Preparing a car for sale with your own hands

Tips from “experienced” motorists on preparing a car for sale with your own hands

Buying a car is a joyful event, especially if you manage to buy it at a good price. But the profitable sale of a car is an equally significant event. Therefore, preparing for this is one of the key stages in selling a “swallow” at the best possible price. In short, pre-sale preparation is everything.

How and where to sell a car

If the decision to sell the car is finally made, you need to decide on the place of sale.

2 options here

1. Contact the salon;
2. Do the selling yourself.

The first option, of course, is simpler: car specialists will evaluate the car, carry out pre-sale preparations themselves and help with the transaction. In addition, car dealerships will provide assistance in deregistering the car from the traffic police and will provide a notary.

For those who do not want to pay extra money, there are car markets.

Tips for preparing your car for sale

A well-written ad is, of course, important, but pre-sale preparation of a car is also very significant! Often, behind a tempting ad on the Internet, there is a not-so-attractive car. How to make sure you don’t lose potential buyers?

A quality engine that inspires confidence.

The main criterion for the pre-sale assessment of a car is undoubtedly the engine . If the car was used carefully in urban conditions, there should be no problems with this item.

Regular oil changes and systematic preventive inspections are the key to a quality car. Such a car will quickly find a new owner .

First, the engine should be washed before selling. You can do this yourself, using different cleaning agents, or by contacting a specialized car wash.

Body (scratches and chips)

Preparing the car body for sale.

An experienced car owner will definitely pay close attention to the body before purchasing. The first thing to do is to thoroughly wash the car body , including the most inaccessible places - wheel arches , for example.

Bitumen stains on the body and wheel rims must be removed. To give the car the most attractive appearance possible, it is recommended to treat the body with polish and wash all the glass with a special product.

Thoroughly washed rims and tires are a definite plus for the car owner . When going to the market, you should check all the lamps (in headlights, fog lights, turn signals, etc.). Immediately before meeting with a potential buyer, it is recommended to wipe the car with a rubber rag : it will remove all dirt received on the road and will not leave any marks.

Vacuuming the interior is a mandatory step in preparing a car for sale.

It often happens that a buyer interested in purchasing a car immediately loses all desire to make a purchase at the first glance at the interior. Why is that?

1. Unpleasant smell in the cabin,
2. Covers with holes and not washed for years
3. Rugs full of dirt

All this can ruin the most pleasant impression!

If it is not possible to take your car to a general interior cleaning at a car wash, you will have to do everything yourself. First, you need to vacuum the interior from large debris, wash it with a soapy solution and polish the dashboard and glass from the inside.

Dirty covers should be washed; if they have holes, replace them with new ones . Don't forget about the ceiling and air exhaust grilles: you'll need cotton swabs here.

Cleaning holes. No need to seal it with blue tape, it's better to just wash it.

Determining the price of the car to sell

How to choose a price to sell a car and not screw it up?

You can determine the cost of a used car using a correction table .

Of course, this figure is inaccurate and depends on various factors: condition, operating conditions, etc. You can find out the cost of a car more accurately using online calculators : you just need to enter the required data in the proposed cells and the site will offer you an approximate price.

Is pre-sale cosmetic repair of a car necessary?

Polishing a car body before selling it is ok!

To sell your car as profitably as possible, it is recommended to make cosmetic repairs. You shouldn’t take the “swallow” apart piece by piece, painting the body evenly is enough , since there is no point in investing a lot of money in repairs - not every buyer is willing to pay for it.

Selling a car for scrap: pros, cons, pitfalls

Such a big dump of Lada cars. But sometimes it will be easier to throw even a brand new BMW there if there is not enough money for repairs.

old cars or those that have been in a serious accident ; in this case, it is more profitable to sell them for scrap.

It's very easy to do. First, you need to deregister the vehicle with the traffic police . Before this, you will need to pay the state duty and tax debt, if any.

Now you can go to the recycling service, taking with you the following documents:

1. Vehicle passport with a note indicating its deregistration;
2. Owner's passport.

This video shows the procedure for scrapping a car:

Thus, pre-sale preparation of a car consists of minor cosmetic repairs, general cleaning of the interior and engine compartment . Following these recommendations will help you sell your car at the best possible price and in the shortest possible time.

Comments on article 11, leave yours:

Oh, well, it’s more or less clear now. Otherwise, I feel that just taking a photo of a car and posting it on some Avito is not enough. Obviously some kind of preparation is needed, because a car is not boots.

