5 Smart Ways To Preserve Your Car’s Resale Value

Some say that a car is a terrible investment, since its price depreciates over time. While it is somehow true, no one can deny that owning a car offers a lot of advantages that makes our day-to-day lives easier and more comfortable.

The only thing we can do is take good care of our cars to ensure that it will last as long as possible. But if you want to get the most out of it once you decide to resell it, you need to be a little bit more “extra” in its maintenance . That way, you can preserve its resale value and sell it at a good price in the future.

Here are some tips to help you do that:

How to Preserve Your Car’s Resale Value

Keep Your Car in the Garage

As much as possible, keep your car parked inside the garage — especially if you’re not going to use it for a long time. This will protect it from any harmful elements (e.g. heat, cold, hail, falling branches, etc.) that can cause any scratch, dent, or ding.

But keeping it parked in a safe place does not end at your home. Make sure to carefully choose where to park your car at all times. Select a spot that is less vulnerable to passing and turning vehicles. This allows you to prevent any blemishes that can affect the resale value of your car.

Always Keep Cleanliness Inside The Car

As much as possible avoid eating and drinking inside your car. If your meal or beverage makes a permanent stain in your car, its resale value will definitely be compromised. But if you can not avoid it due to whatever reason you have, clean up stains as soon as possible. If you allow any stain to stay for a while, it can become permanent.

Aside from eating inside your car, do not smoke as well. It leaves an unwanted smell inside your car and might cause certain surfaces to turn yellowish-brown. The smell can also leave a bad impression to your potential buyer, especially if he does not smoke.

Watch the Mileage

Expect that your potential buyers will ask about the car’s mileage. Basically, the higher miles it has, the lower the value. To ensure a good resale price, keep mileage to an absolute minimum.

This might be difficult for some, especially if you use your car on a daily basis, but that’s just the way it is. What you can do is to avoid short trips, which may not seem a lot of help first. However, the benefits of it can be seen over time.

If you can just walk or carpool with a friend to get to your destination, do it. Just look for ways where you can drive your car less frequently.

Wax Your Car Regularly

Cleaning your car on a regular basis makes it look good and last longer. But to really keep the shine in your car, it is best if you also wax it a few times a year, preferably every 4 or 6 months. This will protect the surface from foreign objects that can cause fading and scratches.

If you don’t do this, an entire paint job may be required just to make your car shine again. However, this is a costly alternative, so consider waxing as much as possible.

Why is this important? Your potential buyer will first look at the appearance of your car. Do you think they will be interested in looking at it any further if it looks dull and worn?

Get Your Car Serviced Regularly

It is always a good idea to have your vehicle serviced on a regular basis, regardless if you are planning to to resell it in the future or not. Regular maintenance and repairs will allow you to determine early if any car part is not working properly. This ensures that your car will not have any major issue that can compromise its resale value.

If possible, keep the records or receipts as well. You can use it as proof to a potential buyer that the car has been well-maintained under your care.

Conclusion

Your car will depreciate over time. These tips above will just help you slow down the depreciation and preserve your car’s value. With that said, it is your responsibility to make sure that your car is being constantly taken good care of. If you want to resell it at a good price, make sure to implement these tips as soon as you buy a car.