As demand for new cars reaches its peak with the September registration plate change, so the used car market is flooded with the cars of owners attempting to sell their vehicle to finance an upgrade.
Against this background a new study of 3,000 car owners from Halfords and paint renovation firm G3 Pro has revealed that just one hour spent polishing a car can increase its value by up to £500 and a little extra effort can add up to £1,000.
Halfords paint protection expert David Howells said: “Nine out of ten car owners that have either sold or traded in a vehicle in the past 12 months told us they had carried out some pre-sale polishing and more than three quarters of them achieved a better price because of this.
“The biggest increase in value was realised by owners who used a scratch removal product to bring paintwork back to its best – with more than half of them increasing the sale price by at least 10% and one in six achieving a 20% increase.”
The survey also revealed that when it’s time to sell, there are pounds in polishing your car no matter what its age – 90% (90.43%) of the cars in the survey were worth under £10,000. According to the BCA the average age of cars on the UK roads is continuing to grow, now at 7.59 years, a thirty year high.
The study also found most drivers, almost 74%, are also making a saving by rolling up their sleeves rather than using a professional valeter or car wash to prepare their vehicles for sale.
Donna Howard from G3 Pro added: “Significant advances in car car technology now mean that professional quality products are available to every owner and this has clearly had a real impact on the quality of finish that owners can achieve at home.
“When it comes to putting money back into the pockets of hard-pressed motorists, it’s clear that banishing unsightly scuffs and scratches prior to selling a car can add hundreds of pounds in value.”