Left to vacuum the interior and sell

In order to sell a car, you need to prepare it, namely, wash it well, both on top and inside, and polish it. If there are any damages, then fix them if possible. I just recently sold my car, I found a buyer via the Internet because I put it on a website where they sell cars. She stood there for about 2 months and a buyer was found. But, personally, I don’t like people who hide flaws, so I sold my car myself for a real price.

I sold my car twice and there were no problems - I posted an ad with a photo on the website, by the way, you need to take its drafting seriously, fortunately my wife is a philologist, so I compiled the text correctly, then car wash services to give the car a more attractive look, although the road A small amount of dust must be present on the car. All that remains is to meet with the potential buyer and discuss the price. The second time I sold it at the car market and again very successfully. The main thing is that the car is in good technical condition!

You were right about road dust!
You shouldn't lick your car until it shines, it makes people wary. If everything looks perfect, you subconsciously expect a catch. Of course, we need to prepare it for sale - repair it, wash it, vacuum it. But everything must be done in moderation... Of course, it’s better to sell yourself. But here it all depends on the availability of free time. If you can meet with potential buyers several times a day, then why not. Well, it happens that there is simply no free time and then you will have to turn to intermediaries.

Selling a car always requires preparation, and cosmetic repairs and neatness of the car have attractive selling opportunities. Tips will make preparations easier and improve your car.

I gave one car, which was a little worse - its appearance was not very attractive and was no longer new at all - to intermediaries, but significantly lost in price. I sold my second car from an online site, and was lucky enough to get it off my hands within a month. But I prepared it for sale responsibly - thereby even making seven hundred dollars. The very first thing was to remove the covers from the seats and change the braid on the steering wheel. There was no need to do any cosmetics in the salon - everything was in order, I just took the car to the dry cleaner - the interior needed to be put in complete order. And the tires did not let us down - there was almost no wear. As for the body and the chassis - as it was, that’s what I said (even about all the scratches I had to explain) - if he had been fussing, they would have thought that he was an intermediary, which means the car was either damaged or had a dubious past. So my conclusion is this: when selling, it’s better to tell it like it is.

It’s more profitable to sell the car yourself; it all comes down to timing. Most of it is spent on preparation for sale. Another nuance, don’t try to sell obvious junk, no matter how you mask all the shortcomings, experienced motorists will notice this, but as a rule, they don’t just take a car off their hands. If you have metal, then sell it for scrap.

I decided to change my car, but I had to sell my existing one first. Using the advice from the site, I successfully sold my car and now I have a “beauty” in my garage. I sold it myself. The attractive appearance of my old car and a large network of acquaintances did the trick. There was no need to place an ad. My advice: get the car into a salable condition and try it among your friends.

The last two cars were handed over to Trade Inn. Well, it was more convenient for me, and the dealer gave me a nice discount on new cars for this, but before that I always sold it myself through online resources. I slightly disagree on the topic of shine and appearance. You shouldn’t really lick the car before selling it, much less paint it. A smart buyer will look at the technical condition, not the appearance. Well, as an example, painting a wing costs 6 thousand. And a fuel pump for a BMW will cost from 30 thousand. So what will they look at first? 🙂 Better get the car in good technical condition.

Interesting article. It is very useful to read it not only for those who are selling a car, but also for those who plan to buy it (I myself am one of them). Now I know about the pitfalls. In general, it is surprising when some car owners, when selling a car, do not bring it into proper condition. Perhaps an experienced buyer will not pay attention to defects that spoil the appearance, but which are easy to fix. But for people who don’t like to take on the extra work of cleaning their car, and who care about the external aesthetic appearance, this point can be one of the determining ones.

I know friends who make good money by reselling used cars. The most important thing when making such transactions is the “polished” appearance of the car. After all, a potential buyer is guided mainly by emotions, which can easily be played on by correcting external defects. And if you also do a little tuning, this will increase the chances of sale several times. As for the technical side, buyers pay attention to it secondarily.

Pre-sale preparation of a car with your own hands, secrets and tricks.

Hi all. The topic of today's article is pre-sale preparation of a car with your own hands. In this article, we will use examples to look at the actions that make sense to take in order to sell a car with maximum profit in the minimum time.

General principles of pre-sale preparation.

The main idea of ​​pre-sale preparation is to spend less money than the added value of the car will be created! For example, completely painting a car never pays off when selling, but polishing almost always pays off. Re-upholstering the interior will not add as much to the price as this work costs, but dry cleaning is very likely. Well, overhauling the engine will not add as much to the price as thick oil... the idea is to get the maximum impression for the buyer with a minimal investment of money.

Appearance is critical when selling a car. Remember, people are greeted by their clothes.

Pre-sale preparation of the body.

