Do these nine things to your car for £250 to boost its sale value by up to £2,800

As the age old saying goes: you’ve got to speculate to accumulate.

And that’s very much the case when it comes to getting the best price for a car you’re planning to sell.

Dedicating some time and spending around £250 on minor repairs, arranging documentation and giving the vehicle a good clean could see owners reap more than 10 times the financial reward, according to experts at Auto Express.

It says that going to additional effort to make your motor as appealing as possible to dealers and private sellers could save you thousands.

With motor traders typically using vehicle valuation services to determine how much they should pay for cars based on the condition, owners are urged to carry out nine tasks that could take their vehicle from the lowest price to the highest.  

Paul Baker, editor at the motoring title, says this could pocket owners up to £2,800 in a higher sale value.

Speculate to accumulate: Spending £250 on these nine different things to improve your car could boost its sale value by up to £2,800, experts suggest

‘Most dealers will judge the value of used cars using an industry wide grading system from a company called CAP,’ Paul explains.

‘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. 

‘A ‘below’ condition will mean more damage and lots of missing paperwork.’

And 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 – that’s a difference of £2,350.

A Kia Sportage of the same age falls £2,700 from £17,400 to £14,700 while a Tesla Model Y drops from £23,050 to £20,250 – that’s a difference of £2,880.

To help owners best prep their cars for sale, Paul has outlined how much each of nine tasks will cost them – but also the estimated financial reward from a higher vehicle resale value.

A dirty car presented to a private buyer or dealer will suggest it hasn’t been well maintained over its lifetime, so it’s worth investing time and money to present it in its cleanest condition

1. The value of a good clean

Cost to owner: £1-£100

Time: 1 hour

Added car value: +10-20% of the price

‘First impressions count,’ Paul point out. ‘You wouldn’t sell a house without a quick tidy, so do the same with your car.’

He says a dirty car in photos or presented to a dealer for trade-in suggests it has been neglected one.

‘Expect to sell for 10 to 20 per cent less if your car is not looking its best.’

Even if an MOT isn’t due for months, owners could get more for their car if they sell it with 12 months until the certificate lapses

2. Get a new MOT… even if it’s not due for months

Cost to owner: £54

Time: 1 hour

Added car value: +£200

While many car owners will try to avoid having to pay for another MOT, if you’re relatively confident it will pass without issue, it’s worth having a new certificate valid for 12 months to reassure a buyer.

‘For a 10-15-year-old car, a valid MOT holds much of its value,’ Paul says. 

‘Of course, there is a risk – if the car fails and it costs a lot to fix then you could be out of pocket, so this will only really add value if you are fairly certain it will pass.’

A fresh MOT can add up to £200 or more to the value of a vehicle, especially older models. 

Fixing damage and kerbed wheels will increase the sale value if offering the car privately, but not so much if you’re part-exchanging or selling to a dealer

3. Should you fix kerbed wheels and paint scrapes?

Cost to owner: £50-£120 per wheel

Time: 2 hours

Added car value: +£200

Attempting to sell a car with wheel or paint damage will usually result in the other party haggling down the price to reflect the additional cost it will take to get the motor back to near-perfect condition.

But that rule only really applies when selling privately, and not to dealers.

Car sales businesses typically deal with repairs more often – and usually have a dedicated department or contact who can complete these at a far reduced price – so sellers will likely spend more than they need to on costly cosmetic fixes.

Paul warns that repairs on the cheap is always a bad idea as dealers will likely still knock the price down to put this right, meaning you – the seller – has essentially paid out twice.

The astronomical price of car keys today means it’s worth hunting around for the spare for the vehicle you’re selling

4. Find that ‘lost’ spare key

Cost to owner: Free (if you can find it)

Time: 30 minutes

Added car value: +£1,000

Buyers will expect a used car to be supplied with at least two working keys. If you can’t find your spare, don’t think this will be a cheap fix. A replacement keyfob can sometimes cost up to £1,100. 

‘If you can’t find it, the buyer will simply subtract the cost from the value of your car, so it is worth turning your house upside down for,’ Paul urges.

You cannot sell a car without its V5 registration. You should also have a personalised plate you want to keep transferred off the vehicle you’re selling or you could lose it entirely

5. Locate your car’s V5 document

Cost to owner: £25 – £80

Time: up to 25 days

Added car 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 plate, it’s also worth transferring it if you can before you sell,’ Paul says.

6. Collate the service history

Cost to owner: £0

Time: 1 hour

Added value: +£1,200

‘All buyers love seeing FSH in an advert, but they’ll want proof — stamps, receipts, or both,’ says Paul. 

For brands like Kia and MG, a missing service history can void the warranty, meaning buyers need to buy extended cover, which can cost £1,200. 

Some cars even store history digitally in the key, so it’s worth digging through emails to find records. Alternatively, contact the dealer where your vehicle was serviced and request for them to email the digital record.

Claiming for a repair of a chipped windscreen often won’t impact your no-claims bonus. A small insurance excess to have the glass fixed will likely be much lower than the value a buyer will want to haggle off the price

7. Always fix a chipped windscreen

Cost to owner: £50

Time: 2 hours

Added car value: +£1,000

A chipped windscreen can knock £1,000 off your car’s value, but most insurance covers repairs without affecting your no-claims. 

It’s likely that the cost of a small insurance excess will likely be far less than the discount a dealer will expect if your windscreen is damaged.

A ‘state of health’ battery report with electric cars will diffuse any concerns among buyers that the battery could have decreased in capacity 

8. Selling an EV? Get a free battery ‘SOH’ report

Cost to owner: £0

Time: none

Added car value: +£500

Trying to sell a used EV has its own complications, given there is the additional concern over the condition of the most expensive component, the battery.

Most informed electric car owners and buyers will be aware that a battery deteriorates only marginally on average each year, but sellers can instill more confidence by providing what’s called 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 while others will have a SOH report in the service paperwork,’ Paul says.

Taking good quality – and honest – photos of the car is imperative to get the best deal when selling, Auto Express says

9. Invest in the time to take good photos

Cost to owner: £0

Time: 30 minutes

Added car value: +£300

If you’re looking to get the highest possible price for your car, it’s always best to sell to a private buyer. However, car selling platforms, like Motorway, can also offer higher prices than what a dealer will give in part-exchange for a new model. 

If you do go down the private sale or car-selling platform route, it’s imperative that you have great photos of your car.

‘There’s no need to glam it up, but you do need to show the car as it is, including any damage and paperwork,’ Paul explains.

But he also points out that sellers should be honest up front, else risk upsetting a potential buyer who might have travelled a long distance to see the vehicle under false pretences – or for a car selling platform to dock pounds from their original offer.