The average age of a vehicle on the road is nearly 12 years old, with drivers keeping their vehicles for about six years. How long do you plan on keeping yours?
The difference between the low value of a vehicle in “fair condition” compared to the high value of a vehicle in “excellent condition” is typically over $2,000. Maintaining your vehicle will help increase its value when you’re ready to buy your next one.
When it comes time to sell your vehicle, here’s what’s typically reviewed to determine its condition category, which then decides its resale value:
- Overall appearance
- Mechanical condition
- Reconditioning investment needed
- Paint and bodywork history
- Rust
- Title history
- Smog/safety inspection
- Engine compartment review
- Complete and verifiable service records
Here’s how you can protect your vehicle’s appearance:
- Rust Protection & Undercoating – have these applied to your vehicle to prevent rust from forming. Ziebart will annually inspect and respray areas as needed.
![Leather Conditioner]( "Leather Conditioner")
- Interior Detailing – have this completed twice a year to clean and disinfect the inside of your vehicle.
- Fabric Protection – have this applied as soon as you can. This will help maintain your interior by preventing stains from setting into fabric, making sure they’re easy to remove. If you have a leather interior, have our Leather Conditioner applied to your vehicle to prevent it from cracking.
- Ceramic Z-Gloss® Paint Coating – have this applied to add a layer of protection that acts as a barrier against chemicals, acid rain, UV rays, scratches, and extreme temperatures. Ceramic Z-Gloss is also hydrophobic (water resistant) and repels dirt and debris, making your car easier to clean.
- Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film – having this applied to key areas like bumpers, fenders, door edges, and your vehicle’s hood will help prevent dings, scratches, scrapes and scuffs.
- Rhino Linings®️ Spray-On Bed Liner – if you own a truck, have this applied to protect the bed against abrasion, impact, rust and corrosion.
Here’s how you can prepare your vehicle’s appearance for sale to ensure the best price:
- Interior Detailing – this includes deep vacuuming, pre-treating, spot cleaning and shampooing all interior fabric and surfaces of your vehicle to bring it back to like-new condition.
- Exterior Detailing – more thorough than a car wash, our technicians provide the human touch when inspecting and cleaning all debris from your vehicle’s exterior. This includes all paint, chrome, trim, tires, glass and more.
- Windshield Chip Repair – If necessary, have stone chips repaired, or completely replace cracked windshields.
- Paint Correction – this will not only remove minor scratches from your vehicle’s painted surfaces, but the high-speed polishing process will also clear up the haziness of your exterior and bring back the vibrant luster of the paint.
Now is a great time to add appearance protection services into your vehicle’s annual maintenance plan to help increase its resale value down the road. When you’re ready to sell it, be sure to consider the last-minute detailing options above to help it stand out among the rest.