if you want to sell your car for a profit, you have to pay attention to a few things.
The car is and will remain the german’s favorite child, as for many it is not only a comfortable means of transport, but also a status symbol and often even serves as an expression of one’s own personality. Very few car owners therefore keep a car until it falls apart.
There are many reasons, to part with your mobile base prematurely: be it because a repair for the used car is no longer worthwhile, because due to regrowth a larger vehicle is needed or simply because the desire for a new model with the latest technology.
This means that the German used car market is booming. According to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), which is based in Flensburg, Germany, in the whole of 2015 around 7.33 million passenger cars the owner – a full plus 3.4 percent compared to the previous year. In contrast, only 3.2 million new registrations were recorded in the same period.
Our e-book provides you with all the relevant information you need to sell your vehicle at a profit.
Before you put the car up for sale, a thorough cleaning is advisable. You can find out how to proceed here.
There are a number of cars with stable values. Here you can read in detail which manufacturers and brands are particularly popular.
Anyone who wants to sell their old car is faced with a large number of competitors. Accordingly, many private individuals ask themselves how, in view of this fact, they can clean their car selling at a profit can. With this guide, we would like to give you important tips to help you sell your car in the best possible way best price possible to achieve.
What many people don’t know is that even before the actual sale, you can do a lot to make sure that your car is well looked after maintaining the value of the vehicle and to achieve the highest possible profit to drive in. We would like to explain this and more to you in the following.
Download our E-book for free
You want to know how to prepare your car for sale in the best possible way?
Learn everything important in our E-book:
- How to do a thorough car reconditioning?
- Which extras contribute to the increase in value??
- When I buy a car, can I pave the way for selling it at a profit later on??
Thorough cleaning and care before sale
If you have decided to offer your old car to a dealer or to advertise it in a classified ad or in a classified magazine, you should do so. to advertise a car exchange, you increase your chances to sell the car profitably enormously, if you once thoroughly spruce up your car.
Remember: the better you have cared for your car in the past, the less strenuous and time-consuming the undertaking will be.
Car wash
a thorough cleaning is essential if you want to sell a car at a profit.
The first thing a potential buyer sees when inspecting the vehicle is its exterior. The first impression counts, so if you want to sell the car as profitably as possible, you should do a thorough exterior cleaning.
On the one hand, this can be done in a washing plant. However, if you want to save the money and have enough time, you can also have your car polish it yourself.
When the cleaning your car you should proceed as follows:
- First clean the rims. Spray them for this purpose with a special rim cleaning spray and let it soak in according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If there is a lot of dirt, you can use a soft brush and work on it. rinse off the agent afterwards.
- With a good prewash remove coarse dirt. It will also help to remove stubborn dirt to soak in stains, so that this can be removed more easily in later work steps. The best way to pre-clean the rims is with a high-pressure cleaner, but even a strong beam from a garden hose can achieve the desired results. This step should not be neglected under any circumstances, as dirt residues remaining on the surface can otherwise contribute to the formation of scratches an absolute no-go if you want to sell your car profitably. Afterwards, lather the car thoroughly and rinse it off.
- With the gentle hand wash then get rid of the remaining dirt on the body. For this you need a bucket with clear water, one with water and car shampoo and a soft sponge or a microfiber cloth. Work from top to bottom and rinse the sponge or the cloth well in between clear water off, so that no coarse dirt particles get stuck and lead to annoying scratches. If the water is too dirty, you should replace it.
- Now you can clean the car from top to bottom rinse it off. For this you do not need a high-pressure cleaner, a light jet is enough.
- Finally, you should dry the vehicle by hand. Let it stand wet, otherwise it can become unsightly water stains form. Use a soft and absorbent microfiber cloth to dry off the dirt and – as with the rest of the cleaning process – do not apply too much pressure.
