Making the car look its best

To get the best price your car has to look its best. A car groomer will charge you around $150 or do it yourself as follows.

Exterior
Start with a good hose down, then scrub all surfaces with a soapy cloth. Then hose off the suds and towel down the car. Lastly, give it a polish with car wax. It's important to do this out of direct sunlight.

Interior
Take out all your belongings. Empty the glove box and the ashtrays. Vacuum the interior and wipe down all the internal surfaces with silicon or “Armour All”. Also spray the tyre sides with silicon to get them looking slick black.

Engine
Open the bonnet and wipe down all the surfaces you can. Top up the engine with oil, the radiator with coolant, the windscreen reservoir with cleaner and the battery with water.

Dents
If you car has a couple of scratches or dings, consider getting a panel beater to give it a tidy. Many panel beaters offer a touch-up & cut service for $200-$300 which can make a real difference.

Take great photographs
Cars look best in early morning or late afternoon light. Avoid bright overhead sunlight which throws deep shadows. Take two profile shots – typically from the right front of the car and the rear left – and one interior shot showing the driver's seat and dashboard. Get close enough so that the car fills your viewfinder.

Get your paperwork straight
Buyers will appreciate a paper record of the car's service history and a copy of the registration papers. You should consider getting a Vehicle Information Report (VIR). This enables buyers to quickly check the history of the vehicle and verify you have clear title.