3 Ways to Improve Your Car's Trade-In Value

If you are getting ready to buy a new car, you probably want to trade in your old car so that you can get a lower price on your new car. When you go to do the trade in, you want to make sure that you can get the best amount for your car possible. There are some things that you can do that will help you get a better price for your car. 

Do Some Research

One thing you can do is to do some research into what the current market value of your car is. Looking at various sites that list a blue book value for your car, by year, make, and model, will help you find out what the resale value is if your car is in poor, fair, or good shape. You can also get the definitions of those various categories, which will let you see what you can do to make sure that your car meets the highest category possible. 

Replace Bits and Pieces

Another thing that you can do is to make sure that you replace all the bits and pieces on your car. That includes things like your radio knobs, your hubcaps, and other similar things. You might not think that they are really worth all that when it comes to adding to the value, but it's just a finishing touch on your car. It makes your car look complete and look in better shape. Since the dealer isn't going to have to pay to replace all those things or put the work into sourcing them, you will be able to get a little bit more on your trade-in. 

Detail Your Car

The last thing that you want to do right before you take the car into the dealer is to have it detailed. Have them do all the vacuuming of the seats and the floors, and washing, polishing, and waxing everything. Even an older car is going to look better if it is as clean as it can possibly be. While it may not get you a lot more money, it is much more likely to convince the dealer to accept the car in trade because no one wants to deal with a dirty, manky looking car. 

If you are perusing cars for sale and trading in your old one, you want to do what you can to make sure that you are getting the best value for your old car as possible.