Click to get a valuationIf you’re looking for a new car, part exchanging your old car is the hassle free option. It means you don’t have to spend time privately advertising the car, including spending money on the fees to do so and put up with time-wasting potential buyers, which can be frustrating.
Follow our tips for getting the best possible part exchange price for your car:
Paperwork
In general you should always make sure you have all the paper documentation for your car, this includes V5C document, current MoT certificate and invoices for work that has been carried out on your car.
Service History
Cars which have a full service history, in line with the manufacturers service schedule can be worth more, make sure you also have your service book, if you don’t speak to your garage, they will be able to help you.
Repair any Damage
If you only have slight damage to your car it may not be worthwhile spending a lot of money getting this fixed as it could cost more to do, than you would recoup through a higher part exchange value. However if you have a prestige or luxury car that has some damage it might be more worthwhile getting any damages repaired.
Spruce Up
Just because your part exchanging your car doesn’t mean you don’t want it to look tidy and in good condition, you don’t have to go for a full valet service, a wash and a clean-up inside will suffice. When asking the dealership ‘how much is my car worth’ don’t take the first answer, especially if they haven’t seen your car yet or fully inspected it. What you need to do is make sure you can get the most out of them for your old car and this is where good haggling skills come in handy. One thing to remember though is that some dealerships may offer you a really good price for your old car, but won’t offer anything off the asking price of the new car, so make sure you explore all options first. Finally if you aren’t 100% sure on the price, you don’t have to accept it you should always be happy with the decision you made.