# How much value does a Detail really add ?



## MarkSmith (Dec 17, 2010)

Take a car in good condition, but unwaxed / unpolished etc, worth about £500

On average, how much value would a good detail put on a car ?

For example, how much is this car worth.......










Compared to the same car looking like this......










There is a reason I am asking - My mate reckons you could make a good living simply by buying cars, valeting them and then selling them on. I am just wondering if it really is possible to make money from it "just" from giving the car a good valet over ?


----------



## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

Thats particular car, is maybe worth £20 more now that its clean.

A detail wont add the same sort of value to a budget car, as it will a more expensive one. People buying sub £500 cars don;t tend to care if it has a swirl or two


----------



## sebjonesy (Dec 15, 2011)

along with tax mot etc's, would certainly add value! ive been thinking about doing the same myself!!


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I used to do this all the time... but since the scrappage scheme it has got harder and harder to find the correct car...

Sometimes I made a little bit of money, others I lost a little bit... 

I think today, people have even more of a over valuation on their own cars, which causes problems as well....

Even cars on ebay are getting worse and worse, people thinking their car is in "good condition" when it's falling apart.... 

I'm sure there are some bargins to be had, but I don't have the time to look harder and further afield for them...

In answer to how much does a detail add to the value... to me... nothing... but it does make the car easier to sell... 

:thumb:


----------



## Goldbug (Sep 23, 2011)

I think the thing that will add to it's value are the low mileage and few owners. The odd rust bubble is neither here nor there


----------



## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

I've often thought about this. 

Getting small, affordable, desirable cars (MX5, MR-2, Elise, S2000 etc) with poor bodywork condition and restoring them through a machine polish and thorough valet and selling them on. 

I think a full detail makes a hell of a difference and certainly adds £££ onto the sale value.

My Scooby was partly sold on the way it looked. The owner commented that it was really immaculate and that he had seen some rough looking cars which were classed as having an "immaculate bodywork".


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

You can, but really depends on the car. I always detail my cars before selling, you might not get more money for it, but it'll put it at the top of the pile of people looking around for that particular model.


----------



## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

type[r]+ said:


> You can, but really depends on the car. I always detail my cars before selling, you might not get more money for it, but it'll put it at the top of the pile of people looking around for that particular model.


Correct.

The OP has put two photos of the same car in their thread. If you were after that particular car - which one would you go for?


----------



## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

I know of a days detailing which added £2500 to a £10k car, it went straight into a main dealer showroom, so it is possible, but I agree with the post above, bull sells cars, as my dad said from the 1970's and a tidy car will find a seller easier, if not necessarily for more money, than something that looks uncared for.


----------



## impster (May 2, 2007)

In my experience, a car in good visual condition definately adds to the saleability and perceived value.

If you're selling privatelly, and the purchasers have viewed a few cars, then the one that looks the best (assuming that all viewed cars are in good mechanical condition) will usually attract their attention that little bit more, and also give them fewer 'haggling' reasons.

I've never sold a useable car unless it looks in tip top shape for that reason. And, for the past 4 cars I've owned, I've never sold them for less than I paid for them. My cars are usualy changed when they get to 12 years old, so depreciacion is in £10s as opposed to £100s or £1000s of pounds anyway).


----------



## Jagnet (Dec 25, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> In answer to how much does a detail add to the value... to me... nothing... but it does make the car easier to sell...
> 
> :thumb:


 +1

If your car is one of many similar offerings then a detail alone isn't going to add to the price but it's likely to be a considerable factor in why the buyer would choose yours over the one down the road. It will also help attract potential buyers, just as good quality photos and advert description do.

If the car's beautifully detailed, but missing service history, due a cambelt change, been to the moon and back and sitting on barely legal tyres then it's still going to be a struggle to sell unless you can find a buyer that knows nothing about cars.

I did toy with the idea of doing something similar, but looking at the quality of cars available and the potential markup it just wasn't worth it. Too many cars with panel damage that would need paintwork not just a detail, lack of mechanical maintenance etc. As an occasional one off then by all means if you get lucky and find the right car for the right price, but I wouldn't want to base an income on it. You'd make more from selling a pre-sale detailing service to others.