Colleagues, it is the body that the buyer pays attention to when approaching the car, and it is the body and its appearance that form the buyer’s first impression of the car.

In my resale course, I teach the theory that the buying decision is made based on the first impression, and further inspection is aimed only at convincing yourself that this purchase is exactly what you need. Therefore, it is very important to make the right first impression! You can't make a first impression twice, remember that.

So, what to do with the body to sell the car as profitably as possible?

If the body has parts damaged in an accident, it is better to repair them or replace them, since a damaged car is of more interest to resellers who will reduce the price as much as possible. Agree, if you are buying a car for yourself, you don’t want to pay money, buy it, and then look for a service where they will restore it all.

But you need to change body panels wisely. Taking new parts and painting them on a car to sell is crazy! Maximum from a showdown. For a popular car, there is a great chance to find parts in color!

If you can’t find a part that matches the color, you’ll have to repaint it, but you can paint it while saving on materials (no primer, cheap varnish, etc.).

Definitely need to touch up all the chips and do a full polish. Believe me, nothing raises the price of an entire car like polishing and dry cleaning in the interior. Visually, the car looks 5-10 years younger!

If the thresholds of a car are visually scary, but you don’t want to repaint them, on our website we have a method for painting the thresholds with tinted anti-gravel - it doesn’t look bad or sloppy.

For example, this Toyota was bought for 50 thousand rubles, repaired for 12 thousand rubles. (only a flashlight was purchased), pre-sale preparation was carried out for 4 thousand rubles. and the car was sold for 100 rubles:

About stickers, spoilers and blue scribbles.

If the stickers do not carry any meaning (a rusty hole or a chip is being covered), I recommend removing them... the likelihood that the buyer will appreciate them is quite small and they look extremely collective farm.

The same situation with non-factory spoilers and body kits, if possible, we bring the car to the most standard appearance, and spoilers are sold well separately.

Well, blue backlit writing pads, Sparco mud flaps, etc. It’s also better to remove things and return them to standard.

Pre-sale preparation of the salon.

Definitely, the salon should be clean when selling. Pull up the rugs, vacuum, or better yet, dry clean.

A friend of mine sold a car for 3 weeks.

As a result, he gave it to me at the price for which he bought it since he could not sell it. I dry-cleaned the interior, washed the car and the engine compartment, took new photos and in 2 days sold the car for 15 thousand more, provided that it cost me 20!

If there are cigarette burns on the seats, or they are torn, etc. search on Avito, or at flea markets and buy used seat covers.

Upon inspection, the buyer will not remove them, and they will improve the appearance. If the seats are intact, then it is better not to cover them!

About the ceiling.

Vinyl ceilings can be easily washed with alcohol, silicone remover or vanish. With fabric and hard ceilings it is a little more difficult; they require dry cleaning.

About interior plastic.

It can be easily washed with vanish type detergents. You should not use silicone remover, much less solvent (it will leave white marks in the texture of the plastic). After the plastic has been washed, it makes sense to rub it with a special polish for plastic.

About the cabin filter.

Most modern cars are equipped with a cabin filter. It’s not worth replacing it with a new one for sale, but it makes sense to take it out and clean it from dirt - the stove and air conditioner will blow much stronger and hum less.

About the stink in the salon.

Many people recommend hanging a Christmas tree, but it’s not worth it if there’s no unpleasant smell in the interior (and after a thorough cleaning there shouldn’t be any). If there is a smell, then it’s better to hang it up, in case it overwhelms...

About the trash in the cabin.

There shouldn’t be anything superfluous during the inspection, no boxes from the dacha, no papers for work, and even take out a child’s seat... Well, and accordingly, no rosary beads, nodding dogs, stickers with jokes, etc. — the most standard interior.

About tinting.

If the car is tinted to zero, then it is better to unroll it so that the buyer is not slowed down by traffic cops at every checkpoint! Believe me, it’s not much fun to buy a car and then immediately receive a fine for tinting. The rear hemisphere, if it is tinted with a high-quality film, is better not to touch and leave as is. If the film is cheap or, even worse, has bubbles and has faded, it is better to remove it.

Pre-sale preparation of the engine compartment.

The biggest dilemma arises with the engine compartment - to wash or not to wash. Many buyers shy away from a washed engine compartment - you hide oil leaks, etc. But in fact, this is nonsense... Oil leaks can already be found by careful inspection, but the condition of the engine compartment, suitable for planting potatoes, has never caused me anything but disgust. Agree there is a huge difference between this and this:

So definitely wash it, but do it at a proven car wash, since crooked washers can do a lot of business.

Pre-sale preparation of the trunk.

