by William Addison

Created on: September 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 07, 2008

When you are trying to sell a vehicle there are some obvious, and not so obvious tips to consider when you prepare the car for sale.

The most obvious technique is to wash the car. Make sure the outside and the inside are as clean as can be.

An interior detail job should be considered and a very good job can usually be done for under $100. Make sure any weird smells are eliminated. When in doubt, ask a friend to sit in your car for a few minutes and give you an opinion. If something is amiss, carefully check under the seats and in all of the recesses on the interior for the offending item or residue. If you are the type that eats in your car, you may find a surprising culprit. One of several available air freshening products may need to be employed.

When cleaning the car you may want to go an extra step and clean the engine. A professional detail shop can safely wash the engine compartment and the undercarriage.

The next thing to do is a hand wash and wax of the outside of the car. Wheels tend to collect grime in crevices, so use a stiff brush and a lot of soapy water on them for the best results. Shiny black tires look great and there are several spray-on foaming products to clean them. Do not forget the windows, which should be washed on the inside and the outside.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned the car, look carefully at the exterior for any scratches. Very light scratches may have to be removed with a polish designed for scratch removal. Be careful though as some products will cause a dull spot in the finish that can do more harm than good. For deep scratches or chipped paint, you can use a small bottle of touch up paint from an auto parts store. A good color match can usually be obtained.

Before you sell the car, have the oil changed, and the tire pressure checked. Dirty oil signals that the car was not maintained and flat tires will make Rolls Royce look bad.

Make sure you keep all of your maintenance records. If you do not have them, your repair shop may be able to print a history for you. Have this available along with the owner's manual and keep them on the front seat of the car so they are immediately visible to prospective buyers. This will signal to them that the car was well maintained.

Finally, stay positive! You will have more success selling your vehicle if you are optimistic and can speak confidently about the car. Write down a list of your favorite things about the vehicle and commit that to memory. Be ready to tell your buyer why they will love your car!

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