- Mechanical Condition
Giving the car a test drive is the easiest way to gauge the mechanical condition. Some factors are easier than others when conducting a test drive eg does the vehicle pull to one side, are there any knocking noises when driving over bumps, how’s the braking? By finding these conditions, the value of the car will be lessened by the price of the replacement part plus the labour cost. - Exterior Condition
The exterior condition of a vehicle not only will affect the value but will also affect the saleability. People will first make a judgement of the car based on its exterior condition immediately. This could include scuffed wheels (with an average price of £60 per wheel for restoration, with a suggestion of both wheel on the same side to be painted), other factors include scratches, dents, rust, bumps and scraped paintwork. If scratched paintwork is involved, for example, sometimes this requires the whole door to be replaced rather than a quick touching up, with the average price of a door/panel starting from £100. The same goes for trims and badges which can also start from £100. Visit car buyers site for a better overview. - Interior Condition
We see a wide range of interior conditions on a lot of different vehicles, some notable conditions are; a scratched dashboard (this cannot be repaired and will reflect in the final sale price), irreparably torn seat or floor fabrics (£75 a section being the typical reupholstering price). If the car needs a professional shampooing eg interior valeting for the seats due to a dog odour, this could be £50+. - Mileage
Mileage is an important factor in the vehicle retail price; the vehicle loses value the higher the mileage is. - Previous Owners
The resale price of the vehicle is affected by the number of previous owners- the desirability of the vehicle is lower the higher number of previous owners. Lowering the price of the car is the usual method of combating this. - Service History
When considering a high number of previous owners, service history can become a deciding factor; vehicle desirability is lessened with little to no service history. However, one should consider that if a vehicle has been serviced 5 times, it may just be the result of 5 previous owners each servicing it when bought, making this a potentially misleading figure. - MOT
{A vehicle with a short MOT will highly affect the ability of a vehicle to be sold and the value|The value and saleability of a vehicle will be highly affected by a short MOT|the ability of a vehicle to be sold at its full value will be high affected if it only has a short MOT). First, we must take in to consideration the price of a test. There is always a fear the repair bill could quickly spiral from the basic £50 to £300+ for anything from eg failed brake discs or pads on any of the 4 tyres. To help sell your car and avoid suspicions we suggest sorting out the MOT so that the buyer knows the value for money they’re getting. - Specification
When considering a vehicle purchase there are different varieties of model; generally a vehicle with greater specs will prove a better investment as it will likely hold its value for longer. - Saleability
Saleability is the ability for a vehicle to be sold. Factors can include fuel type and consumption, engine transmission type (manual v automatic) and size, insurance group, tax bracket, whether a vehicle can enter Ultra Low Emission Zone. These may be factors that appeal to some people and not others, meaning it could be tough sell for a certain price without one or more of these factors. - Vehicle Colour
The colour of a vehicle can majorly affect the re-sale price of a vehicle, Certain coloured cars have much less of an appeal to the general public.
Conclusion
in order to understand your car’s worth, you need to undertake a full vehicle appraisal. This may seem daunting but to a dealer, this is an everyday scenario, from an appraisal a true value of you car can be given. Click on over to this car buyers link if you are looking for an estimation. We recommend you visit the link to grab 3 separate valuations for greater clarity on the various factors involved relating to the different conditions and how they could affect the price.