----------



## Serious (Mar 19, 2008)

I did this a couple of times about 5 years ago. Doubled my money on a Saab 900s and a Audi 80 quattro. Best place to find them was the second hand dealers, save them the hassle of taking old p/x's to the auction. Putting a full MOT on them though is a must and may be expensive if you cant do the work yourself.

I summary, If you get the car at a good price in the first place you can make money doing this and a detail will help it sell.


----------



## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

Goldbug said:


> I think the thing that will add to it's value are the low mileage and few owners. The odd rust bubble is neither here nor there


While id be a dubious of a car with many owners in a short space of time, i'd have a serious problem with rust bubbles. 
Low mileage is another odd one, in most cases i'd rather buy a high mileage car with a good service history and perfect bodywork.

So many times ive been to look at used cars which have been described as excellent condition etc and arrived to find its a POS.

Last saturday i drove 2 hours to bristol to look at an S-Type, after speaking to the seller, he'd told me the wheels didnt have a mark on them.... 2 hours later i see all 4 wheels have kerb rash.


----------



## Reflectology (Jul 29, 2009)

Depends on the car in question if you ask me and whether someone thinks that car is worth the asking price....if you are selling a car you want the best price....obviously but you really do have to speculate to accumulate as they say....one of my clients wanted 14 and a half k for one of his motors but the condition it was in with swirls and scratches he was going to get nowhere near it....a few hundred quid later he puts it on for 15k and gets an enquiry from down Brum and the guy drives up and bungs him 15k in his pocket....same with another client....wanted 4.5k and gets 5k for it....

But would spending a couple or 3 hundred quid sprucing up a motor worth £500 really do it justice....IMO no but spending a few hrs and a few pints worth of beer money may just help sell it on....after all people these days want things given to them....if you go to the trouble of making the car more presentable for them and you are going into the low cost car market then it can only serve you well in the future as word will get round that your cars really are very presentable and affordable at the same time....


----------



## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

One advantage when it comes selling a car that's been detailed and looks brilliant is that it will be easier to shift. Last year I went and helped out a friend sell his car by detailing it for him, before he was struggling to shift it and people weren't offering anything near the price he wanted, personally I think he was asking a little much for it but I was hardly going to tell him that. After I'd detailed it he sold it to the first person who viewed it and for very nearly the asking price so it does make a difference. The outside of the car is the first thing the buyer sees so making the right impression is very important. 

As for Marks original question, I think the amount of value added is proportionate to the value of the car in the first place, in the case of that Nissan Sunny £20 extra is probably about right where as a higher value car it would obviously be more. But again a car like that in perfect like new condition would be easier to sell than one that resembles a hen house.


----------



## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

Its what I do for a living so op I would say yes but as others have pointed out the value of the car does make a difference all my car stock is valued at less that £2500 but over £1000, I have lost count the amount of times someone has come to see a car of mine which is polished corrected and clean inside and then commented on how the last garages car was covered in bird crap and the insides grubby. 

On the flip side of the coin I think detailing knowledge (not that I am a pro in any shape or fashion) but from what little I know helps me buy better at auction I can look at a car with scratches down one side and think I could have a bash at that where as the next trader would be looking to paint down one side adding an additional £250-300 to the price of the car in his head basically meaning he wont give as much as I would have I been caught out yet ? Once so I am happy with that record.


----------



## deanchilds (Dec 11, 2007)

vroomtshh said:


> Thats particular car, is maybe worth £20 more now that its clean.


That me lol!


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Echo the above really, a clean detailed car may not necessary mean you can make big bucks, but it does mean that you will get nearer to the asking value and shift it easier.

I detailed my dad's Scenic while he was on holiday for 2 weeks as he wanted to sell it when he got back. I removed all the marks, the trim went from stained grey/white to the original dark grey, i even spent £5 getting a new wheel trim from ebay. The car looked as good as new, the first person to see it said it was the best looking one he had seen and paid the full asking price.

If you are doing it as a dealer though, you are subject to the Sale of Goods Act. So if you sell someone a car and shortly after something goes wrong, if asked, you have to provide a refund and take the knackered car back (or sort out the repairs). I know a few people that have stopped dealing with the cheaper end cars purely because of the hassle they cause.