Definitely there should be no junk or trash in the trunk! The most standard trunk, in which there will be a minimum of things - a fuel tank, a spare tire and a standard jack and a little motor oil (in a canister of expensive oil), which is supposedly left over from the engine replacement... There shouldn’t be any other canisters (once I was told that I topped up the brake fluid and therefore carried it with me)…..

Preparation of the technical part of the car.

Preparing the technical part of a car for sale is not a clear-cut topic, but the principle stated above (invest less than the increase in price) must be followed. For example, it makes no sense to change the oil and filter in the engine; it is advisable to add 2-3 liters of oil and fill it with fresh LUKOIL, so the buyer will get the impression that the oil is really fresh and the car is being looked after.

There is definitely no point in changing transmission oils and other technical fluids.

It makes sense to change the howling wheel bearing if there is only one, if for example the axle is howling, there is no point in doing it, it is better to “allegedly be mistaken” and say - the wheel bearing needs to be replaced, it has already been purchased….

It makes no sense to replace the current radiator, etc., for sale. things – it’s better to fill it with sealant or mustard.

If a car has problems with the engine (smoke or oil pressure), it makes sense to decarbonize the engine and fill it with the thickest possible oil (once the author of this article observed how transmission oil was poured into the knocking engine of a VAZ 2114 and it went silent, although a month later it jammed).

I think the general idea of ​​pre-sale preparation of the technical part is clear...

General secrets of do-it-yourself pre-sale preparation….

Headlights.

It’s definitely worth polishing, polished headlights will lose their appearance in a month... I think they should be varnished! But we need to sell and not travel ourselves, the cheaper the better.

Rubber bands and rubber.

It makes sense to rub the rubber bands with silicone grease or, in extreme cases, oil. This makes them look much newer. But do not forget that dust quickly sticks to the oil. In the case of the wheel tires in this photo, the rubber made during the Soviet era looks new because it was washed with 646 solvent and wiped with silicone grease:

Music.

A subwoofer and amplifier never pays off if you sell them with a car. It makes sense to buy a used radio with a flash drive for 1000 rubles, and put cheap speakers in standard places (500 rubles) and leave your cool subwoofer, speakers and amplifier for the next car or sell it separately.

Is it worth deceiving the buyer?

Twisted run.

I always sell a car with the mileage it came to me with. Normal buyers have not looked at the mileage for a long time, but rather evaluate the condition of the car. If a buyer asks “why such a high mileage, is the car a taxi?” (I was once asked this question while inspecting an 8-year-old Priora with a mileage of 130,000 km). I offer to do the mileage at the client’s request, but I say that routine maintenance depends on the mileage, so it makes no sense to run it.

Extinguish the pillows by powering them from another lamp.

It's up to you to decide - if you can't see that the airbags were fired, you can put it out - it will add to the price of the car.

Pull out the check engine light.

This is done using a capacitor, the wire or track on the device that leads to the lamp is cut off and the capacitor is soldered. As a result, the lamp will light up and go out, but do some diagnostics, maybe the problem is in a cheap sensor (removing the dashboard is a dubious pleasure).

Passing off a heavily damaged car as a new one...

The buyers of these cars are very specific people. When selling such a car, I usually pretend to be a sucker and pretend that I myself don’t know…. It’s better not to tell the buyer anything than to lie, if the buyer catches you lying, he will leave, remember this….

A little philosophy or is there any point in pre-sale preparation of a car with your own hands?

Let's consider pre-sale preparation from a financial point of view.

In Russia, the average salary is 36,000 rubles, there are 21 working days in a month, i.e. per day it comes out to less than 1500 rubles.

You can wash everything, throw out unnecessary rubbish, and polish the body with cheap polish yourself. Dry cleaning of the interior costs about 4,000 rubles. Cheap oil is about 100 rubles per liter, sealants for cooling and a “stinker” for the interior also cost pennies….

Friends, having spent 1-2 days of your time and 3000-7000 rubles on pre-sale preparation, with the right actions you will sell any car 15-200,000 rubles more expensive (depending on what kind of car it is) Is there any point in doing pre-sale preparation yourself? The answer is obvious to me - YES!

That's all I have for today, good luck with your sales and smooth roads.

How to prepare a car for sale

Pre-sale preparation of the car: body

Wash the car using two-phase technology. The appearance of a car is the first thing a buyer pays attention to. Wash the body. Choose a high-quality car wash where cars are washed using a two-phase technology: first with shampoo, then with foam and a sponge. Such a gentle wash does not scratch the body. The price of the service is 500-700 rubles.

