Small Things You Can Do to Increase the Resale Value of Your Car

Owning a car can be a very expensive and risky investment. This is especially true if you do not intend on owning the same car forever, and rather plan to sell the car one day. There are many things a person can do to ensure that he gets a decent payout on his car once he is done with it, but there are no guarantees. There are many things that can also damage a car and lower the resale value of a car.

The improvements to your used car can be minor or major, but either way, can end up making a huge difference in the overall resale value of any vehicle. It take some time and care, as well as some money, in order to do everything necessary to raise the resale value of a car, but, in the end, the investment done on all fronts will indeed be worth it. Here is a short list of some of the small things you can do, as a car owner, in order to increase the overall resale value of your car.

 Which cars have the best resale value?

The main brands like Toyota, Honda and Ford tend to do really well in resale value because they run for a long time, replacement parts are fairly easy and simple to find, as well as affordable. These cars are also some of the most common on the road, and therefore, they tend to hang onto their value for a pretty long time- decades, sometimes.

 How to calculate resale value

There are many factors that should be determined when thinking about re-selling a car, and there are many things that need to be calculated in order to provide an accurate estimate. You should do the following when doing the calculations:

● Find out the mileage and technical specifications of the car.

● Check the history report of the vehicle via the VIN number, and other things.

● Figure out what condition it is in terms of body damage, maintenance and other factors like that.

● Look at classifieds in your area to see what similar cars are selling for.

Small thing #1 - Park away from other cars

You will greatly decrease the chances of the car being scratched or damaged in other ways that are typical of the types that occur when cars are parked close together or in otherwise very tight quarters.

Small thing #2 - Follow all maintenance schedules and guidelines

This seems obvious, but many people ignore it. By keeping current with maintenance schedules, you will keep the car in great shape and extend the life of the car as well, which increases worth.

Small thing #3 - Detail the engine

Keeping the engine clean and in running condition is always good.

About the author:

Mike is a freelance writer and is considered an expert on car insurance. He writes for many car insurance information sites.