Why do McDonald’s hamburgers always look so amazing on the TV? Why is every magazine cover girl wearing layers of luscious makeup? Presentation matters, and nowhere is that more evident than when you’re looking to sell your car. If your car looks like it’s been dragged through a hedge backwards, kiss that sale-price goal goodbye!
Why Does Presentation Matter When Selling My Car?
- Human beings are visual creatures; we judge everything by its appearance including each other. Rightly or wrongly, we place more value on things that look nice.
- We are hardwired to look for negative details and information – it’s what’s known as our negativity bias. When we see a car that is a MESS, we get an instant negative reaction, our brains then automatically begin hunting for more negative details about the car.
- A clean car sends a positive message. Think about it, if your car looks filthy, what does that say about how well the rest of it is maintained? When a car is clean and polished, it suggests to buyers that the owner has looked after the car. The result? They’ll be prepared to fork out more dollars.
- Everyone wants new – even though we all intellectually get that a used car is a used car, most buyers still want that new car vibe. They don’t want to feel like they are stepping into someone else’s’ life. A sparkling clean car helps to evoke that new car feeling, and encourages the buyer to offer more.
- Some people are very particular. They’ll reject your car outright, or offer you a significantly reduced price if they don’t like the state of your mudflaps, or they find surface swirls on the bonnet, or (God forbid!) An apple core on the back seat flooring.
What do I Need to do to get My Car Sale-Ready?
Depending on the state of your car, it can take a bit of effort to get it looking like new again. We’ve outlined the basic steps below:
- Remove everything from your car – every personal item, every scrap of food waste, every 5 cent coin stuffed down the seat. It all needs to go.
- Make sure any items that come with the car – like a jack or repair kit are stowed securely in the boot; you don’t want items rolling around and clanging when prospective buyers take your car for a test drive.
- Replace blown bulbs and any other items that are broken
For these next steps you may well want to involve the professionals because it’s time for…
- Serious cleaning. You want the car to be spick and span inside and outside. This means a clean, polish and wax of the exterior and a complete vacuum and clean of the interior. At Melbourne Mobile Car Detailing we’ll do an absolute thorough clean of your car, so the mirrors are streak-free, the car sparkles and every speck of dirt possible has been extracted from your vehicle.
And the final step?
- Repair minor surface scratches and swirls – again we suggest you seek professional help with this. Ask for a cut and polish which involves the removal of all minor marks as well as damage caused by birds.
If you’re looking to sell your car, contact us today, we’ll come to you at a time that suits you.