If your car isn’t brand new off the lot, chances are you can take a few quick steps to instantly increase your car valuation, clean or salvage title. From an older family car to a car you bought from an online auction like AutoBidMaster, here are five steps you can take to not only increase the immediate value of your car, but provide an added level of comfort for potential buyers as well.
1. The paint
The condition of the paint is a *huge* factor in how the car is immediately perceived. If the paint is old and faded, a quick fix is waxing the car. Depending on the car’s worth, it may be worth getting it repainted altogether. A little up-front investment can go a long way in selling your car and keeping the car valuation high.
2. Take care of any easy fixes
Are there a bunch of small, inconvenient issues that you know you can take care of? Don’t wait for a prospective buyer to factor those in. Burnt out lights, minor scratches that can be buffed out, fluids can be changed and topped off, and so forth. A ten-dollar bulb can make or break a sale – if the car is missing a headlight, whoever is considering buying it can’t help but ask what else hasn’t been taken care of.
3. Shiny tires, shiny lights
In addition to the paint, the condition of the tires and lights makes a huge difference in how the car looks. If your tires still have tread on them and don’t need to be replaced, just polish the rims. If the tires need to be replaced, replace them, and drive for a few thousand miles before you try to sell the car: if they’re clearly brand new, buyers may think that you’re trying to hide something.
Same goes with the lights – not the lamps themselves – but the actual housing. If they’re grimy and foggy, a quick cleaning can make a huge difference. There are a lot of products available to clean dingy headlights that can not only make the car look better, but increases the potency of the lights themselves.
4. Clean the interior
Even if it isn’t in the best shape, giving the interior a once over is a good idea. Make sure to vacuum the seats if they’re cloth, or use an appropriate cleaner if they’re leather. If the floormats are dirty, make sure they’re nice and clean. If they’re dirty past the point of return, just throw them out. It’s worth the 20 bucks to get new ones. Attention to detail for the interior can absolutely increase your car valuation, especially for potential buyers.
5. Paperwork
While this isn’t necessarily a direct car issue that you can fix, providing as much documentation as you can is super helpful. In addition to providing a vehicle history report, you should have as many maintenance records as you can available. Not only will that show the buyer that you’ve maintained the vehicle to the best of your ability (or what still needs to be done), but it adds an additional layer of transparency to the transaction. In such a situation, a quick VIN lookup can provide information on a car’s accident history, service records, and more.
Get to bidding
There’s a lot you can do to increase your car valuation, and if you’re looking for a salvage car to fix, flip, or just keep for yourself, you can look through all of our available vehicles at AutoBidMaster. To start bidding right away, register with us by providing some basic information or with your Google or Facebook account, upload a copy of your government-issued ID or passport, and place a 100% refundable security deposit.
If you have any questions about registration or need help finding the salvage car of your dreams, give us a call at +1 (503) 298-4300 between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, Pacific Standard Time. You can email us at support@AutoBidMaster.com, or if you’re international, you can contact us via WhatsApp at +1 (503) 473-9895.
Happy bidding!
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