Maximise your car’s trade in value

There will come a time when you ask yourself when’s the best time to trade in your car? Some of us like to upgrade when we hit a certain mileage, some like to keep their car until it becomes ancient. Whatever you choose to do, trading in your car, whenever that is, can help you towards paying for a new car. Our tips below will help you maximise the value of your current car if you’re thinking of trading it in.

Mileage We all know mileage is taken into consideration when selling and buying, but what’s considered a low mileage car? Normally, a low mileage car is one that doesn’t exceed 10,000 miles (that’s 16,000 kilometres) a year. If your car has less yearly mileage, then it’s easier to argue for a good trade in value.

Curb Appeal If you’ve been a responsible driver, and we trust you have, then there’s a good chance your car’s exterior is in good shape with no dents or scratches. But, if you do have a few marks here and there due to everyday wear and tear, don’t worry too much as this is extremely common and doesn’t affect the overall value too much.

Attractive Interior Many of us maintain our interiors to a good standard – however, if you have kids, that’s harder than it seems. A good clean goes a long way but if you notice rips forming on your seats, then it may be time to sell your car before it declines too much. Top tip: if you have kids, go for leather wipe clean seats.

Model Year Dealers will likely look at the car’s manufacturing date and not the model year. This can make your car a year older in a lot of cases so do take this into consideration when wanting to sell.

Repair cost Maintaining the health of your car should always be a priority, especially when selling it. But remember, certain repairs can cost a small fortune, so if you foresee big repairs in the next year or so, maybe it’s time to trade it in before you have to splash the cash and harm your car’s repair record.