Reselling Your Vehicle the Right Way

You may not want to right now, but there’s a good chance that you’re going to want to upgrade your vehicle at some point down the road. Therefore, it makes sense to try to preserve as much value of your current vehicle as possible. That way, when it does come to sell it in the future, you can get more money for it — money you can put towards your new vehicle.



The nice thing is that preserving the value of your car really isn’t that hard and doesn’t require crazy expensive equipment or storage. Many of the ways to preserve value in your car are simply things you would normally do on a normal everyday basis — just with more consistency, perhaps. Mainly, you’re going to want to regularly get car washes, apply regular protective coatings, switch to season-appropriate tires, and get regular tuneups.

For a deeper understanding of each of these things — and to learn how they help you preserve the value of your car over your course of ownership — continue reading below.

Get a Car Wash

When was the last time you treated your car to a car wash? Chances are that it was quite a while ago. Washing your car serves more than just keeping your car visually appealing — it also ensures that dirt, grime, and other potentially harmful materials don’t build up on (and inside) the exterior of your car. Built-up materials can not only lead to rust, which in itself immediately creases the value of your car, but it can also lead to poorer vehicular performance over time.

Therefore, you should make an exerted effort to bring your car to a carwash on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean bring it in for a clean only when it’s visibly dirty, but also when it’s not. You don’t have to bring it in every day, but bringing it in for a clean every week is a good routine to follow. Obviously, if you go mudding or drive your car in any other way that results in it acquiring a large amount of dirt, you should immediately bring it in for a clean afterward.

It should also be noted that while cleaning the outside of your car should be the priority, you should make an effort to regularly clean the inside of your car as well. You can get this done professionally, as you do for the exterior of your car, or you can set aside a couple of hours every weekend to do a thorough clean yourself.

Apply Wax Coatings

Applying coatings to your car does more than just make it look better — in many cases, it also adds a level of protection against certain elements. For example, by adding a quality wax coating, you reduce the chances of stones and other debris chipping away at your paint as you drive. Similarly, you can add weather-resistant coatings that ward off chipping and rust resulting from rain, snow, and other harsh weather conditions.

While properly applying protection to your car can take some time, as proper protection often requires the application of multiple layers, the effects can last for a very long time. In this sense, wax is a great “set-it-and-forget-it” way to protect your car from the elements and maintain its value as a result.

When you go to actually sell your car, having protection already applied can also make it more attractive to potential buyers. If it doesn’t increase the value of your car itself, it can, at the very least serve as a throw-in that makes buyers more willing to pull the trigger.

Switch to Winter Tires

By not switching your car’s regular tires to winter tires for driving in the winter months, you make your car have to work harder to propel itself. Not just this, not having proper grip also puts you at a greater risk of slipping off the road, making you a greater danger to yourself and those around you.

For these two reasons alone, switching to winter tires is a necessity. If you’re not sure how to properly switch your tires, you can bring your car into a shop or dealership offering Kia maintenance in Santa Ana or Kia service in Santa Ana. This way, you can take comfort in the fact that your tires were properly switched by professionals who know what they’re doing.

From a safety perspective, if your vehicle offers it, switching to four-wheel drive is also a smart move in the wintertime. Of course, the need for winter tires and four-wheel drive is also dependent on where you live. For example, if you’re driving a Kia SUV in Santa Ana, or Kia Soul in Santa Ana, then chances are weather conditions won’t require the use of winter tires or four-wheel drive.

Get Regular Tuneups

Taking your vehicle to a garage on a regular basis does more than give you the peace of mind that your vehicle is in perfect working order — it also increases its resale value. This is because chances are, any potential buyers are going to want to know your vehicle’s upkeep record.

If you haven’t taken in your car for a checkup once in your entire period of ownership, then that makes potential buyers worry more about what might possibly be wrong with it. However, a history of consistent checkups better provides the peace of mind needed to ultimately buy the vehicle from you.

Takeaway

When the time comes to upgrade to the next vehicle, you’re going to want to get the most value out of your old one. To do this, over the course of your ownership, be sure to take it for regular car washes (both inside and out), apply protective coatings, consistently switch to winter tires, and bring it in for regular tuneups.

While other things will surely help you prolong the value of your vehicle, such as professional storage and very selective driving, the things above are affordable and easy-to-implement in your everyday life.