Thinking of selling your car? Before you hand the keys over to a new owner, consider whether you could get more money for your car by looking into a few value-boosting tricks. Below are just a few easy ways to add value to your car before you sell.

Give your car a thorough clean

A dirty car isn’t likely to be appealing to many buyers. Giving your car a thorough clean will make your car more attractive and could allow you to increase the asking price.

You’ll need to do more than just taking your car through the car wash. It’s worth giving the exterior a thorough scrub to get rid of any stubborn dirt. You should also consider cleaning out the interior so that there are no crumbs and dirt.

It could be worth hiring a professional to give your car valet clean. You could even look into detailing – this involves getting into every crevice and possibly even adding some wax to the bodywork to give it an added sparkle. Of course, if you’re planning on selling your car for less than $1000, it may not be worth splashing out on this service and you’re likely better off cleaning your car yourself.

Make some minor fixes

You don’t want to be spending thousands of dollars on major repairs right before selling a car. However, in many cases, it could be worth spending some money on minor repairs. These small fixes could help to dramatically increase the value of your car. 

A few small fixes that could be worth making include replacing missing rims, removing small scratches and dents, replacing old wipers and replacing old floor mats. Save money by buying used parts where possible – there may be junkyards near you that sell rims in good conditions for a lot less than brand new rims. You may be able to make some repairs yourself rather than hiring a mechanic. 

Assemble all the right paperwork

Having certain documents to hand can build trust when selling a car and could allow you to set a slightly higher price tag. It’s worth taking the time to assemble these before you sell. 

A few documents that are worth gathering include a title document, vehicle history report, vehicle inspection report and any receipts from repairs or servicing that you’ve kept onto. If you’ve still got the owner’s manual, this could also be worth throwing in. 

Throw in any extras you don’t need

If there are any car accessories that came with the vehicle, it could be worth including these with this car. This includes features such as the radio, spare keys and floor mats. 

Feel free to throw in other extras too that you may have bought since and don’t want to transfer to your new car. This could include seat covers, an emergency breakdown kit, a roof box or a phone holder. Such extras could be useful – especially to a buyer purchasing their first car. Make sure such items are cleaned and in good condition.