----------



## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

[.

If you are doing it as a dealer though, you are subject to the Sale of Goods Act. So if you sell someone a car and shortly after something goes wrong, if asked, you have to provide a refund and take the knackered car back (or sort out the repairs). I know a few people that have stopped dealing with the cheaper end cars purely because of the hassle they cause.[/QUOTE]

amen


----------



## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

The bit that makes me laugh is people selling cars 5/6 years old and you go to see them and they're bloody ruined.Despite them being "in good condition for age"
Or you consider a trade in like I did with my mint 406 and they offer you a tenner or something.Despite your trade in being in better nick than some of the crap on the forecourt.
In the end I got £700 for it and even then it was cheap!


----------



## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

I'm not sure you could make a good living but you could certainly make some extra cash by taking a car that's in average or less than average condition and detailing it to a high level.

For example if you can find an untidy little runabout for £400, give it a thorough going over, wouldn't even need correction but a hand polish and wax bung £200 on top, take no less than £550 and you've made some money. Is it worth the effort for £150 though? 

The other way you could do it is to buy cheap but retro cars, make them look mint and market them to the right group.

Same as things like Seat Arosas or VW Lupo, there is a real market for them with the young car modifiers. Find an Arosa for £500, make it as mint as possible and you could sell it for more. 

Depends if you think the extra money is worth the time effort and initial outgoing.


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Depends on the car and level of detail in my opinion. We've added over a grand (proven) to a car in the past with a 2 day detail but you couldn't do the same to a corsa for example.


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Clark @ PB said:


> Depends on the car and level of detail in my opinion. We've added over a grand (proven) to a car in the past with a 2 day detail but you couldn't do the same to a corsa for example.


I think for pros like yourself it's a bit different...

I wouldn't even buy a car if I went to see it and the guy claimed to have detailed himself...

But for some of the pros on here, then, yes I could see it adding value.

:thumb:


----------



## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

The Cueball said:


> I wouldn't even buy a car if I went to see it and the guy claimed to have detailed himself...


Really? So would you expect the same when your selling your cars?

Very strange statement from you :lol:


----------



## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

On the other hand i know dealers that walk away from a car that is too clean, especially the engine bay, as they suspect there is something to hide!


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

vroomtshh said:


> Really? So would you expect the same when your selling your cars?
> 
> Very strange statement from you :lol:


I don't trust people... so I wouldn't like to buy something with next to no clear coat on it, or something that anyone has butchered half to death...

As I have said before, there are only a few pros I would even trust with my car! :lol:

I wouldn't expect anyone into "detailing" to buy a car that has already been detailed... no fun in that (for me anyway)

I want to add something to it, with my own work, not try and look after someone else's vision of what my (new) car should look like!

For the general public, they see a very shiny car, that looks 100% better than the others they have seen that day, and buy mine 

Does that make better sense...or have I confused people more?!?!? 

:thumb:


----------



## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

I think you might get lucky if you managed to pick up some "bangers" cheaply and give them a going over with cheap-ish products. However, that would be less "adding value" than "making profit" and that's probably why someone with OCD in the detailing department would make an awful used car salesman if said OCD were to kick in - IMO of course.

I'd steer clear of any purchase where the cleaning aspect took precedent over the mechanical side for example - no point having a mint car which doesn't work.

I bought my 205 for £875 and sold it for £2,500. BUT I spent Gods knows how many thousands on upgrading it and buying new parts in addition to the hundreds of hours spent cleaning every last bit (actually I do know how much but try to forget....) so if you figure in a notional hourly rate plus the hours I lost with the Wife and kids then the loss I made would have been enough to buy something quite a bit more exotic!

I suppose the nearest thing to a demonstration is the AG video with Mark Evans although how staged that was I don't know - the 5 Series they worked on was fairly ruined and anyone trying to sell a car which looked that bad and expect to a) sell it and b) actually be paid for it would need their head examined.


----------



## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

The Cueball said:


> I don't trust people... so I wouldn't like to buy something with next to no clear coat on it, or something that anyone has butchered half to death...
> 
> As I have said before, there are only a few pros I would even trust with my car! :lol:
> 
> ...


Nope - nail on the head.

