Options for vehicle handover
Just as you tidy yourself up and dress well for interview, it is wise to present your vehicle in the best possible light for auction. Whether you are maximising your receipts by attending to these yourself, or you would like our help with a ‘value boost’, these are the primary areas for focus on for maximum impact on the price you will get for your vehicle:
1: Fluid levels. (vital)
Oil levels and coolant levels are key. An auction house mechanical report will state whether these are low, but will not give detail. A car with coolant or oil ‘below minimum’ is possibly dry and in the mind of a buyer has potentially been run empty, each of which could result in the need for an engine replacement before resale. We don’t want anyone having those doubts about your car! A lesser matter, but equally easy to address, is to ensure that there is sufficient washer fluid in your car. If it just needs a top up, why give someone a doubt that a washer pump replacement or other repair may be required. (Note: we can check levels if you need us to, and level checks are included in ‘value boosters’).
2. External cosmetics. (very significant)
Paint transfer (a lot of paint damage is actually their paint on your car and can be cleaned off), scratches that can polish out with the correct equipment and faded trim are all areas of doubt for a potential buyer. If we can rectify them cheaply we markedly boost the value of the car because a potential buyer knows they can bid more as they don’t need to factor in possibly expensive repairs. For example, a buyer will look at a scratch that could potentially cost hundreds of pounds or more to repair and they will factor in a ‘worst case scenario’ when calculating their maximum bid. If paint can be removed or scratches reduced or completely rectified through T-Cutting/mechanical polishing, it makes sense to do so. Those kinds of repairs pay for themselves, and usually far more. (Note: these are the kind of things included in ‘value boosters’ if you don’t want to deal with them yourself).
3.
Internal cosmetics.
A buyer can never be certain that upholstery stains can be removed until they’ve tried to do so. In a worst case scenario they may need to replace seats or seat covers etc. prior to sale. It is usually wise to invest a little time in getting these properly clean as putting them right can radically increase value. (Note: these are the kind of things included in ‘value boosters’ if you don’t want to deal with them yourself).
4.
Cleanliness.
We need to balance expense against return, but ultimately the better your car looks, the better the money and the faster the sale. Even if just a simple hoover and polish, spending a little time returning your car to (some of) its former glory is usually reflected in sale price. To see what areas will be highlighted in auction sales, please look at our example photos here. Please note that the auction house will give the outside a quick freshen up before taking photos, but they don't clean the interior in most cases.
Typical Auction Photos
