1. Mechanical Condition

Giving the car a test drive is the easiest way to gauge the mechanical condition. Checking some factors are easier than others when conducting a test drive eg is there any problem with the brakes, does th car drag to the left or right, any suspicious noises to be heard when driving over road bumps? By finding these conditions, the value of the car will be lessened by the price of the replacement part plus the labour cost.

2. Exterior Condition

The exterior condition of a vehicle not only will affect the value but will also affect the saleability. When approaching a car, the first observation will be that of the exterior. 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 would be paintwork, scratches, rust, bumps and dents. Paintwork is complicated, for example, a mere scratch on a door does not mean that the scatch can be touched in but rather the whole door shall be painted, such a door or panel can set you back £100+. The same goes for trims and badges which can also start from £100. Visit car valuation site for a more in depth overview.

3. Interior Condition

There is quite the mixture of interior conditions on the many vehicles we see, some notable conditions are; a scratched dash (this has to be factored into the sale price as it can’t be repaired), irreparably torn seat or floor fabrics (£75 a section being the typical reupholstering price). If the car seats need a shampooing from dog smells, a professional interior valet job could cost upwards of £50 easily.

4. Mileage

Mileage is an important factor in the vehicle retail price; the vehicle loses value the higher the mileage is.

5. Previous Owners

The number of previous owners will also affect the resale price of the vehicle due to reduced desirability of the vehicle. In order to combat this rate, a cheaper price for the car would be suggested.

6. Service History

If the amount of previous owners is high, service history may be a deciding factor; the desirability of vehicles is called into question with little or no service history available. However, if a vehicle has been serviced 5 times, this might simply be the by-product of having 5 previous owners each servicing it when bought, thus making it look artificially well looked after.

7. 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). Taking into consideration the actual price of an MOT test first. Starting from £50, there is the unknown fear factor of what could be failed, brake discs, brake pads, and 2 tyres, the cost of this would start from £300. 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.

8. 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.

9. Saleability

Saleability is the ability for a vehicle to be sold. Factors can include engine size, fuel consumption, fuel type, engine transmission type (automatic or manual), tax bracket, insurance group, can the vehicle qualify as Ultra Low Emission Zone. These may be important factors to consider for some but not others, meaning it could be tough sell for a certain price without one or more of these factors.

10. Vehicle Colour

A vehicle’s colour can affect the vehicle re-sale price in a major way, Be prepared to get less for certain coloured cars.

Conclusion

To understand how much your car is worth, a full vehicle appraisal will have to be undertaken. It seems daunting but appraising true value of a car required all these factors to be taken into consideration for a dealers every day. Click on over to this car buyers link if you are looking for an estimation. Get 3 separate valuations relating to different vehicle conditions for greater clarity how a vehicle condition could affect the price.

Joseph Norton