When people trade their vehicles into the dealer, some prepare ahead of time and some don’t. Not preparing is an interesting choice (maybe they have the financial bandwidth to not have to care about maximizing their trade value).
If you’re like me and want to get top dollar, make sure to do the following:
Know your car's worth. Use online valuation tools such as KBB, Edmunds, NADA Guides (and soon, CarInspection.com!) to determine a realistic value.
Obtain offers from companies like CarMax or Carvana before visiting a dealership to use as leverage. Dealers almost expect you to come in with those offers and in most cases, will be prepared to match them.
Clean and detail. A cleaner car appears well-maintained, increasing its appeal and value.
Perform minor repairs. Fix small issues like burnt-out bulbs, low tire pressure, or scratches.
Gather documents and accessories. Bring your title, registration, maintenance records, key(s), and remote fobs.
More trade-in wisdom from the experts
The father and son team of Ray and Zach Shefska at CarEdge put out great content and with Ray’s former history in the dealer space, he often shares great insight like you see in this video.
George Saliba is one of the more entertaining and impressive auto dealer influencers on YouTube and in this video, it’s quite interesting to see how he gets a deal done on a vehicle that has more damage than you would typically see on a trade-in.
Thanks for reading everybody!
-Paul