How to get your car ready for trade-in

When trading in or part-exchanging your car, it is important that you get a fair price for your vehicle. There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you get the best price possible.

Clean your car

General wear and tear is expected on some models but giving your car a good clean could make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Dirt, grime and stains can prevent a dealer from seeing the true standard of your car. While a full professional valet probably isn't needed, it's best to run a hoover around and remove the stains from the upholstery.

Clearing rubbish from cup holders or storage is also a good idea. A messy car might insinuate that the car hasn't been very well looked after or maintained.

Finally, try to remove any odours from your car. Wet dog smell  or cigarette smoke can be off-putting. 

Make sure you have the correct documents

The more documentation you have regarding your car, the better. The paperwork provides peace of mind that you have taken care of the car.

You will definitely need your V5C logbook as this proves that you are legally the owner of the vehicle you are trading in.

It is also beneficial to have a service history of the car. This allows car dealers to see how well and how often the car has been maintained. A well-looked after car will be offered a higher trade-in price. It's also beneficial if you have the manufacturer's booklet too.

Do some minor repairs

We aren't suggesting pulling out big dents or forking out at a mechanic. A few small dents can be expected if it's an older model car.

However, there are some easier repairs that can be made that could enhance the appearance and value of your car. Take some time to polish out or remove small and minor scratches from the bodywork. This is an easy improvement that can be done at home.

Replace missing parts and remove added parts

You might be missing a wheel trim as these tend to go missing or get damaged quite easily. You can add value to your car by picking some up second-hand, especially if they are the original ones from the manufacturer. Weigh up if this adds enough value to the car before you overspend unnecessarily.

Replacing missing bits is important but so is taking off anything that wasn't originally with the vehicle. Bumper stickers are unappealing to potential dealers and modifications that weren't done by a manufacturer technician might hurt the value of your car more than help it.

Be honest about your car

When it comes to getting a trade-in price for your car, it is important to be honest about its condition and mileage. Dealers won't just take your word for it and will do lots of checks to make sure the car is in the condition you advertised it as.

Guessing some of the numbers and fluffing the condition of the car only delays the valuation and can give an inaccurate price.

Get a free valuation

Once your car is taken care of and your paperwork is in order, you should get your car valued with a free car valuation. Knowing an accurate valuation of you car will allow you to weigh up your options before you sell it.

At Chapelhouse, we get our valuations from CAP HPI, a leader in the industry that offers accurate and up to date data. A member of our team is always on hand to provide a free, no-pressure valuation of your car.

Remember, factors such as wear and tear, overall condition and previous owners can impact the final value of your car.

If you are thinking of trading in your car, we have a great range of new and used cars available now. As an added bonus, we also offer free MOT for life on all of our cars and up to £5,000 cashback on your part-ex.