Vehicle seller's checklist: The dollars and sense of a great first impression

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” —Author Unknown

First impressions make lasting impressions. Whether selling your vehicle to a private owner or trading it in to the dealer, the vehicle’s outward appearance can make or break the sale and can mean the difference between a good price and a great price. Our research shows that resale and trade-in values can easily vary by $2,000 or more just because of cosmetic issues, and we’re going to look at three real-world scenarios to demonstrate just that.

While many owners may think their vehicle is in “great” condition, a second look from a car dealer or prospective buyer could be an eye-opening experience—and the moment when you realize your car isn’t the cash cow you’ve come to know and love.

Before driving onto a dealer lot or proclaiming your vehicle is in “mint” condition in a classified ad, take a good, hard look at your car. One of the easiest ways is to start with the help of a friend or family member who is blunt, direct and will tell you like it is.

Ask them to rate your car using the smiley face icons….

by looking at the following six categories that many online car valuation sites, such as Kelley Blue Book, use:

1. Mileage
2. Year and Make of the Vehicle
3. Exterior Conditions
4. Interior
5. Mechanical
6. Miscellaneous

You’ll get a good first impression of your vehicle so you’ll know what a dealer or car buyer might see when they take a look at your vehicle for the first time.

Don’t worry if you get too many sad faces because you have the opportunity to turn those frowns upside down before you ever hang the for sale sign in the window or drive onto a dealer lot.

For most vehicles, making minor or major cosmetic improvements or repairs can and will make a bottom-line difference that can easily add up to $1,000, $2,000 or more. Most dealers and private buyers will use appearance as a negotiating factor and will not hesitate to ding you for dents, paint scrapes, and other visible damage. Worse yet, a private buyer may simply walk away from the potential sale.

Let’s take a look at three case studies and explore what can make the difference between a good price and a great price on these vehicles.

Case Study #1: 2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade
Mileage: 68,000 miles

While in good mechanical condition, this vehicle has some appearance issues, including upholstery stains, minor rust and a small dent in the left rear bumper from a fender-bender.

The vehicle’s owner recently received a trade-in price of $16,400 from a local dealer. The dealer told the vehicle owner the SUV is probably worth much less with the bumper damage, especially if it’s the result of an accident.

However, using Kelley Blue Book values, the SUV’s value was much different:

• Excellent: $12,609

• Very Good: $12,159

• Good: $11,859

• Fair: $10,684

While the Liberty’s valuation was rated “good” by Kelley’s, it easily could move up to “very good” or even “excellent” with a few cosmetic improvements. Research shows that minimal rust alone can mean a $200-$300 reduction in price, or worse: no sale! Consider the additional drop in value for the dent to this Jeep’s fender and the interior stains, and you can see how quickly the vehicle value can change.

The good news for this Jeep owner—and for you—is that Hong Kong Auto Service can help make these cosmetic blemishes disappear. Your vehicle can look less for the wear, resulting in a quicker sale for a larger sum.

In addition, this Jeep owner could benefit from a detailing service to erase evidence of a frequent canine passenger, who sometimes gets queasy while traveling. While his owner has thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed after his queasy spells, the overall appearance of the vehicle’s medium-gray interior will look much more attractive to prospective buyers once it’s professionally steam cleaned and shampooed. Even without furry passengers, a detailing service can make a vehicle look nearly new again, and this is a powerful draw to potential buyers.

Case Study #2: 2000 Honda Odyssey
Mileage: 166,000 miles

This family vehicle does double-duty as a work van for a mom who travels from one meeting to another as an executive for a busy property-management firm in the northern and western suburbs. Keeping this vehicle in tip-top shape is paramount to this vehicle owner, who also puts a lot of miles on the road for karate classes, baseball practices, boy scout events and band practice.

A key rating indicator in Kelley Blue Book’s “miscellaneous” category is complete maintenance records. This busy mom of four doesn’t skimp on getting her vehicle in for regular maintenance. Considering the age of the vehicle and the many miles on this van, the owner could have expected to receive a “Fair” valuation if it weren’t for regular maintenance and complete records.

With recent repairs totaling more than $1,078 to fix a rear bumper and a brake light from a recent accident, the vehicle owner can give her vehicle a “good” rating for exterior appearance.

Another easy cosmetic flaw  that this mom will  soon have fixed is a small windshield chip. Repairing the chip will not only improve the vehicle’s overall look, but it will prevent further damage to the windshield before the deep freeze sets in. Overall, this 100,000-mile plus Honda received a Kelley’s rating of “good,”  but it could easily move up to a “very good” rating with the windshield chip fix and the removal of carpet stains from a recent soup spill.

Here’s how the values look for this vehicle:

• Excellent: $5,476

• Very Good: $5,176

• Good: $5,051

• Fair: $4,376

Case Study #3: 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Mileage: 115,000

Several accidents to this sporty vehicle, including a recent run-in with a garbage truck, keeps valuation on this vehicle in the “good” category.

The vehicle’s owner helped secure this rating by having the necessary body work and repainting done with each accident.

While the overall appearance is good, the Eclipse could get a mini makeover by repairing some minor paint chips on the hood and restoring the discolored headlights—a sure sign of age for this vehicle.

However, this vehicle, which suffers from a slow oil leak and is in desperate need of new tires, could easily improve its rating to a “very good” or even “excellent” with the mini makeover and these repairs. Here’s how the Kelley Blue Book values fared for this Eclipse:

• Excellent: $2,771

• Very Good: $2,746

• Good: $2,446

• Fair: $1,896

When selling or trading in your vehicle, appearance is everything. Don’t expect to get your top price for a vehicle without spending a few dollars to spiff it up. Whether detailing or getting rid of that ding, it can make all the difference in getting a great price!