Paint care
you want to sell your car at a high price? Intensive paint care is worthwhile.
a thorough cleaning should be followed by paint care. Afterwards your car will shine like new, a real plus point. In addition, an intact varnish layer contributes considerably to the value retention. Scratches in the paintwork can quickly lead to rust damage, which can only be repaired by rinsing costly repair can be remedied. If you take care of your car seriously, you have a good chance of selling it at a profit.
Before taking this step, it is important to make sure that after hand washing, the car is no pollution are left on the surface of the car. Otherwise, you run the risk of causing deep scratches when proceeding further.
For polishing you need paint polish and a polishing sponge. Apply the product to the sponge and work with sufficient pressure piece by piece. treat only parts of the car and make sure that the polish does not dry. Excess sealer you should wipe it with a soft cloth.
the polishing is followed by the sealing of the varnish. It not only protects the vehicle, but also simplifies subsequent cleaning, as dirt is less likely to adhere to it. This step you should do about every six months perform. Apply a thin layer of the sealant to the paint (follow the manufacturer’s instructions) and remove any residue with a soft microfiber cloth.
Interior
selling a car at a good price: thorough interior cleaning is important.
After the exterior of the car, a potential buyer will look at its interior. If you want to sell your car at a profit, this area of the car should also make a particularly good impression. Good interior cleaning always begins with cleaning the floor mats or floor coverings. Carpets remove them, beat them out well and then vacuum.
If the car is very dirty, you can use a carpet cleaner. Lather the carpets well, treat stains with a brush and finally vacuum up the residue.
Afterwards, you should clean the entire vehicle thoroughly vacuum out. Use different attachments for this purpose. With long and narrow nozzles, you can reach even the hardest-to-reach corners an upholstery brush ideal. Also clean the dashboard with clear water and a soft cloth. Then you can treat it with cockpit spray.
If the upholstery is very dirty, you should give it a special treatment. spray special upholstery cleaner on the seats and work it into the fabric. After a reaction time that varies depending on the product, you can then vacuum off the residue. The upholstery looks like new and increases your chances of selling the car at a profit.
grease, dust as well as nicotine easily adhere to the windows, why you should not neglect it when cleaning the interior of your car. For light soiling, a conventional glass cleaner from. Spray it on the windows, wipe with a lint-free cloth and then polish with a microfiber cloth. How to achieve a streak-free result.
For heavier dirt, a special windscreen cleaner is helpful, which you should use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Our Tip: hard-to-reach areas are easier to clean if you wrap a cloth around a narrow, long object. You can then push it into inaccessible corners and remove dirt by moving it back and forth.
If dog owners would like to sell their car profitably, an ozone treatment is advisable.
To light odors to be dispelled, you can use a bowl with coffee powder put it in the car. However, in the case of stubborn odors – caused by nicotine or dogs, for example – this household remedy is usually not enough.
In such cases it is worthwhile ozone treatment. The disinfecting and germicidal gas is injected into the interior of the vehicle and deactivates the odor molecules.
Checklist: have your used car perfectly prepared for sale?
The following checklist you can find out once again how to prepare your vehicle for sale in the best possible way. So it makes a good impression on interested parties: an important step if you want to sell your car profitably.
Buying a used car – checklist 1 (before buying)
| the financial framework is clarified? |
Think also about the running costs for the maintenance of a car. |
| Decide on a vehicle. |
Which type of car? what brand of car? Which model? Which color? How big should the car be? How many passengers are usually on board? How much storage space do you need? |
| How should the vehicle be driven? |
diesel, gasoline, hybrid, electric drive or gas? |
| What mileage? |
Higher mileage reduces the price. Repairs are more frequent. |
| Which features? |
Navigation system, heated seats, air conditioning, etc. |
To preserve the value of the vehicle
Even while owning a vehicle, you can do a lot to protect the limit the loss of value and ensure that you can later sell the car at a profit. In the following chapter, we give you important tips and tricks on the way to ensure that your car still looks almost new after a few years.
Maintenance and repairs
the recommended inspections should be carried out if you want to sell your car at a profit.
