properly, what unique issues can they cause elsewhere, and so on. At best, you’re cutting away swaths of potential buyers, as they say to themselves, “That’s a cool looking car,” right before they move onto the next listing.
Out the Door
If you’ve successfully managed to navigate all of the above, you can confidently go after those higher-end asking prices for your specific vehicle, and show your car with pride to all potential buyers. Or, once you remove all the protective layers of your adorable little hot rod, you may just end up deciding it’s too nice to leave your garage, but, hey, is that so bad?