One of the hardest things about selling your car is figuring out the right price. If the car value is too high, you won\u2019t get any interest. Too low and you\u2019ll be left feeling like you\u2019ve been had. Finding out your car\u2019s value isn\u2019t nearly as straightforward as selling your old leather jacket on Vinted! We\u2019ve got you covered with our top tips to value your car.<\/p>\n
When it comes to figuring out your car\u2019s value, the first place to start is with the make and model. Japanese cars hold their value a lot better than their American cousins. That\u2019s because the reputation for Japanese cars \u2013 the Suzukis, Toyotas, Nissans and more \u2013 is one of quality parts and reliability.<\/p>\n
On top of that, fleet cars that enter the used car market tend to be American or European models. The higher mileage lowers their reliability. They\u2019re more worn and may not be as well cared for as privately owned vehicles.<\/p>\n
Of course, luxury and high-end brands such as Audi, Mercedes and BMW maintain their value well too. The best model for retaining value in the UK are Minis. After 34,700 miles on their clock, they\u2019ll depreciate by less than 47%<\/a> !<\/p>\n Mileage is a BIG factor when it comes to selling (and buying) a car. Although you can build up more than 100,000 miles on the odometer without causing too much wear and tear, it\u2019s almost like a magic number in the minds of buyers.<\/p>\n This is because the average yearly mileage that\u2019s accepted in the automotive industry is 10,000 miles per year. So if your car is five years old and has more than 100,000 miles on the clock, a buyer is assuming it\u2019s had double the expected wear and tear for its age. In short, higher mileage often equals decreased value.<\/p>\n As a rule of thumb, new cars lose around 60% of the car value over three years of average mileage. Japanese and high-end brands fare a little better.<\/p>\n A full service history, complete with receipts for parts and repairs, is like the holy grail when it comes to your car value. If you can prove in black and white you\u2019ve taken care of your wheels, it\u2019ll bump up your car price. Conversely, if you\u2019ve only seen the inside of a garage at the yearly MOT and advisories were shelved until they became necessities, it will knock your car value down.<\/p>\n The level and condition of the interior trims will also play a role in your car value. The better maintained and higher-end the trim, the greater the price. Don\u2019t think that cosmetic damage is no big deal \u2013 it most certainly can be. If your car looks scuffed and unloved, any buyer is going to think it hasn\u2019t been taken care of mechanically either.<\/p>\n Moneyshake estimates a good clean in and out will increase your car\u2019s sale price<\/a> by as much as 10%! Repairing minor dents, scratches and tidying up marks on the paintwork will improve the overall finish and first impressions of the buyer. A good clean<\/a> is well worth the time and effort when it comes to your car value.<\/p>\n Most people want to buy a car that\u2019s as close to brand new as possible. That means modifications, unusual paint jobs and body kits are all out. Modifications tend to drag the value of your car down. Alloy wheels, spoilers, expensive re-sprays and mufflers that make your car rumble are all a bad idea when it comes to boosting a car\u2019s price. Even expensive stereos are a no go.<\/p>\n Because of this, if you have tinkered with your car, it can be worth reversing the work or looking to sell it on a car enthusiast site that caters for specialist pimped-up vehicles.<\/p>\n After taking a look at your car with a critical eye, it\u2019s time to get down to some research. Checking out what similar makes and models to your car are going for will help you figure out your car value. Sadly, how much you loved your car has little to do with how much you can sell her for. If that was the case, my first car \u2013 an old VW Beetle – would\u2019ve gone for more than the fifty dollars I managed to get.<\/p>\n When you do settle on a value for your car, leave a margin for haggling. Buyers will want to negotiate on whatever car price you decide. It\u2019s wise to consider what your lowest price for selling your car is and then add a little on top. That way you and the buyer will feel like you\u2019ve got a good deal. Once you\u2019ve decided your car value, it\u2019s time to get busy preparing for a sale<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the hardest things about selling your car is figuring out the right price. If the car value is too high, you won\u2019t get any interest. Too low and you\u2019ll be left feeling like you\u2019ve been had. Finding out your car\u2019s value isn\u2019t nearly as straightforward as selling your old leather jacket on Vinted! […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":2877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sell-a-car","category-selling"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2897"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2904,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897\/revisions\/2904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onewomanowner.com\/usedcars\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Mileage<\/h2>\n
Condition and maintenance<\/h2>\n
Tinkering<\/h2>\n
Research your car value<\/h2>\n