All vehicles should regular inspection. These are routine inspections recommended by the manufacturer, during which the entire car is checked. This not only increases your own safety, because any undetected dirt can be removed faults are detected and rectified can.
In fact, conscientiously carried out inspections help to keep the car value better received and make it easier to get the car to a potential customer.
You increase the chances, to sell the car profitably, enormously if this checkbook maintained is. It shows the buyer that the car has been well cared for and the technology has always been kept in good working order. Make sure that all inspections carried out have been noted in the maintenance booklet and also keep receipts or. Make copies of these. If you can present all these documents to an interested party, this will make a particularly good impression.
Should repairs be necessary, it is important that you make it as take action quickly. from small damages can otherwise under circumstances fast serious defects arise, which can only be repaired by a costly overhaul. In the case of minor defects, you can do it yourself, but if it is the electronics, safety components and other major damage, the way to the workshop is inevitable.
care and cleanliness
if you want to sell your car for a profit, you should take care of it regularly beforehand.
You will know from your own experience: if you have to choose between a clean, well maintained car on the one hand and a dirty, scratched used cars on the other hand, if in doubt, opt for the first option.
Because also when buying a vehicle the first impression is usually the most important. to help sell your car profitably, it is not only essential to do a comprehensive car preparation just before the sale.
Who has his car before regularly maintained and cleans, makes a significant contribution to value retention. in addition, you do not have to put so much work into the final reconditioning.
you should clean the interior of the car from time to time, vacuum the seats and clean the dashboards from dust and dirt. Also a full wash is important. Especially in the cold season you should not neglect this, because road salt can lead to corrosion damage can lead. Also take care of the paint. About twice a year, you should devote yourself to this extensively and also think about a sealing to ensure a particularly good and long-lasting protection.
vehicles from pet owners, your four-legged friends in the trunk or rear of the car are usually rather hard to sell. Although you can remove the superficial dirt by a thorough cleaning remove, however, set unpleasant odors often get very stuck in the upholstery and are difficult to remove. the same applies to deposits of nicotine. If you value selling your car at a profit, you should on the smoking during the journey therefore it is better to do without.
Driving and accident free
a defensive driving style pays off if you want to sell your car for a high price.
As you have already seen, there are a number of things you can do to maintain the maintain the value of your vehicle and thereby make sure that you can do this at a later date selling at the best price can. Another area is the basic treatment of your vehicle. If you have the opportunity to drive your car in a garage or a carport should also take advantage of this.
This way, it gets dirty less quickly and is better protected from the weather, cold temperatures, rain, snow and frost protected. The risk of damage from storms or hail can also be minimized in this way. You should also make sure that the car is not parked in the blazing sun too often, as the radiation has a negative effect on plastic parts. They can fade and become brittle.
In addition, you can also use a proactive and defensive driving score. Although they have no influence on the behavior of other participants in road traffic, those who traffic rules If, in case of doubt, the driver decides in favor of the first option – for example, by obeying speed limits and always keeping a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front – and is always focused behind the wheel, he or she will do his or her utmost to avoid accidents and, as a result, accidents on the road prevent damage to the vehicle.
Remember: being accident-free has a value-increasing effect. Accordingly, an accident-free car can often be sold at a profit. Many buyers look for vehicles with this characteristic in classified ads or car exchanges on the internet, as it gives them the certainty that no extensive repairs have been carried out on the car and that they will not be confronted with problems caused by the accident improperly executed repair work have to reckon.
However, when exactly is a car at all to be described as accident-free? the official guideline, which is stated in a judgment of the cologne higher regional court from june 1975 (az.: 2 U 31/74) states the following:
"the term "accident-free" or "accident-free" is used uniformly in the motor vehicle trade and means that a vehicle has not suffered any damage that is to be regarded as significant. The significance of damage is determined by the prevailing view of traffic, which excludes only minor, repaired sheet metal damage and "cosmetic defects" from the definition of accident-free."
it is often difficult to sell a car at a profit after it has been involved in a serious accident.
