Car Resale Secrets
Many detailing companies like CJ’s Autobling do a large portion of their business with car dealerships. Dealerships come to detailers for all sorts of things, such as bumper painting, scratch repair, paint protection, ceramic coatings, complete detailing, and vinyl wraps. We all know that dealerships are interested in turning through cars as quickly as possible to turn a profit, so why would they bother with all the detailing energy and expense?
The secret is they know that when they sell a vehicle, every dollar they spent on pre-sale detailing will come back with friends. Put simply, when a prospective buyer comes to look at your vehicle, they are looking for a reason not to buy it.
If someone has looked at your ad and decided that they like the make and model, are happy with the mileage, and think the price is in an acceptable range, the test drive and walk around is for them to figure out if there is anything wrong with the vehicle that they hadn’t expected. They will be looking to see if the vehicle is scratched, dented, scuffed, or rusty. They’ll inspect the interior to see if it’s clean or dirty, smelly, or damaged. You can infer a lot about how someone has maintained the mechanics of their vehicle by examining the aesthetics.
Do the Math
Imagine for a moment you are selling a 2010 BMW 228i. The first step to pricing it would be to look up its value on the Kelly Blue Book. KBB gives a range of prices you could expect on the private market, for this type of vehicle, you could expect anywhere from $14,500 for “fair condition” to $18,000 for “excellent condition”.
Investing in getting the major scratches repaired and dents removed is a no brainer, and a Complete Detail is the perfect touch to convince prospective buyers that they are looking at a diamond in the rough, rather than a lemon.
The difference between “fair” and “excellent” is over three thousand dollars! Investing in getting the major scratches repaired and dents removed is a no-brainer, and a Complete Detail is the perfect touch to convince prospective buyers that they are looking at a diamond in the rough, rather than a lemon.
Beat Them at Their Own Game
When you do the math, it’s obvious why dealers understand why it’s worth it to their bottom line to bring cars back to very good condition. Vehicles with obvious cosmetic flaws don’t sell, and when they finally do, they will fetch far below what they could have with just a little investment.
The best way to get the most value out of your vehicle and sell it quickly is to have a professional detailer take the time to make it look as good as it possibly can. We’ve been helping folks on Vancouver Island boost the values of their cars for over 15 years, so if you want to make reselling a vehicle a joy instead of a burden, you know who to call.