5 Tips on How to Prepare Your Car for Sale

If you’re looking to sell or part exchange your car, there are a few things you need to do before popping the for-sale sign in the window.

Preparing your car properly will speed up the selling process, as well as helping you get the best price for your vehicle.

Read on to discover some top tips on what you need to do to get your car ready for sale!

1. Make sure you’re allowed to sell it

First things first.

Before you do anything, you need to make sure you are eligible to sell your car.

To do this, you need to settle any outstanding finance you may have on your vehicle. If you are selling privately, you will need to contact your finance company to arrange this, but if you are selling your vehicle to one of our Bristol Street Motors dealers, we will take care of any outstanding finance for you.

All you need to do is contact your finance company to request a valid settlement letter and bring this with you to your appointment. Whatever the outstanding balance is, we will settle it for you and deduct it from the payment we give you for your car.

Important note: Do not cancel your direct debit until we have received your car and confirmed that all finance has been paid.

2. Give it a good clean, inside and out!

Simple yet effective, giving your car a good clean can definitely help speed up the process of getting it sold - especially if you’re selling privately.

From the inside to the outside, put some elbow grease into it because no-one wants to buy a dirty car. So, get the bucket and sponge at the ready and read our guide on the best car cleaning hacks to really make it shine.

3. Carry out simple DIY checks

As well as being clean and tidy, you need to ensure that your car is in the best possible condition before putting it up for sale.

Our car maintenance guide is a great place to start for some easy, DIY checks you can do at home.

For a more thorough check, you could book your vehicle in for a service at your local Bristol Street Motors dealership, where key safety components such as brakes, steering and suspension are thoroughly checked.

This will give you extra peace of mind that your car is in tip-top condition and prepared both mechanically and cosmetically to the highest standard, ready for its new owner.

4. Check the bodywork

General wear and tear on a car are to be expected. However, if your vehicle has any major bodywork damages, it can affect your valuation.

If your vehicle has any noticeable damages such as scratches or dents, we would recommend booking an appointment at one of our Bristol Street Motors bodyshops, where our teams of manufacturer-trained technicians will repair your car to as good as new.

5. Make sure you have all the relevant paperwork

Finally, making sure you have the right documents is a really important factor to consider when preparing your car for sale. It can help increase the value of your car and informs potential buyers about the vehicle’s history.

At Bristol Street Motors, these are the documents we require if you’re looking to sell your car to us:

- Vehicle registration V5 document (logbook)

- Service and MOT history

- User manual

- Your driving licence

- Proof of address (Dated within the last 6 months)

- Bank details

Your vehicle’s MOT must be in date when you come to sell the car to us. But don’t worry if it’s due to run out – we have a super easy online service where you can book your car in for its MOT at a time that suits you.

Once you’ve followed these top tips on how to prepare your car for sale, you’ll be ready to take the next step!

You can start your free valuation either online or by visiting your local Bristol Street Motors dealership today.

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