Getting Your Car Ready for Resale

By Frank Giovinazzi, Contributing Editor AIADA AIADA

If you’re thinking about selling your used vehicle – either as a trade-in, through private party sale or to an independent used car lot – obviously you’ve got to make sure it looks and drives as good as it can.

But beyond the tangible look, sound and smell issues, an equally important factor is information. Ted Craig, managing editor of Used Car News, summed it up this way: “Stories sell used cars.”

“The more information you can give somebody the better,” Craig said. “A big issue in the used car market is that the buyers feel as if the seller knows more than they do and that makes them uneasy.”

That’s why it might be a good idea to purchase a vehicle history report, such as the service provided by Carfax, for the vehicle you’re going to sell. Carfax vehicle reports will include vital information such as if the car has been in an accident, or been totaled due to hurricane or flood damage. Used vehicle buyers want to ensure they aren’t inheriting hidden problems. The rule is, the more information you can provide about your vehicle to a potential buyer, the better.

“A Carfax report is a good thing, plus if you have any history of repairs you’ve done to the car or even oil changes that a good thing,” Craig said. “All these things make people more comfortable with buying the car.”

“If you can make them feel like you’re on more of an equal level as far as knowledge of the car goes the better. That’s the whole basis of the franchise dealer’s certification program -- to make an individual more comfortable with the purchase,” Craig said. “As an individual the closer you can get to that sort of certification process the better.”

And while it may seem like getting an oil change is a small thing when you’re doing it, Craig said holding on to those receipts will go a long way toward keeping potential buyers interested in your vehicle. “People want to know the oil was changed,” he said.

As far as prepping the vehicle for resale, Craig said that sellers shouldn’t skimp. “One of the best statements I heard from a dealer recently is that you don’t spend money reconditioning a car for sale,you invest money reconditioning a car for sale -- meaning that every little thing you do is going to being you that much more money when you go to sell your car.”

In terms of cleaning, sellers will want to take care of the obvious – getting it nice and sparkly inside and out. But Craig said “the one thing people forget about is the engine make sure you clean out the engine so that it looks relatively new. Other items that may initially pass notice but need to be checked include the driver’s floormat and the condition of the tires.

“Dealers always look for the condition of the tires. If you’re coming ion on bald tires you’re probably going to get less money,” Craig said. “You might want to invest in used tires as long as they’re not completely bald, the more rubber on the tire the more value it has to the dealer.”

And what about smell? Craig said its common for folks to overlook this element because they’ve gotten used to driving around in their vehicle. “It’s not enough to spray that new car smell, you want to actually get an ozone based spray that will take away some of the smell out of the car especially if you’ve been smoking or had pets in the car.”

Higher end or newer vehicle sellers should pay closer attention to scratches and dents, Craig said, but older and less expensive vehicle sellers can concentrate mainly that the vehicle is in good operating fashion.

While sellers should also pay attention to the heat and air conditioning systems if they intend to move a vehicle during the appropriate seasons, Craig also had some insider tips about selling vehicles at certain times of the year.

For example, franchise dealers have a ready supply of vehicles at the end of the calendar year, because that’s when rental companies and fleet operators offload inventory at auction, putting an individual at a less advantageous position.

At the same time, independent used car lots are looking for older vehicles in November and December, to have stock on hand for when people get their early tax return checks after January 1. “A lot of people who buy lower end used cars use their tax return as a down payment, and with electronic refunds people are getting their checks back in January,” Craig said.

GiovinazziF@aiada.org