If the surface of the body is rough, ask a technician to clean it of bitumen, corrosion and traces of insects. After cleaning, the car will become pleasant to the touch, like a newly purchased iPhone. When the buyer runs his hand over the body, he will be pleasantly surprised.

Remove chips on the bumper. Most chips are on the bumper, especially if you often drive on the highway. It is better to paint over the most noticeable ones. The main thing is to choose the right paint.

If you are going to touch up the chips yourself, find out the paint code - you will need it at the paint store. The code is printed on the door pillar, under the hood or on the trunk roof. Sometimes the information is contained in the VIN.

Buy a thin brush, it is sold at any office supply store. The paint dries immediately in the air, so you will have to work quickly. Don't forget to wear rubber gloves, the paint is hard to wash off.

A specialist will cost 500 rubles to remove chips on the bumper.

Remove traces of an accident . After accidents, dents remain on the body. If the buyer finds them, he will ask to reduce the price or refuse to purchase. To prevent this from happening, remove the damage in advance. Contact a car service or body repair center. The cost of the service is from 500 rubles per dent .

If you have not been in an accident, still check the body - snow could have fallen from the roof or a cat from a tree onto the car. To find the dent, inspect the body in bright daylight.

If the dent is large and they couldn’t remove it completely, don’t worry. Talk to the buyer, tell them about the dent. Honesty builds trust, and the buyer may like the car, despite the shortcomings.

Polish the body. A polished car is easier to sell - it looks better in photos, videos and in person. Do not polish the body yourself unless you are an expert. It is easy to burn through the varnish with a polishing machine. Holograms may remain on the body - marks in the form of circles, visible in daylight.

Before selling, a light polishing with medium-abrasive and anti-hologram pastes is enough - it will give the car shine and gloss. The cost of light polishing is from 2,500 to 15,000 rubles .

If there are deep scratches on the body, they can be removed locally. Ask a specialist about this. Check to see if the service includes touch-up of chips. Before polishing, many detailing studios paint over chips on the body. You may not have to pay extra for the service.

The car can be waxed rather than polished. It's cheaper. Wax will hide scratches and chips, and the body will shine. When the composition is washed off after 2-3 washes, the new owner will be unpleasantly surprised.

Remember, a polished car can only be washed using two-phase technology. A simple car wash will scratch the body and ruin the polish.

Pre-sale preparation of the car: interior

Clean up. Remove personal items from inside the car. Sort them. Place the ones you need in a container or bag; feel free to throw away the ones you don’t need. The MTPL policy for 2009 is unlikely to be useful, but you can take the rattle or stash home. Afterwards, wet clean with a regular cloth.

If there is an unpleasant smell in the interior, or there are patterns and stains on the seats, dry cleaning is needed. A salon filled with smoke and painted by children will scare off even loyal customers.

Carry out dry cleaning. You can try to do dry cleaning yourself, but it is better to go to a car wash or detailing center. Some stains cannot be removed manually, and buying professional equipment is expensive.

In a clean interior, there may be some dirty areas - for example, the floor under the driver's seat or the front seats. To avoid spending money on full dry cleaning, order local. For comparison: at a car wash, dry cleaning of the front seats costs a thousand rubles, and complete dry cleaning of the interior costs 3-5 thousand .

Pre-sale preparation of the car: wheels

Clean the disks. You need to clean them of bitumen, rust and dust that flies from the brake pads. The approximate price of a service at a car wash is 200 rubles, in a detailing studio - 1,500 rubles .

You can clean it yourself. Buy car shampoo, cleaner and white spirit. Wash the wheels with car shampoo and treat them with solvent to remove the bitumen. After a couple of minutes, rinse them with clean water and dry. Apply the cleaner to the discs and leave the product on and wait another 1-2 minutes. Rinse with water. The discs will become clean, rust and dust will disappear.

A disk cleaner costs from 200 to 1500 rubles. White spirit - 70 rubles per liter.

Blacken the rubber . Rubber quickly loses color due to ultraviolet radiation, road reagents and auto chemicals. You can change the color of your tires at a car service or car wash. The price of the service is 50-100 rubles .

You can save money here too. An aerosol can for blackening tires is even sold in Auchan. Price - 100 rubles, enough for 5-10 times. You can spend it on a new car. Most likely, at the car wash, the rubber will be painted with the same aerosol can.

Remove cracks and chips from the windshield . Do not try to remove the crack yourself; it may “go” further. The cost of the service is low and depends on the length of the crack: one centimeter - 50 rubles .

Do the same with chips. You can leave a chip that is not in a visible place, but it is better to remove it in the center of the glass. Repair costs from 400 rubles . The price depends on the size and type of chip.

