How to maximise the sale price for you vehicle

Okay, you've taken the decision to sell your car.

Just by taking a few basic steps to prepare your vehicle properly can add hundreds of pounds to your car's value;

• Use a good-quality car shampoo to clean off any 'road grime'. Work from the roof down, rinse off well, and dry with a chamois leather.
• Stone chips are unsightly and can rust if not attended to. Repair them with a touch-up stick. These aren't expensive, and with a little patience, you can dramatically improve your car's appearance. 
• Missing wheel trims or badges are unslightly to car buyers, so make sure you buy replacements. Breaker's yards offer a cheap source of parts.
• Wheels covered in brake dust look awful. On alloys, if it's particularly stubborn, buy an alloy wheel cleaner and treat them. If you've got wheel trims, consider replacing them.
• A good polish will create that 'new car' shine that so many used car buyers are looking for. Don't worry if paint residue appears on the cloth; this is just a layer of 'dead paint'!
• Cleaning the interior requires a little more hard work. Start with the vacuum and treat carpets, seats, dusty crevices, and even the dashboard itself.
• Dashboards should be cleaned with a 'low-gloss' dashboard cleaner; don't use household polish, as it'll give a cheap appearance.
• Windows should be cleaned after the dashboard, to make sure you don't spoil your hard work. Use a glass cleaner or damp chamois leather.
• Replace any non-standard parts, such as racy gear knobs or alloy pedal covers. They won't impress buyers, who'll think your car has been thrashed. Standard is always best.
• Avoid dousing the car in air freshener, unless you have smoked in it - in which case, buy an odour neutraliser. Spray the ashtray too, after giving it a good clean.
• Lift tatty old mats out; the clean carpets underneath will look much more attractive.
• Car buyers love looking under the bonnet, even if they haven't got a clue what they're looking for. You should therefore make sure they like what they see.
• Oil changes are cheap, and clean oil looks far better than sludgy treacle. Make sure the oil level is correct too.
• Finally, steam-cleaning is much-loved by car buying companies, but don't go overboard, particularly with older cars as it can sometimes damage fragile parts or connections.