A vehicle is therefore not automatically an accident car, if it has been involved in a crash. If there was only a minor damage, so the car may still be considered accident free. Are, however substantial damage the car is no longer accident-free. However, where are the limits drawn?
This is not always easy to decide and has already resulted in many a legal proceedings led. In general, it can be said that minor damage is when it is minor external damage, on the paintwork, for example. Fender benders, on the other hand, are usually assessed as accident damage, even if they do not result in any further consequences and the cost of repair is low.
However, in many cases other factors involved when it comes to deciding whether or not a vehicle is actually accident-free. The following criteria are usually of importance here:
-
- Age of the car
- Mileage
- Type of damage
- cost of repair
They should always to be honest with an interested party. although the chamber court of berlin has ruled that it is not a binding promise if a vehicle is advertised in a private classified ad as accident-free. Only the information in the purchase contract are binding. However, it does not make a good impression on the buyer if the vehicle advertised as accident-free does not turn out to be such after all.
think about the future sale of your car when you buy it
already at the time of purchase you can set the course to sell the car later at a profit.
You are probably reading this guide if you plan to use your old car for sale and against a higher one new or used car to exchange. The following tips may not help you right now, but you should not simply skip this chapter anyway. Because also the vehicle, which you buy next, you will in all likelihood after a few years sell again.
What many vehicle owners often neglect or are simply not aware of: already at the time of purchase lay the foundation, to be able to sell the car profitably at a later date. Various factors, which we would like to go into in the following, are here of importance.
Brand
If you want to sell your car at a profit later on, you should already think about the correct make of car decide. The popularity of the manufacturer plays a major role here, because: the more in demand it is, the more money you can ask for a model of the brand at a later date.
To find out which car manufacturers are particularly popular, it is worth taking a look at the statistics, which are published by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) are issued. The more detailed information on new registrations in 2015 shows that you can do very little wrong with a car from a German vehicle manufacturer. All in all 64.1 percent of new vehicles around a german brand. On the first three places the following brands were able to establish themselves:
- Volkswagen (21.4 percent)
- Mercedes (8.9 percent)
- Audi (8.4 percent)
But even if they are foreign model drive, this does not mean that you cannot sell your car profitably. The import brands are catching up more and more. Particularly in demand were the Czech manufacturer škoda, the south korean car manufacturer hyundai and the french brand renault.
A similar trend can be seen in the number of new registrations in 2015, i.e., in cases where a used vehicle changed hands. here, too, VW is the undisputed leader with 21 percent, followed by the german manufacturers opel (11.3 percent) and mercedes (9.3 percent). Among the import brands, renault (4.9 percent), peugeot (2.9 percent) and škoda (2.8 percent) lead the ranking.
Vehicle type, model and engine
which type of vehicle is best if you want to sell your car at a profit?
In addition to the make of the car, other factors also determine whether you can sell the car profitably later on when you buy it. This includes, on the one hand, the model. As with the manufacturer, the rule here is: popular models are easier to sell and make it possible for you to sell the car at the best price.
statistics from the center automotive research at the university of duisburg-essen show that among private individuals the VW golf by far the most popular new car in germany in 2014 was. The VW polo comes in second, closely followed by the VW tiguan. The entire top ten is as follows:
- VW golf
- VW polo
- VW tiguan
- Mercedes C-class
- BMW 1 series
- Škoda octavia
- Audi A3
- VW up
- Ford focus
- Mercedes e-class
Basically: new cars that are in demand can also be sold several years later on the used car market popular and thus increase their chances, selling the car profitably. However, it is not only the model itself that needs to be taken into account. Also the choice for a certain type of vehicle can prove to increase value.
Especially small car and SUV – this abbreviation stands for "sport utility vehicle" and denotes an off-road sedan – prove to be stable in value and can therefore be sold at a good price. sedans on the other hand, are more less in demand.
Color of the paint
If you want to sell a car at a profit, you should opt for more muted paint colors.
