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So you want a top dollar trade in?

And why not! It has been a good car. It's never let you down and that little dent was done by someone else at the supermarket four years ago.

Many trade ins could certainly get a better price if a few reality checks were done prior to heading out to find a new used car. That's right I said reality check.

To get the best price you need to give yourself a sporting chance. All too often a car will be traded with little or no registration, at least two tyres low enough to require replacement prior to resale, a chip or crack in the windscreen, various shopping centre scuffs, no jack and wheel brace, missing service books, missing tow bar tongue and due for a service. I am serious. Every last penny has been milked just prior to being traded.

Stop and consider how the dealer is going to view the trade in. Sure it may be a popular model that will have a retail ask price of say $9,500.00. But that is after it is fully reconditioned. That small list of items I mentioned above will quickly exceed $1500.00 - $2000.00 dollars at trade prices. The dealer then needs to allow for a fair profit to stay in business and possibly allow a trade allowance along with warranty provisions.

We are not suggesting for one minute you go and do a full reconditioning of your trade in. Unless you have some great contacts you will end up wasting money by paying retail prices. What we are suggesting is that if the tyres are very low consider going to your local tyre retailer and enquire about some good second hand tyres. You will be surprised how, for between $50 and $70 dollars, you will be able to get a replacement tyre with about 70% tread. Try and keep three months plus of rego left on the trade in. This is a magical figure. Any less and I will guarantee the trade in price will reflect the need for registration. Put some new floor mats down. They are inexpensive if you go to the right place. Try the carpet shops. For just a few dollars you can usually get a matching set. Even a cheap set of seat covers from the auto shop can do wonders.

Finally

Spend $200.00 to get your car professionally detailed. This will be the best $200.00 you ever spend on a car. They will clean the engine bay, clean the interior including a shampoo, paint the tyres, clean all the glass and give the duco a professional cut and polish. Obviously if it is a rat to start with it will still be a rat. But, if it is a good car in need of a little sprucing to show its best features you will not regret the effort.

We have regularly seen wholesalers pay $1,000.00 - $1,500.00 more for a late model car and $800.00 - $1,000.00 more for an earlier model car that has had some of these simple things done to them.

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