Need to stop agreeing with you :lol:


----------



## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

The Cueball said:


> I don't trust people... so I wouldn't like to buy something with next to no clear coat on it, or something that anyone has butchered half to death...
> 
> As I have said before, there are only a few pros I would even trust with my car! :lol:
> 
> ...


It kind of makes sense.

I just disagreed with the pro vs amateur stance of your initial post but you've kinda cleared that up :lol:


----------



## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

Clark @ PB said:


> Depends on the car and level of detail in my opinion. We've added over a grand (proven) to a car in the past with a 2 day detail but you couldn't do the same to a corsa for example.


If someone was in two minds as to buy a car for 'X' amount, I wouldn't think that same person to come back a few days later and be willing to to part with extra grand+ for the same car just because it looks nice and shiney.
But........, 
If a car was up for 'X' amount and had no offers, then detailed and put back up for sale at an extra grand+, then I could see that hapening because it would attract a buyer with the available cash to spend.

Am I waffling .
Well, I think I know what I'm trying to say....just :lol:


----------



## impster (May 2, 2007)

Personally, with 2 red corsas on offer, both identical in every way apart from the fact that one had faded to pink, I'd go for the pink one, and haggle the vendor down because of it.

I'd then make a 'showroom' thread on the car's dramatic transformation from pink to red...(they always seem to be popular on here..!)


----------



## TOGWT (Oct 26, 2005)

*Will a full professional detail increase the resale value?*

Go to Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds and check out the difference in the trade-in and resale values of an Excellent condition versus Good or Fair condition; it's usually several hundred, if not thousands of dollars.

Choosing and trusting a professional auto detailer can be a tough decision; when you look for a detailer you want a person you can trust with your vehicle, one with experience, knowledge and specialized training, one who provides the best possible workmanship and products for a fair price. 
It is said that the highest art is simplicity; usually experts in their field make what they do look simple, this is due to their technique and extensive experience

For many, the thought of spending over $300 for cleaning and applying protection to - $450 - 1000 plus for pint surface correction / renovation seems faintly ludicrous, especially when an automatic car-wash charges less than $30, and there are many products available from high street retailers that claim to shine your car to perfection. The reality is that to detail a vehicle correctly takes time (typically 6-8 hours) and the better detailing products are not usually available at a local auto superstore. Professionalism and the overall customer experience are also very important...

There no standard of what a detail consists of in this industry; detailers from different locations charge a wide spectrum of fees depending on their experience, geographical location, scope of work (i.e. their interpretation of what a detail should consist of) and the type of products used and cars they're working on.

It is in your best interests to ask question about what actual work is involved. The most significant costs involved are labour; products are not a huge component of a details cost, although using premium car care products will make some difference to a details quality.

Things like detailer's experience, marketing the company, insurance; taxes, overheads, etc. will be the larger factors in a price of a detail. Even if you're not that astute about detailing, if you ask questions on the process common sense will enable you to make an informed decision


----------



## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

I got about £300 knocked off my Corsa due to the state of the paint, got scratches and massive swirls everywhere.
So If it had perfect paint I think it would add at least that £300 back on if not more.


----------



## Jamesc (Dec 15, 2007)

Me and my mate had thought about this a while back but never done anything with it. We were looking at buying a cheap car fixing them up polishing them etc then selling it on, then with the money buy another and do the same, but the profit margins would be so little when you add the parts you changed/added, and time and effort put in. youd be at it for a very long time before youd be making a good bit. With him trying to sell his own car put him off the idea (1.5 clio really low miles and in awesome condition, people were offing him 1k 1.5k etc, you couldnt get a older high miler for that price! then he took a 1.5k offer and they never came!) if a car doesnt sell your stuck with it until it does or lower the price and take a loss, or one bad car could eat up the money and leave you with nothing.

Though personally i would mind paying paying extra for a well detailed car. the amount extra would depend on the value of the car to begin with, a 800quid runabout i wouldnt spend 1k more cause its well detailed. but a 200or so extra iwouldnt mind. like wise a 25k audi bmw or something else from that sort of style, 2-3k on top no problem.


