How to Increase the Resale Value of Your Car

Find out how to maximise the selling price of your motor by reading our handy guide

  • How to Increase the Resale Value of Your Car

If you’re selling your car, then you’ll want to get the best price possible. Demand for used cars is extremely high and independent dealerships like ourselves have customers ready and waiting to purchase your pre-loved motor.

Here at Windmill Motors near Bourne in Lincolnshire, we will buy your car even if you don’t buy ours and we also offer a part exchange service too. Before giving us a call, find out how to increase the resale value of your car by reading our top 10 tips… 

Top 10 ways to increase your car’s resale value

Make sure you tick these 10 tips off the list before selling your car to help boost its resale value:

Make sure the MOT and service is up-to-date

One of the best ways to ensure you get the best price for your pre-loved car, is to make sure it runs smoothly. A healthy service history and up-to-date MOT is a must-have in achieving the price you want. Of course a car is much more saleable if a potential buyer knows they won’t have to pay out for a service or MOT any time soon - it’s a big tick in the box if your car passes with flying colours!    

Replace worn tyres

If your tyres are wearing thin and have seen better days, then don’t put off replacing them. Instead, you’ll receive a more preferable price if you replace worn tyres with new ones when looking to sell your car. It’s one less thing for the dealer to do which means they won’t have to absorb the cost.  

Refurbish damaged alloys

Any car driver knows that alloy wheels are prone to getting scuffed and scraped, but a pristine set of alloys will mean more cash in your pocket. It really can pay to present the dealer with a car presented with a smart looking set of new wheels and matching alloys.  

Repair any bodywork or paintwork issues

Your car may have suffered a few dents and scratches to the bodywork over time, or been victim to chips in the paintwork. Selling your car with defects such as these will only knock the price down, so to achieve the best price possible for your motor, we’d recommend you repair any existing issues to the paintwork or bodywork.

Clean the car inside and out

We know it can be a chore getting your car cleaned, but a thorough valet inside and out will do wonders when it comes to receiving a fair resale price. It also goes a long way to show new customers your car has been carefully looked after. 

Replace any tired looking items

Are your car mats wearing thin? Do your passenger seats need some TLC? We can appreciate that replacing these items hasn’t been the most important task on your to-do list, but now’s the time to sort them out. While dealerships like ours are very happy to buy a car that may be a little worn inside, you won’t necessarily be offered the full market value if it’s seen better days. 

Recharge the air-conditioning

Your car’s air conditioning system should be recharged every two to three years to keep it working at its best. If you’ve noticed that the air con is underperforming, then getting it re-gassed will mean you could be offered more for the vehicle at resale. 

Include all the car’s documents

It’s time to track down the manufacturer’s handbook, dig out those old MOT certificates and make sure the service book is up-to-date. When it comes to reselling your vehicle, it’s not just the car itself a new buyer will want, but all the documentation that comes with it. Little or no paperwork will mean a less favourable price to you as the seller.  

Hand over both sets of keys

Much like with the car’s documentation, a new buyer will expect to own two sets of keys too. Always be honest if you can’t locate the second pair - this of course doesn’t mean the dealer won’t buy the car from you, but may offer a little less in terms of price.  

Highlight low mileage

A low mileage used vehicle is a big tick in the box for car dealers, so if your motor has driven fewer miles than expected, then make sure they know about it. Cars with low mileage tend to get a much better asking price. 

We hope our handy guide has provided you with a much better understanding of how you can achieve the best price for your pre-loved car. As a leading used car and van dealership in the Lincolnshire area, you can sell your vehicle to us with complete confidence. Read on to find out more…

Sell your car to Windmill Motors

Experience a hassle-free friendly approach to selling your car. Here at Windmill Motors, we offer a pressure-free ‘sell my car’ service to customers across Lincolnshire and beyond. 

Choosing to sell your car privately can present many problems; from paying to advertise your vehicle, to dealing with time wasters, selling your car to an established dealership like ourselves can pay dividends. Give it a go and see for yourself! 

Get started by heading over to the Sell My Car page on our website for a FREE guide valuation when you enter your car’s registration number and vehicle details. If you currently have outstanding finance on the vehicle, then we can still help. Contact us to find out more. 

Part exchange your car at Windmill Motors

We also accept part exchanges too! It’s an easy and straightforward way to upgrade your current car for a newer or less mileage model. Simply search our stock to find your vehicle of choice and find out how much we will pay for your car by using our FREE online valuation tool.

We’ll then be in touch to confirm our offer to buy your vehicle from you, the price of which will be taken off the total value of your next car. You can even finance the remainder of your new car to make it even more affordable thanks to our Cashback Incentive scheme. Get in touch for more details.