Selling Your Older Car: Why a New Paint Job Matters
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Selling Your Older Car: Why a New Paint Job Matters

Last year, I bought a new car. Rather than trade in my old one, I decided to sell it myself. Before I put it in the market, I took the car to a local shop and got my old baby a new paint job. The new paint made all the difference with the car. While operationally it was sound, the outside was not all that great. After the fresh coat of paint, the car generated a lot of attention from prospective buyers. I even had a bidding war going on between two parties who really wanted it. If you have an older vehicle to sell, it pays to invest in a new paint job. Let me tell you more about why this strategy works. Follow my tips for selecting the color and the paint type, and you'll get a great price for the old jalopy.

Selling Your Older Car: Why a New Paint Job Matters

Fixing An As-Is Car For A Quick Sale

Nora Boyd

If you are going to be putting your car up for sale and are selling it as-is, there are still some things you should do to increase the chances of selling and to help you get a bit more for it. While there are people out there who will be happy just to buy a car that they can get at a fair price that will get them to and from work, they will still have some standards. There are some things that can be such a turn off to buyers, that not taking care of those things can leave you with that car sitting in your yard for a very long time with a for sale sign in the windows and cob webs gathering along the wheels.

Here are some of the things that you want to make sure you consider taking care of if you are going to have a chance of selling your car, even in as-is condition:

Make sure the doors all open and close – Let's face it, while the Dukes of Hazzard may have made hopping into the car through the window look fun, this never really became a thing that people actually wanted to have to do in order to get into and out of their own car. No matter how good of a deal you are giving someone for a car with a door that doesn't open, you'll probably find it won't sell, or at least not for a long time. You may be able to find a replacement door at a salvage yard and find someone to replace the current one for a reasonable fee. Or it may be stuck for a minor issue that can be easier to fix than you thought.

Consider fixing the air conditioning or heating – If you live in a mild area, then you may be able to sell the car with little hassle with the air conditioner and heating not even working. But, if you live in an area where it gets extremely hot or extremely cold, then you should at least make an effort to fix the one that will be most needed. You may be surprised to learn the heater just needs the heater core replaced, which may not be very much. Or, the air conditioner may just need to be charged, which won't be a big deal at all.

Fix any broken windows – Broken windows are going to be a big issue for any buyer who plans on driving the car. It means they are going to have to have it fixed right away or live with plastic taped to the window on rainy days. If it is the windshield that is broken, then the buyer isn't even going to be able to legally drive the car home with the windshield in that condition. While this may be a bit pricey to have taken care of, it is the best way to ensure that you are even able to get the car sold at all. Contact an auto glass repair technician to get more information.


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