Adding value - Pictures

Wash/valet: “Even something as simple as washing your car will make a difference,” said Phil Newstead. “It will sell faster and for more money.” And you can do this yourself. Carefully cleaning outside and in takes no time at all, make

Body polish: paint on two and three-year-old cars can start to go dull, especially if it’s non-metallic, so a polish will work wonders. Again, it’s something you can do yourself, but a professional ‘mopping’ is

Dent removal: where the surface of the finish hasn’t been broken, paintless dent removal can be carried out using various body forming tools, with the dent effectively being pushed out from behind. The big advantage of this is th

Bumper scuffs: around 80 per cent of SMART repairs involve scuffs to plastic bumpers. And as well as parking blemishes, cracks and dents can be tackled. A corner repair will cost around £50, but if there are several grazes on one

Wheel refurb: “they offer some of the biggest returns, so wheels are definitely worth fixing,” said Phil. “Alloys are easily damaged, and patches of flaking lacquer stand out a mile. If an alloy is damaged, it can set

Scratch repairs: obvious scratches and chips can put off buyers instantly. If you can get your nail into a scratch, the chances are it will need localised repainting. On a car that has done lots of motorway miles, this is a wise move,

Cigarette burns: there are few limits to what SMART repairs can fix – even cigarette burns, torn leather and holes in dashboards can be sorted. On an old VW Golf, a few rips in the seat or holes in the facia where a mobile has been mou

Glass repairs: windscreen chips which could cause an MoT failure should also be sorted before a car is offered for sale. A small mark may seem trivial, but it will stand out. New screens are costly, and if the crack spreads, the whole