What many car owners don’t know: with the choice of the correct paint color you can positively influence the resale value of a car. In advertising – for example in tv commercials or print ads and posters – the various car manufacturers often display cars that stand out with unusual colors. This is how the attention from viewers are won.
But don’t conclude from this that a signal color means that you can later sell the car at a particularly high price. Muted colors remain at the top of the popularity scale. In 2015 as a whole, around 28.6 percent of all new cars were registered in Germany, according to statistics from the Federal Motor Transport Authority gray tones painted, closely followed by the color black (27,3). White third place at around 19.5 percent. Even with blue and silver as a rule, you can’t go far wrong.
All in all, it can also be stated that especially the metallic paint is popular. Bright and fashionable colors, such as yellow or purple, on the other hand, appeal to a smaller group of buyers, are often considered to be less in vogue after a short time, and thus reduce your chances of selling the car at a profit.
Value-enhancing extras
Not only if you follow the tips mentioned so far, you can help to sell a vehicle you buy today at the best price at a later date. Another factor is also often decisive: the car must be over the right extras have. The following equipment features are nowadays valid for new cars as well as for used cars as standard and should not be missing in any case, if you want to sell your car profitably:
-
- Remote-controlled central locking
- Electric windows
- Seat heating
- traction control system (ASR)
- ESP (electronic stability program)
- Permanently installed navigation system
- alloy wheels
- Parking aid
The higher the vehicle class, the more extras are usually required. This is how xenon light, a sunroof or modern driver assistance systems now a standard feature in the mid- to luxury class, while many buyers of subcompact and compact cars still tend to do without these equipment features.
A trailer hitch as well as all-wheel drive should not be missing, especially in SUVs and other off-road vehicles. Whether a parking heater helps to sell the car profitably, on the other hand, cannot usually be said in general terms. For some car owners it is an absolute must, for others it is just a waste of money.
In the following, we would like to look at three particularly popular extras and explain in more detail how they contribute to the maintaining the value of your vehicle contribution and whether it is even worth retrofitting.
leather seats
many dog owners opt for leather seats. The extra also helps to sell the car at a high price.
Leather seats belong to the most popular equipment features for new and used cars. They are now standard in luxury class vehicles in particular. No wonder, since they are synonymous with luxury and provide a noble look in the interior of the car.
not only the material itself is very expensive, but also the costs for further processing are increased due to the high amount of work involved. This ensures that in most cases an car with leather interior can be sold at a profit.
The advantages of leather seats are obvious. in contrast to fabric upholstery extremely robust and for many vehicle owners the leather odor a big plus. Furthermore, bad odors hardly stick to the leather upholstery. They can also be quick and easy to clean – especially for pet owners who often travel with their four-legged friends, as well as for families, this is an important advantage of this noble material. In addition, leather hardly absorbs any moisture, which is why the material often used in convertibles becomes.
However, there are also some critics for whom leather seats in cars are a exclusion criterion when you buy. You complain that the upholstery heats up a lot in the summer, in the winter, however, the cars have to be cooled down. For this reason, most vehicles with leather upholstery have a heated seats. If you are planning to retrofit your vehicle, the installation of a seat heating system is highly recommended. Critics also point out that leather upholstery is more expensive than its conventional fabric counterpart regular care need, otherwise they become unsightly, brittle and cracked.
Selling a car at a profit: luxury cars often have leather upholstery.
However, as mentioned above, car owners must keep in mind that leather seats are periodically – about every three months – need to be cleaned and maintained. This is the only way to sell your car at a profit later on, because worn, cracked and dirty seats do not make a good impression and inevitably lead to a value loss.
When caring for leather seats, you should proceed as follows:
- When cleaning the car, remember that the seats should be not too wet should be. It is sufficient if you first coat the surface with an slightly moistened cloth rubbing to remove stains. if they prove to be particularly stubborn, you can resort to special cleaners, which are available from specialist dealers. Make sure that no solvents are contained, as these can damage the material.