----------



## PWOOD (Apr 30, 2007)

Apart from price a car as shown in OP would sell a lot faster as the viewer would be impressed the second they saw it so would be more inclined to want to buy. The WANT is the most important thing in selling cars(anything) once the person has that your 3/4 of the way to a sale. 

The latter picture would probably add £80 or so onto the price for the average buyer.


----------



## kev a (May 23, 2011)

I done a few a few years ago like this, sometimes getting cars that needed new alternator or other very simple problems for next to nothing, cleaning them up, buying new mats touching up little scratches etc and selling them on, but since the scrappage scheme bargains are few and far between, but find the right car and you could still see a small profit. If you were to use the cars you brought as runarounds for a bit you could also save wear and tear on your own car, providing you sold them for enough to cover your costs you would be motoring for free.


----------



## Stomper (Jun 8, 2011)

Like others have said , if its the right car then it can be done . I spent about 40+ hours detailing my black Capri last summer . There was no way i was driving it over the winter . 
I went looking for a project car to get me through the winter and something to hone my new found skills on . 
I got a little Mk2 Astra which was advertised for £350 
When i went to see it i intended to haggle him down , but apart from the red paint being light pink and the black bumpers being white . The fact it only had 32000 miles on the clock and i knew i could make it look like a 32k car again , i just took it at that price. 

I cant see any reason why i couldnt sell that on to a vauxhall enthusiast for double that or more . 

Ok i spent some money on products , but every time i do another car like that i have saved on a training day so to speak , as every car i do makes me a little better . If i sell that for £600 i would spend it on another pink runaround and do the same again . 
Problem is summers coming and i get bored easily so that wouldnt last much longer than 2 cars .
Time almost to use what paints left on the Astra to practice my wet sanding before touching my Capri with sandpaper :buffer:

If i were you i would do it just to get the practice in . If you make £100 and cover your products cost then RESULT .


----------



## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

not really adding value imo, it just makes it cleaner than most.

ive looked at a few cars, where the owner hasnt even washed / hoovered the car before putting it up for sale.

so a lovely sparkling clean car will make it more desirable compared to a dirty filthy one


----------



## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

As above it's more about standing out from the crowd, if your car is the cleanest for sale it'll get more interest and less bidders/chancers offering peanuts.


----------



## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

Problem is if its too clean people want to know why many think its been resprayed etc


----------



## cheekymonkey (Mar 15, 2008)

it may not add much value to the car, but will make it easier to sell


----------



## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

Dannbodge said:


> I got about £300 knocked off my Corsa due to the state of the paint, got scratches and massive swirls everywhere.
> So If it had perfect paint I think it would add at least that £300 back on if not more.


Unless the seller overpriced the car by £300 because he knew punters would knock him down anyway :lol:.


----------



## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

trv8 said:


> Unless the seller overpriced the car by £300 because he knew punters would knock him down anyway :lol:.


Nope. It was actually cheap for what it was before I bought it. It came from a stealership too

Sent from my Desire HD


----------



## Hercs74 (Dec 29, 2011)

Hi all hopefully I can add a little evidence of proof to this interesting debate....

I wanted to sell my current car.. 2005 Citroen with 59k miles.. Pretty good condition.. Few supermarket dings, scratches and Loads of swirl marks due to not knowing how to clean a car properly.. And a few scuffs on the alloys... Hence I joined this forum and learnt a lot.. 

Anyway I got my car valued via the Glasses guide.. I looked at the recommended private sale value for excellent condition...I gave the car a thorough detail using varying products.. Eliminated about 80% of the scratches and swirls.. Gave it a damn good waxing after.. The transformation was amazing.. Gave it a good clean inside, Hoover etc.. Put it on the market for the the same private sale price recommended by Glasses for a 2007 model with 72k miles expecting to be knocked down.. 

Within 6 hrs of placing the add my phone was non stop.. A chap my age viewed it straight away. Well he drove for nearly 3 hrs to come view it.. we test drove it and he said " I would like to make you an offer however I feel I would insult you by doing so.. I can't not buy this car.. It's lovely...". 

I got more than I anticipated.. Was it shear luck or Was it the 10 hrs I spent cleaning.. The money I got extra covered the cost of my products and half days wage...

Cheers team 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

^^ That really doesn't prove anything in my book, sorry... apart from, as I have said, a "detailed" car is easier to sell, esp in this climate....