What is better not to do

Don't wash the engine. If you flood the engine with water, the electronics will malfunction and the instrument panel will show an error. The engine will run intermittently or won't start at all at an important moment - when you show the car to the buyer.

Don't bother. If your car is clean on the inside and shiny on the outside, preparing it for sale will be easy. Do a wet cleaning of the interior, wash and clean the body - that will be enough. If in three years you have never had it dry cleaned, and your car has become dull from scratches, order pre-sale preparation.

• Remove traces of accidents and get rid of chips
• Clean the interior and clean the wheels
• Wash and polish your car

Do-it-yourself pre-sale preparation of a car or who is better to contact

If you have a certain amount, resolving the issue will not cause problems. The main thing is to sell the car profitably, and this requires pre-sale preparation.

The article will discuss the activities that should be performed during the pre-sale preparation of a car.

Let's consider where to start, how to prepare the interior and exterior of the car, and whether it is worth using the services of third-party companies or whether it is better to prepare the car for sale yourself.

The information received will be enough to quickly and profitably sell the car.

Factors that lead to the thought of selling a car

It’s easier for car owners who have already decided to sell - they have decided on the fate of the “iron horse”. But what should people who are halfway through “getting rid of” their car do?

In such a situation, it is important to understand when you should think about selling a car.

Several factors can be highlighted here:

• Maintenance costs become incommensurate with the family budget;
• We have to come to the service station more and more often, and the car literally “falls apart” before our eyes;
• Money is urgently needed to solve primary problems, for example, treatment or buying an apartment;
• Not satisfied with the appearance or technical characteristics of the car.

What should you do first?

First, decide what exactly you don’t like about the vehicle - the technical component or appearance.

Afterwards, it’s worth looking into the interior and critically assessing its condition. Any problems with appearance must be corrected.

In addition, pay attention to a number of technical points:

• Does the generator whistle after starting;
• Is the car engine running smoothly, is there a “floating” speed;
• Are there any creaks or extraneous noises in the suspension area?
• Does all equipment perform its intended functions;
• How dynamically the car picks up speed;
• Is there a squealing sound from the brake pads when you press the brakes, etc.

Elimination of these and a number of other issues is included in pre-sale preparation. We'll talk about this in more detail below.

Where to start pre-sale preparation?

Before starting work, it is important to assess the relevance of the measures. For example, if your plans are to sell a 20-year-old “Seven”, the funds invested in preparation may not pay off.

This is not surprising, because in such a car there will inevitably be rust on the doors, and the technical condition leaves much to be desired.

There is no point in spending 40 thousand rubles on pre-sale preparation in order to sell a car for 60-70 thousand.

To eliminate unnecessary expenses, it is worth assessing the relevance of each type of work, and then making a decision whether to spend money on certain events or not.

It is worth noting that self-training is more profitable than contacting specialized companies or service stations (in the latter case you will have to pay for services).

What can be concluded? If the costs of pre-sale preparation exceed 30-50% of the current cost of the car, you should not expect a payback.

Moreover, there remains the risk of not selling the car, which will additionally “hit” the budget and nullify all efforts.

We prepare the body and appearance of the car

The practice of selling cars on the secondary market has shown that the first impression is key.

That is why the main focus should be on the following activities:

• Cleaning the body;
• Surface polishing;
• I will inspect for corrosion and damage to the paintwork.

If rust is detected, you can treat the problem area with Coca-Cola drink or phosphoric acid.

This is enough to remove traces of corrosion from the surface, after which you can use paint.

Now all that remains is to polish the car body and treat it with liquid wax (allows you to hide scratches).

In addition, the success of the sale may be affected by:

• The presence of unusual elements on the body part, for example, original stickers. If experienced car owners do not need such “show-off”, for women or novice drivers this aspect may be important.
• No difference in shades. When identifying heterogeneity in the color palette, it is advisable to hide the problem area. To do this, just select the desired tone and treat the surface.
• Optimal clearances. During the pre-sale preparation of the body, it is important to walk around the perimeter of the car and assess the size of the gaps. It is important that they are identical. If there are deviations, it is better to contact a specialist for help.
• Whole headlights. The presence of damaged light sources will definitely discourage the buyer. If the headlights are damaged, it is better to change them. The same requirements apply to the car body.

If you carefully approach the pre-sale preparation of the body, you can significantly increase the price of the car.

It will be a big plus if the body has undergone anti-corrosion treatment, and it doesn’t matter whether it was done now or a couple of years ago.

Pay attention to the polishing of the headlights; this is an important element of the car’s exterior, which greatly influences its appearance.

Pre-sale preparation of the salon

The next step is to clean the exterior—spring cleaning.