- The second step involves gentle care of the covers on the program. After cleaning, wait until the seats are completely dry, otherwise the care cannot be absorbed properly. If you are unsure about which product is suitable in your case, first have consult a specialist dealer. Apply the product to the seats according to the instructions and then work it into the leather with a soft, clean cloth. Re-greasing substances maintenance ensures that the seats look like new again and the leather does not dry out.
Automatic transmission
an automatic transmission has a positive effect if you want to sell a car profitably.
First, second, third gear: for many car drivers, the manual gearshift completely natural part of everyday life and often contributes to the driving pleasure. This group, however, is opposed by an ever-increasing number of fans of the automatic transmission compared to.
Gone are the days when the automatic was considered a ponderous fuel guzzler. Modern transmissions have a value-enhancing effect, which is why a car equipped with one usually sells at a profit sell at a good price lets.
But what is the reason? Does the automatic transmission consume no more fuel than a conventional manual transmission?? This prejudice may still apply to old models, but modern automatic transmissions are real fuel savers. The gears are changed optimally and always at the right time, which contributes to the car’s consumes less fuel. A driver can hardly imitate such a performance with a handshift.
And also the increased driving comfort contributes to the fact that a car with automatic transmission can be sold profitably. The tiresome shifting of gears, which many people experience especially in city traffic with its stop-and-go phases can be perceived as extremely distracting, is eliminated and drivers can concentrate fully on the surrounding concentrate on the traffic situation.
Modern automatic transmissions are also extremely lively and powerful. in this context, the so-called dual-clutch transmissions, which have two partial gearboxes, are particularly worthy of note. It is possible to switch between them within a few moments, which means that the change gears almost without interrupting traction runs off.
Air conditioning
selling a car at a profit: few buyers want to do without air conditioning.
Probably the most popular extra in the car is the air conditioner. New cars without this feature are almost unsellable and also more and more used car buyers don’t want to pleasant coolness, which the air conditioner provides in the summer, is a completely. For this reason, a car can usually be sold at a particularly good price if it has this extra feature.
With the help of the air-conditioning system, you can change temperature the interior of the vehicle regulate according to your wishes. It is distinguished here between different systems differentiated:
- Semi-automatic or. Manual systems are the less expensive alternative, but must be be operated correctly. You can set a cooling level as well as the strength of the blower. However, this often results in the temperature being set too low. this not only causes the circulation of the vehicle occupants to suffer from the temperature difference when they get out, but also leads to increased fuel consumption.
- More expensive, but also more effective and more fuel-efficient is the retrofit fully automatic. With this variant, you have the option of spending a set temperature, which is automatically regulated and maintained by the air conditioning system.
- The multi-zone automatic air conditioning is a shape that offers particularly high comfort. driver and co-driver can set different temperatures and thus their creating your own feel-good climate. Some systems allow the occupants to set up special, differently tempered climate zones in the rear of the vehicle as well.
You can also use have them retrofitted. However, you should in a specialist workshop can be carried out to ensure a professional conversion. In addition, you should think carefully whether the retrofit is really worthwhile in your case. although it increases the value of the car, whether the conversion actually helps to sell the car profitably depends on the vehicle in question.
The reason for this: for the work can cost in the amount of 2.000 to 4.000 euro which is usually not possible to recoup when selling an older used car. However, if the subject is an extremely well-maintained, young used vehicle, which scores with a low mileage, the retrofit may well be worthwhile.
Conclusion
If you want to sell a car at a profit, you can do a lot to preserve its value in advance.
This guide has shown that various points to consider, if you want to sell your car as profitably as possible.
Many car owners like to forget this, but already the decisions you make when buying a car, can have a major impact on the resale price that can be achieved in a few years’ time.
And even while the car is in use, a careful driving a lot can be done to maintain value.
Will the car regularly maintained and brought in for inspection, it can still be used after a couple of years as a be sold in first class condition. It may be difficult to sell a car at a profit, but this is the best way to get the best price for your used car.
(53 ratings, average: 4,28 Of 5)