You never tried to sell the car "pre" clean... so you don't know if the same guy would have done the same thing... 

You put it up for a price, which you "expected to be knocked down" on... and the buyer wasn't good enough to really drive a bargin, so you got more than you thought.... 

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter anyway...but it would have been better if you had tried to sell it at £1000, and buyer A said no... took it off the market, cleaned it, then buyer A came back and bought it for £2000...

Something like those idiots on TV that view a house, which needs a bit of work, and say they wouldn't buy it... then a team of dodgy "decorators" splash some paint about, and suddenly the buyers would pay xxx thousands more than they really should... :lol: :wall::wall:

:thumb:


----------



## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

Cueball, that's what I was trying to say in my post #30 :thumb:


----------



## Panther (Jan 19, 2012)

Well, as everyone else has pretty much said the same thing, i feel i should repeat it as well 

I thought about doing this a while ago, but with a slight twist. I have family in Devon and have lived there for 4 years and whilst down there realised that all second/third/tenth hand cars end up there. They sell for next to nothing, in this exmaple, i am going to use a E36 BMW 325i that was on sale for £1000ono. It had 60k on the clock, nearly full service history but was an absolute wreck when it came to body work. So, i brought it for £850, spent a weekend on it, brought it up to where i live now (Berkshire/Oxfordshire) and sold it within 4 days for £1900. :car:

Now, with the fuel it cost to get back home (£40), the products i used (about £50) and the labour cost if i had spent this time detailing (£400) then i figured out that i was still in profit by £560. Regardless of what it would have sold for before a detail, i had just brought this for £850.... So thats an added value of £1050 on a quick turnaround. :doublesho

Its definately about knowing where to find bargains and where to sell it. Cars in Devon/Cornwall are cheap and used by (not always) the retired. They sell them cheap when they want something else and then i bring them back to new and sell them in an affluant area.

Simple 

Dont steal my idea though, im making a nice side earner out of this


----------



## RefinedDetails (Dec 17, 2006)

I personally run a dealership alongside my detailing specialising in classic BMWs, and whatever I believe to be a bargain comes along - as said above detailing a vehicle like the one in the first post will add little resale value - as opposed to a sort after cult classic or an under average condition newer car, brought up to way above average via detailing.

All varies on the car in question and having an eye for a bargain I think.


----------



## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

A well cleaned and tidy car will sell more than someone else's you want someone thats interested in that model to pick it over others.

They will still want to know history etc but it gets them interested.

As mentioned it depends on the inherent value of the car.... The one in the Pic Possibly £50 maybe £60.

Over 1 Grand £120 to £200. Extra value.

Over 2 Grand £250 to £350. Extra Value.

However a vehicle like everything else is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it.

My brother always seams to buy his cars incredibly cheap... He then does nothing to them for about 6 months but thrash them and still manages to make Minimum £500 profit and a few times over a grand....


----------



## MarkSmith (Dec 17, 2010)

Thanks for all the useful replies guys !

I have decided I am going to see if I can actually make some cash solely from buying, detailing and selling cheap cars.

I have just bought a 1997 Peugeot 306, with 11 months MOT and 5 months tax from a private seller down my road. Its in good condition but needs a good detail and has not seen a wash for a long while. It was advertised at £500 and I managed to get the seller down to £400.

Plan is now to detail it over the next 2 days and pop it up for sale at the end of my road for £895ono 

Will let you know how it goes


----------



## M.J (Mar 17, 2010)

I would say that value is added to a quality detailed vehicle. It certainly shouldn,t de-value it but as previously said its worth whatever a potential buyer will pay . Everyone is different and have different values in their mind . I love my Ford xr2,s (mk2) a few years back a detail may of added a small amount but as time passes its classic status increases and if highly detailed then what was only a tiny amount of added value will turn out usually quite well in the end obviously i,m speaking longish terms here. Definately car dependant but i dont see detailing decreasing its value whatsoever.
Excellent thread again Mark .


----------



## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

in the real world, I think a detail will add very little to a cars value. all joe public wants is presentable so if you stand there explaining how it's been clayed, and washed with 2 buckets etc. it will just earn you a strange look IMO. 

