Spring Clean your Vehicle – Car Maintenance Checklist for Selling Your Vehicle

One of the things I’m grateful my dad taught me as a child is how to take care of your car. When I first wanted to buy a car, he sat me down and explained that owning a car involved more costs than simply the monthly payment and some gas. He broke down how to budget in for car washes, oil changes, tune-ups, tire rotation, replacing brake pads and why you should do it. There were really two main reasons for all this maintenance. The first, to prevent your car from ending up on the side of the road, and the other to improve its resale value.

This car maintenance checklist is sponsored by Kelley Blue Book, however, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own

Car Maintenance Checklist

Why you should Spring Clean your Vehicle?

Spring Cleaning your vehicle is a great way to remind yourself every year to give your car that little bit of extra care it might need. It is also great for getting the car ready for long summer road trips or possibly trading in your car for a new one.

How to Get Your Vehicle Ready for Sale –

When I wanted to sell my vehicle, I looked up on Kelley Blue Book for tips on how to get the most money for my vehicle. Here are some of the tips they provided to help me get the most moola for my vehicle.

Kelley Blue Book

Wash Your Car – Better Yet Get it Detailed

Whether you are selling your car private party or planning on trading it in, you definitely at the minimum should wash your car. People want to see that their future car was cared for and a messy car does not convey that message. On my Audi, I opted to get the car detailed. It made such a difference, all the grease stains in the carpet mats were removed, and honestly, the car looked practically brand new afterward.

Spring Cleaning Car Tips

Look for easy to repair Dings & Cracks & Clean Dingy Headlights.

Simple things like dings and cracks can bring down the value of your car, (especially when trading it into a dealer). If they are easy to repair, I say go for it, it will be worth the investment. Another easy thing to do is get some headlight restoration and clean off those foggy headlights. You will be shocked by the difference it makes in your car’s appearance.

Check Your Tires

I always have my tires checked as part of my spring cleaning routine. It’s a great time to get the tires rotated and make sure you have enough tread. If you are planning on selling or trading in your car soon, I would check the tread on the tires. If you don’t have enough tread it will bring down the value of your car. I usually purchase a new set of tires about 6 months (which is about 6,000 miles for me) so that when I turn in my car, the tires have plenty of tread, but I still got to use them quite a bit.

KBB has a great video with lots of tips on getting your vehicle ready to be sold. You can check them all out on the video below.

How to easily sell your vehicle, I mean super easy!

I think one of the most stressful things is purchasing a car and turning in your old car. It is so hard to know what amount you should get for your vehicle and whether you should go through the hassle of private party selling. There are so many things to think about when trading in your car.

Car Maintenance

After I got my car all cleaned up and ready to either turn in or sell, it was time for me to see what my vehicle is worth. I knew that Kelley Blue Book can give you a price range of what your car is worth. What I did not know was about their Instant Cash Offer. Kelley Blue Book’s Instant cash offer might be the easiest way to sell your vehicle.

Here is how KBB Instant Cash Offer Works

Visit KBB’s Instant Cash Offer page
You enter some basic information about your vehicle. (VIN, Model, Condition, Color etc…)
You receive an offer
Visit a Participating Dealer so they can verify your car’s features & condition.
Use your offer to trade in your car or let the dealer buy it for cash.

Last year, my lease was due on my Audi and I had the option of turning it back in (I was a little over my lease miles so I was going to have to pay a bit) or try to trade it in and hope the value of my car was more than the total amount due. When I entered all my info, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Not only would I not have to turn my car in as a lease and take a loss, but I actually was going to make some money off my trade-in ($2,000). I headed to the dealer with a little hop in my step and after they reviewed my car and a little wheeling and dealing, I had a new car.

Life at Home

Spring Clean your Vehicle – Car Maintenance Checklist for Selling Your Vehicle

May 14, 2019

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Why you should Spring Clean your Vehicle?

How to Get Your Vehicle Ready for Sale –

Wash Your Car – Better Yet Get it Detailed