1. Mechanical Condition
You can most simply gauge the mechanical condition by taking it on a test drive. During a test drive there are many factors to check with some easier than others eg is there any problem with the brakes, does th car drag to the left or right, any suspicious noises to be heard when driving over road bumps? If you discover any irregularities such as these, you should factor in the potential replacements from the value of the car.
2. Exterior Condition
The exterior condition of a vehicle not only will affect the value but will also affect the saleability. When approaching a car, the first observation will be that of the exterior. Scuffed wheels, for example, have an average restoration price of £60/wheel, possibly including both wheels to be painted on the same, other factors would be dings, dents, and paintwork. If scratched paintwork is involved, for example, sometimes this requires the whole door to be replaced rather than a quick touching up, with the average price of a door/panel starting from £100. Then we have trims and badges that can start from £100. Visit buy my car site for a more in depth look.
3. Interior Condition
There is quite the mixture of interior conditions on the many vehicles we see, some notable conditions are; a scratched dashboard (which will be reflected in the sale price as it can’t be repaired), hard to replair floor and/or seat fabrics (reupholstering price typically starts at £75 a section). If the car needs a professional shampooing eg interior valeting for the seats due to a dog odour, this could be £50+.
4. Mileage
Mileage is an important factor in the vehicle retail price; the vehicle loses value the higher the mileage is.
5. Previous Owners
The number of previous owners will also affect the resale price of the vehicle due to reduced desirability of the vehicle. Lowering the price of the car is the usual method of combating this.
6. Service History
This can be a deciding factor when selling a vehicle with a high amount of previous owners; vehicle desirability is lessened with little to no service history. However, if a vehicle has been serviced 5 times, this might simply be the by-product of having 5 previous owners each servicing it when bought, thus making it look artificially well looked after.
7. MOT
{A vehicle with a short MOT will highly affect the ability of a vehicle to be sold and the value|The value and saleability of a vehicle will be highly affected by a short MOT|the ability of a vehicle to be sold at its full value will be high affected if it only has a short MOT). First, we must take in to consideration the price of a test. There is always a fear the repair bill could quickly spiral from the basic £50 to £300+ for anything from eg failed brake discs or pads on any of the 4 tyres. We would recommend getting a new MOT, to help sell your car, and so that the buyer knows they are getting great value for money.
8. Specification
There are different models to consider when buying a vehicle; generally a vehicle with greater specs will prove a better investment as it will likely hold its value for longer.
9. Saleability
The ability of a vehicle to be sold is called its saleability. Factors can include fuel type and consumption, engine transmission type (manual v automatic) and size, insurance group, tax bracket, whether a vehicle can enter Ultra Low Emission Zone. These may be important factors to consider for some but not others, meaning it could be tough sell for a certain price without one or more of these factors.
10. Vehicle Colour
The colour of a vehicle can majorly affect the re-sale price of a vehicle, Be prepared to get less for certain coloured cars.
Conclusion
A full vehicle appraisal is required to fully get to grips with how much you can sell your car for. This may seem daunting but to a dealer, this is an everyday scenario, from an appraisal a true value of you car can be given. Click on over to this sell my car link if you are looking for an estimation. Get 3 separate valuations relating to different vehicle conditions for greater clarity how a vehicle condition could affect the price.
