Top 5 Tips to Maintain car value

From the minute you leave a dealership with a new set of wheels, that car value is decreasing, and will continue to do so until it’s sold or ends up in the scrap yard. Here’s a few tips on how to take proper care of your car so when the time comes to sell or trade in, you can still get as much money as possible.

Maintain your car value

1. Avoid dents and scratches

It’s an obvious tip to start off with, but more often that not, cosmetic damage is the first thing that potential buyers are on the lookout for when shopping around. Anything from marks on the bodywork to scuffs on the dashboard will be taken into consideration, even curbing your wheels will make your car less appealing to the masses.

2. Keep your service records

Everyone can say that they’ve taken good care of their car and changed the oil at the right time among other things, but if you don’t have the records to backup those statements, people will be skeptical on how much of it is true and whether the car is in as good condition as you make out. Keeping your service records just gives everyone the extra assurance that will go a long way.

3. Check under the bonnet

It’s easy to go without checking under the bonnet for a while, but in doing so you could be missing something crucial. Oil and other fluid levels should be checked weekly as they are the blood of your car, especially oil which will need changing every few thousand miles. Without the correct amount of oil in your car, it’s going to sound like it’s in agony and won’t be going very far.

4. Driving Economically

Everyone has a different style of driving. Some are more aggressive than others, and that can lead to mechanical issues in the long run. There are thousands of parts to every car, it just takes one of them to go wrong that could cause major issues and reduce car value. Driving aggressively is not only dangerous but puts your car through stress that wears on those internal parts and could come back to bite you when passing the car onto another potential owner.

5. Keep it clean!

Another obvious tip but one of the easiest to get wrong. It’s best to avoid smoking, eating or drinking in your car to avoid stains and bad smells. You probably wouldn’t be interested in looking at a car that smelt of smoke or had a stain from a chicken sandwich on the passenger seat. If you do eat or drink in your car, it’s best for empty wrappers and packaging to be thrown out asap. If stains to occur, get them out with proper cleaning solutions as soon as possible.

We hope these tips help maintain your car value over the years to come. So when the time comes to sell that and move onto the next vehicle, your car value is still high and helps with the next purchase!