The range of necessary work includes complete dry cleaning of the interior: cleaning the seats, plastic inserts in the front and rear doors, and treating the dashboard.

It is important to assess the condition and performance of the glove compartment, the integrity of the door handles and speakers. It is advisable to replace damaged elements.

Assess the condition of the rugs. Even if they look normal outwardly, it is better to wash and dry them.

Pay special attention to the steering wheel, which can be used to judge the age of the car.

If the surface is very worn, it is better to change the steering wheel. The same recommendation applies to the gearshift knob. Such simple measures allow you to transform the interior of your car and update it.

If the seats and covers of the car have not been cleaned for a long time, you can do the cleaning yourself or ask for help at a car wash.

Experienced specialists clean the car inside and out, which gives the vehicle a respectable appearance.

Luggage compartment

An equally important element of pre-sale preparation is tidying up the trunk, which the buyer almost always looks into. That is why attention must be paid to its cleaning and preparation.

The main thing is to remove everything from the luggage compartment, then sort through it and leave only the essentials.

It is important to think about what the buyer may need during future operation, and what will not be needed. If an item is clearly unnecessary, it is better to remove it.

A mandatory procedure is cleaning the luggage compartment. Here you need to take a number of steps, namely, treat the surface with a vacuum cleaner and remove all stains (if any).

If this cannot be done with a soap solution, you can use special detergents. Again, you can go to a car wash and entrust the work to trained people.

Pre-sale preparation under the hood

There are many discussions online about whether it is necessary to wash the engine and the area under the hood when preparing a car for sale.

Some claim that such a procedure cannot be avoided, because the appearance of a clean engine has a positive effect on the buyer’s overall opinion of the car.

A group of opponents is confident that a clean engine, on the contrary, raises suspicions about its serviceability.

Experienced car owners know that by washing the engine they can hide a leak from under the valve cover or cylinder head.

So is it necessary to wash the engine during pre-sale preparation? Here it is important to focus on the age of the car and the level of contamination of the engine.

If a lot of dirt has accumulated in the engine compartment, it is important to clean it. But you should do the work wisely, so as not to flood the wiring and create problems when you subsequently start the engine.

Fighting odors

The “aroma” of tobacco, sweat or food in the salon can turn off a potential buyer from the first minutes of inspection. That is why one of the stages of pre-sale preparation should be the fight against odors.

Actually, this process takes place simultaneously with cleaning the interior. If you smoked in the car, it is advisable not to do so for at least one or two months before the transaction. The smell, of course, will not disappear completely, but it will become less obvious.

When choosing a cleaning product, give preference to products that smell the same, so that you don’t get an “assortment” of aromas inside.

In the case of polish for plastic elements, it is better to give preference to products with a common, but neutral aroma (citrus or apple).

Install a new cabin filter. If you do not change the product for a long time, bacteria will grow in it and dust will accumulate. As a result, it is the filter element that can become the source of the stench.

This is especially evident when air recirculation is turned on. By installing a new cabin filter during pre-sale preparation, you can eliminate the problem of unpleasant odor.

Mileage of your car

There are many articles on the Internet that give recommendations on how to adjust a car's odometer. But is it necessary to do this? In this regard, there are two opposing opinions.

You can, of course, wear 60-70 thousand kilometers, but worn interior elements (steering wheel, gear knob, seats) will still show its real age.

Another thing is that even a slight “rejuvenation” increases the chances of selling a car. Of the two cars, the buyer chooses the one that has traveled less.

Technical condition of the car

All efforts to pre-sale the car may come to nothing if you do not pay attention to the technical condition.

It is important to do the following:

• Eliminate knocking in the crosspiece or suspension (if present);
• Change burnt out light bulbs;
• Install new fuses if some of them have already blown;
• Eliminate other obvious faults.

Car owners often forget about the first aid kit and the need to monitor its condition and content. Before selling, it is advisable to change this attribute completely.

Such a seemingly insignificant factor adds to the chances of a successful sale, because in the eyes of the buyer the car becomes newer.

The machine must come with at least a minimum set of tools, the availability of which is extremely important for buyers.

Many sellers are greedy and leave the kit in their garage, which negatively affects the speed of car sales and its price.

Professional preparation for sale

Is it worth contacting car services (pre-sale preparation points).

Situations in life are different. It happens that you need money urgently, but there is no time for pre-sale preparation.

In such a situation, you can contact special services that provide this kind of services.

Specialists know very well what to pay attention to when preparing a car for sale, and how to quickly attract the buyer’s attention.

