Selling your car? Here are a few ways you can get 5-15% higher value

Buying is easier than selling. In fact, when it comes to a car, buying can be super fun but selling at a good price can be an uphill task. Of course, some parameters like the make of the car, model, variant and kilometers the car ran, to name a few, impact the price. There are a few things you could do to actually increase the resale value of your car by as much as 5-15 percent. [caption id=“attachment_2274324” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption]   To know more, read on. Sport a clean look, get basic repairs done: A better looking car, is more appealing to buyers. After all, appearance matters. A dirty clunker, won’t get a second glance - nobody would bother to look under the bonnet. So, first get the car washed and waxed and ready for display. Take special care that the interiors are fresh looking, and odour free. So, vacuum clean the car’s interiors before you display it. If you don’t mind spending some more, you can get a basic car wash at a local garage or even a car spa treatment. The former will cost you Rs 350, while the later around Rs 650. Check indicators, wiper, lamps, work etc. Replace small plastic parts which are missing, get dents and scratch repaired. Basic repairs don’t really cost much. Go beyond word of mouth: Do, spread the word around, family and friends. But, go beyond that, post on online portals OLX.com, Quikr.com, Carsalesindia.com and other social media platforms. The more potential buyers you can reach, the higher the possibility of getting a better deal. After all you might just be spoilt for choices with a number of offer prices from potential buyers. Certificates increase credibility: Instead of getting your car evaluated by a local mechanic, you could do so from a reputable company. For instance, Autoinspekt.com, Carwale.com, Tatamotorsassured.com (only for Tata cars) to name a few offer such services, where they inspect your car, and give a certificate. Your car is checked on various parameters and they also tell you the right market value of the car. The average cost of getting your car inspection certified in Rs 1,200. Individual over company: Broadly speaking there are three ways to sell you car: 1) With the help of a second-hand car dealer; 2) In an exchange offer to get a new car deal; 3) An individual buyer. Experts say, choosing to sell to an individual works out better, and you can get 5-10% higher price. After all, unlike with a dealer or exchange offer, there’s no margin involved. Sell at the right time: By timing it right, you can get as much as 5-10% higher price. Selling your car in December this year over January next year would give you a better price. It’s only a month’s difference, but a month in this case would add an additional year to the age of the car. Also, car with insurance valid for a few more months, compared with near expiry car insurance, would make a bit of a difference. Other minor things to keep in mind: You can bump up the price of the sale if you have all documents in place. Especially the service records, if maintained well, can help build trust with the buyer. A well maintained car with records to prove the same, will definitely let you build you a case for a slightly better resale value. . Take the above mentioned steps; you might just be able to sell it at a better price. If you have a few more tips of your own, share them in the comments section, the readers might find them helpful too.