Important tips to ensure the best resale value for your car

Buying a car is an investment in a way and one that should be well cared for.

At some point, you are going to end up selling your car and you would want a good return on that investment.

Research

There are a lot of factors that affect a car’s resale value, some of which are within your control and some are not. So before you start looking for potential buyers, it is best to do your research – vehicle history check on the expected price for factors such as the model of the car, the year it was bought, the condition of your car and the mileage on the car. These are some details that potential buyers look at and you want to make sure that your car scores as high as possible on these parameters. When you are ready to sell your car, you can use valuation tools available online that will give you the approximate value that your car will fetch.

Mileage

One of the first questions a potential buyer will ask is the mileage on the car. The higher the mileage, the faster the resale value of the car depreciates.  As such it would be wise to try and maintain a low mileage on your car.

Driving

The way you drive has a huge impact on the condition of your car. Regular high speeds and aggressive driving eventually wears the engine and chassis down and not to mention is also unsafe. Buyers prefer gently used cars and if your car has been in a collision and has had some major repair work done, that impacts the resale value even more.

Maintenance

Take care of your car as it pays off at the time of selling. Make sure that you have it serviced regularly. Don’t ignore any warning lights that may pop up on your dashboard and get it checked out immediately. Change the oil regularly, most cars can go up to 5000 miles between oil changes but if your car is for sale in the UAE and you drive in rough conditions you may have to change the oil more often.

Exteriors

Buyers will show more interest in a car that looks good. You can keep the exterior looking good by washing your car regularly; this will take care of any debris that may scratch the car. Touch upon mild scratches and rust spots. Waxing your car a couple of times a year keeps it looking shiny and appealing.

Interiors

First impressions are everything and along with the exteriors you definitely want to maintain the interiors of your car as well. Nobody wants to buy a car with stained upholstery and funky smells. Get your car vacuumed regularly and the interiors shampooed and cleaned. If you have leather upholstery, clean and condition your seats regularly, to avoid peeling and cracking.

Service History

Whether you are planning to sell your car or not, it is always best to get your car serviced with an authorized service center which will be diligent to note down the service history of your car and make sure your service history is up to date.

Documentation and Accessories

Make sure your documentation is up to date and in place. Keep all the documents from the ownership certificate to the insurance and warranty handy. Along with the documentation maintain all the accessories that come with the car like the tool kit etc. A spare key to the car is also an important thing to keep safe.

Safeguard areas prone to wear

Certain parts of your car are more prone to environmental damage than others. However, there are ways to keep these kinds of damage at bay. The front end of your car gets more exposure and hence has more wear and tear. You can protect your car’s front end from minor dents and scratches by getting clear plastic applied on your car. Another great option is to add carbon fiber tape to other high wear areas. At the time of selling all you have to do is remove or replace the clear wrap and carbon fiber tape.

Sell on time

The older your car gets, the depreciation value increases, market conditions change, the wear and tear are getting more, and making a good resale value becomes difficult. So sell when the conditions and pricing are right.