Some companies make money not only by preparing cars, but also by selling them. The main income in this case is the difference between the cost of purchase and sale of the vehicle. The better prepared the transport, the higher the earnings.

The advantages of visiting pre-sale preparation centers are obvious - all problems associated with cleaning the body and interior are eliminated (this work is performed by specialists).

But there is also a minus - additional costs for paying for the services of such organizations.

Where else can you order a car pre-sale service?

In recent years, many companies and individuals have appeared that prepare cars for sale.

Potential clients are offered a wide range of services:

• Body preparation;
• Interior cleaning;
• Odometer roll;
• Dent removal and much more.

There are many such companies - “Auto Techcenter”, “Dan-auto”, “Victoria” and many others. They all differ in the range of services provided, price and quality of preparation.

That is why, when choosing, it is important to carefully study the offer and read reviews about a specific company.

If you don’t have any extra money, it’s better to do the pre-sale preparation of the car without involving such companies, with your own hands.

Tips for selling a car from Lisa Rulet.

Preparing the car for sale yourself. What work needs to be done

As the Bible teaches us, “there is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.” It’s the same with motorists – after buying a car, sooner or later, the time comes to sell it. The sale of a used car, or rather its preparation for sale, will be discussed in this article. Also an interesting article: how to sell a damaged car.

In principle, you can entrust the pre-sale preparation of the car to service station specialists, but if you have free time or if you want to save some money, you can do this work yourself, especially since it is not so difficult.

Of course, you can not prepare the car for sale at all and sell it, as they say, “as is,” but then get ready for the fact that you will have to make a significant discount to the buyer, and it is unlikely that you will be able to sell the car quickly.

By the way, about the price. It is best to immediately set a price 5-10% higher than the one you expect, so that you can bargain with the buyer.

How to prepare a car for sale

1. Many buyers first of all pay attention to the appearance of the car, so wash it, treat it with polish to make the paintwork shine, and clean up the interior and trunk.

2. Defects in seat upholstery can be hidden by putting new covers on them, and not necessarily expensive ones. Treat the dashboard with a special preparation and rub it until it shines. Believe me, the appearance of the car is 90% of its successful sale.

3. Separately, it is necessary to say about body repair. If such repairs are necessary and you think that the costs of them will be justified when you sell the car, then it certainly makes sense to carry out such repairs.

4. Pay attention to the engine - the buyer will definitely evaluate its performance. Adjust the fuel supply, adjust the ignition and valves if necessary, you can also replace the spark plugs, setting the minimum gap between the electrodes recommended by the instructions.

In any case, achieve reliable operation of the motor in all modes and easy starting with half a turn. If the engine is worn to some extent, change the engine oil to a thicker one or use special oil additives. If possible, eliminate extraneous noise and knocking in the power unit.

I do not recommend washing the engine to hide traces of oil leaks, as this may alert the buyer. As a last resort, you can wash the engine and then shake out some dusty bag over it, this way there will be no oil drips and the engine will not look like it was just washed. If there are no oil leaks or they are insignificant, then there is no need to wash the engine and engine compartment. The same applies to the gearbox and suspension components.

5. Experienced drivers claim that if you treat the ignition distributor cap with a water-repellent agent, such as WD-40, the engine will start better. Try it - in any case, it won’t get worse.

6. Wash the expansion tank thoroughly to remove dirt and traces of rust. If necessary, replace the antifreeze. If the drive belts squeak while the engine is running, then eliminate the squeak by treating them with special preparations that are commercially available.

7. Check the operation of all switches and toggle switches in the vehicle, all lights, and all electrical wiring.

If necessary, correct any problems found - there is no need to give the buyer a reason to bargain. Before selling your car, fill it with high-quality fuel - in this case there is no need to save. Don't fill the tank full - otherwise you'll just give it away to the buyer.

8. Car dealers should be warned against the temptation to “twist” the speedometer by reducing the odometer reading. In fact, the approximate mileage of a car can be determined by many indirect signs, and if you meet an “advanced” buyer, you will not deceive him, but you will lose trust.

In addition, experienced motorists pay more attention not to the mileage of the car, but to its technical condition, because, as one racing driver said: “you can screw up the engine without driving even a meter,” so it’s not about the mileage, but about how the owner maintained it, and operated the car.

9. If you are selling a set of winter tires along with your car, you can include them in the price of the car, setting a higher price, or sell the tires separately - it’s up to you to decide.

10. If your car has an expensive radio, it is better to sell it separately, since its presence has virtually no effect on the cost of the car.

When selling a car, tell as much as possible about it (of course, better than good), thereby making it clear that it was in safe and capable hands and received proper care. Impressing the buyer is one of the most important tasks when selling a car.