If it's a high ender, and I mean the top echelons of vehicles, then a detailed portfolio will serve it well but for anything under 80grand (ball park figure), it wont add anything i dont think but it might sway a sale if the punter is looking at a similar car.


----------



## dazzyb (Feb 9, 2010)

a detail may sell it quicker but in my opinion wont add any value.
everyone wants to buy a clean car and lets face it ours are usually the cleanest :lol:


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

MarkSmith said:


> I have just bought a 1997 Peugeot 306, with 11 months MOT and 5 months tax from a private seller down my road. Its in good condition but needs a good detail and has not seen a wash for a long while. It was advertised at £500 and I managed to get the seller down to £400.
> 
> Plan is now to detail it over the next 2 days and pop it up for sale at the end of my road for £895ono


Eh, not trying to knock your plans here... but are all your neighbours stupid, or have bad memories???

If you have bought it "down your road" and you are trying to double your money selling at "the end of your road" don't you think the people (the market place) will be the same, and remember it has just been sold, and for how much it was previously advertised for?!?!

Another issue you may run into is that buyers are quite suspicious of people selling a car so quick... you won't even have time to get the V5 in your name for example...

So it will look like you have bought a shed, and are trying to get rid of it ASAP...

Maybe some food for thought... but good luck anyway, I'm sure it will be another success story from you!

:thumb:


----------



## kev a (May 23, 2011)

I have to disagree, I think a good detail on the right car can add money.
I think the biggest difference would be seen on older cars that are brought on condition rather than mileage/service history.
It gives the impression that the car has been well cared for and loved.


----------



## MarkSmith (Dec 17, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> Eh, not trying to knock your plans here... but are all your neighbours stupid, or have bad memories???
> 
> If you have bought it "down your road" and you are trying to double your money selling at "the end of your road" don't you think the people (the market place) will be the same, and remember it has just been sold, and for how much it was previously advertised for?!?!
> 
> ...


Good points here mate.

I will put it up for sale at my mates house - he lives on a main road with lots of passing pedestrians and traffic.

As for selling to so quick after buying it, thats a good point and one I will have to think about. Might have to use the "bought it for the wife and she dont like it being an Automatic" line or something ???

Cheers for the advice mate - will get thinking


----------



## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

MarkSmith said:


> Good points here mate.
> 
> I will put it up for sale at my mates house - he lives on a main road with lots of passing pedestrians and traffic.
> 
> ...


The sensible (although not strictly legal) thing to do is never register it in your name


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

MarkSmith said:


> Good points here mate.
> 
> I will put it up for sale at my mates house - he lives on a main road with lots of passing pedestrians and traffic.
> 
> ...


Just trying to help, I got "caught" selling a car with a quick turnaround and my excuse of well I like to clean cars didn't really sit well with the buyer! :lol:

The wife excuse could work....I would just get rid of the wife if it was me mind you....  



vroomtshh said:


> The sensible (although not strictly legal) thing to do is never register it in your name


But, would you buy a (private) car from someone who didn't "own" it...

I know one of the things I check is that the V5 is registered to where I am viewing the car... rightly or wrongly 

:thumb:


----------



## MarkSmith (Dec 17, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> Just trying to help, I got "caught" selling a car with a quick turnaround and my excuse of well I like to clean cars didn't really sit well with the buyer! :lol:
> 
> The wife excuse could work....I would just get rid of the wife if it was me mind you....
> 
> ...


Yes, I agree, car must be in my name as I would not buy a car from someone who never had it registered to themselves.

And sadly I cant get rid of the wife - she was the one who stumped up the £400 for the car in the first place !!! :lol:

Cheers for the valued advice mate, its appreciated


----------



## Weazel (May 29, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> Just trying to help, I got "caught" selling a car with a quick turnaround and my excuse of well I like to clean cars didn't really sit well with the buyer! :lol:
> 
> The wife excuse could work....I would just get rid of the wife if it was me mind you....
> 
> I agree with Cueball here, be careful, as i recently went to view a mk1 Fiesta and they didn't have the logbook, i asked why and they said it had been lost, the special people left the v5 tear off part that you keep for proof of purchase in the history of the car :wall:, i said nothing just didn't buy it!


----------

