Do these 9 things and get up to £2,800 more when you sell your car

When you are buying a new car you’ll check all the details and then haggle hard to get the best deal. But if you don’t pay the same attention to selling your car you could be wasting thousands because buyers will bid less for it.

Spending a few minutes with a sponge, looking for documents, having small repairs done or retrieving a spare key can add around £2,800 to the car’s estimated valuation, according to the experts we spoke to.

The official figures speak for themselves. Most dealers will judge the value of used cars using an industry wide grading system from a company called CAP. The condition is categorised into three main levels: Clean condition should have a full service history and minor wear and tear. The Average level will include multiple small scratches, scuffed alloy wheels and missing keys or manuals. Below condition will mean more damage and lots of missing paperwork. 

The difference between the values is substantial. For example, a three-year old Ford Puma ST-Line will have a trade value of £11,550 in Clean condition, but only £9,200 if judged to be Below. A Kia Sportage of the same age falls from £17,400 to £14,700 while a Tesla Model Y drops from £23,050 to £20,250.

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How condition affects car value

The table below shows prices for three popular car models in different levels of condition, after 3-years and 60,000 miles.  

Do these nine things to increase the value of your car

For advice on maximising your car’s value we asked Sam Luscombe, Sales Director at Luscombe Suzuki, Mitsubishi & MG in Leeds who buys around 125 used cars per month, and Jim Ronan, an auctioneer who has been selling cars for more than 30 years. Below you’ll find top tips from these experts on how to get the best price for your car…

Cleaning

• Cost: £1-£100
• Time: 1 hour +
• Added value: +10-20% of the price

Wielding a sponge or paying for a professional valet should be the very first step, according to our experts. “We don’t expect cars to be spotless, but first impressions count,” says Sam. “You wouldn’t try and sell a house without running the Hoover around first, so you should do the same with your car.”

Jim agrees: “If you see an advert and the car is full of dog hair or the ashtray is spilling over, you can pretty much imagine how it will smell, just from the pictures. They will typically sell for around 10-20% less than a car which is clean.”

Get a new MoT

• Cost: £54
• Time: 1 hour
• Added value: + £200

“A looming MoT can be the reason many people decide to sell their car, but if you are confident it will pass, it’s worth getting a test done as it gives the dealer one less job to do and assures them of the condition. For a 10-15 year old car, most of the car’s value can be in the valid MoT. But there is a risk – if the car fails and it will cost a lot to fix then you could be stuck.”

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Battery SOH report

• Cost: £0
• Time: none
• Added value: + £500

Buyers are already aware that battery condition is a crucial part of a used electric car’s value and will be more confident bidding if there is a State of Health (SOH) report. On some electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 this is something you can photograph on the dashboard. “Other EVs will usually have a SOH report in the service paperwork. Have a look and mention the most recent figure when selling the car,” says Sam.

Kerbed wheels and paint scrapes

• Cost: £100+
• Time: 2 hours
• Added value: + £100

This is a risky one, says Sam. “We are used to having to get repairs like this done and we can get them much cheaper than the general public, so it doesn’t always make sense. Our biggest problem is when it has been done badly as the customer has to pay twice as we will still knock down the value.”

Lost key

• Cost: Free (if you can find it)
• Time: 30 minutes
• Added value: + £1,000

Buyers will expect a used car to be supplied with at least two working keys and a replacement can cost £1,100. If you can’t find it, the buyer will simply subtract the cost from the value of your car. “It’s worth turning your house upside down for,” says Sam.

Jim added: “Don’t forget the locking wheel nut too, and make it easy to find.”

Paperwork

• Cost: £25 - £80
• Time: up to 25 days
• Added value: + £500

Selling a car without the V5C registration document is almost impossible, so if you can’t find it you will need to allow up to 25 days to apply for a duplicate from the DVLA or take a big hit on the value. If you have a cherished private plate, it’s worth transferring if you can before you sell. “That can be tricky as people don’t want the hassle of changing their insurance and buying new plates,” says Sam. “We understand that so keep a £500 deposit back as an incentive for people to send us the new V5C when it arrives.”

Service history 

• Cost: £0
• Time: 1 hour
• Added value: + £1,200

All buyers love to see the letters FSH on an advert, but they will expect to see proof, either as stamps in a book, receipts or preferably both. “This is crucial for models such as Kias and MGs which have a long warranty, as it won’t be valid without service history” says Sam. “If it is missing we will have to buy extended cover and that can cost £1,200.

“Some modern cars have the history digitally programmed into the key, so it is worth a bit of detective work and looking through emails to see if you can trace some proof.”

Windscreen

• Cost: £50
• Time: 2 hours
• Added value: + £1,000

This is one area where there is a clear benefit, says Jim. “If there is a chip or a crack in the screen it can cost £1,000 or more to fix these days, and buyers will just subtract the cost from the value. But most drivers will have windscreen cover as part of their insurance and can get it fixed without affecting their no-claims. You might have to pay a small excess but it’s far less than the drop in value so get it done before you sell.” 

Pictures

• Cost: £0
• Time: 30 minutes
• Added value: + £300

To get the best price for your car you will usually be better off selling it privately or taking the safer route of using a car buying service like our own Sell My Car, where dealers bid against each other for stock. Whichever you choose, getting decent pictures will be essential. 

“You don’t need to make the car look pretty,” says Sam, “we just want to see what it looks like with details of any damage and paperwork. The portal will give you prompts and guide you through. I would just encourage sellers to be honest to avoid problems later and get the best price.”

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