How To Maintain The Value Of Your Car

The best way to think about your car is like it is an investment. Because that is exactly what it is, and every investment requires proper maintenance in order to maintain its value. As soon as you buy a vehicle, you need to start thinking about the day you might sell it. There is a wide variety of factors that affect the worth of your car. It pretty much goes from preserving its exterior, down to how it looks and feels when you are driving it.

Some people would say that the car starts losing value the moment you start driving it. While this is certainly true, there are a number of things that you can do in order to properly maintain it and make sure that the price drop is pretty much insignificant. Also, it is always best that you check for a reliable source when it comes to product reviews on the top car accessories and car parts to ensure that you only buy the highest quality. GrandPrix Times is one great source when it comes to providing quality product reviews and buying guides on different car products. In this article, we are going to discuss some of those things.

 

Maintain your car regularly

If there is one thing that is the most important about car maintenance, it is certainly regularity. If you stay on top of all the necessary services that your car needs consistently, the chances of things going awry will be significantly decreased.

For starters, make sure that your tires have proper pressure. Every time that you need to make a somewhat longer drive, check if the pressure is low. Be sure to check the tires for pressure details as aggressive mud tires and low profile tires are not going to require the same amount of pressure. Furthermore, make sure that the wear on them is even by making sure that they are rotated after every 5,000 to 10,000 miles passed.

You also need to change the oil. Every car has its own suggested service schedule, so check the manual. It is usually between 3,000 and 5,000 miles. All the fluids need to be filled to the end.

Doing all of this becomes even more important during hot and cold weather.

 

Take care of any unusual engine sounds

If your engine is making noises that aren’t typical, it is most often a sign that there is a serious problem. You should carefully listen and try to identify such sounds as early as possible. If you do so, fixing the issue might cost you a lot less. Next to noises, pay attention to the check engine light.

This becomes extremely important the day you decide to sell the car. Any buyer who has experience will carefully listen, and they will hear if the engine isn’t running smoothly. If there is any clanking, knocking, and the like, it means that the engine has some serious issues. And the buyer will surely know that.

 

Make sure that the mileage is low

A car owner will most probably feel like using it for every occasion that they get. However, your car’s mileage is one of the things that cannot be taken back and is certain to be evaluated when you decide to sell it.

So, whenever you think about taking a long trip, it would generally be a better idea to go by train, plane, or bus. Or, if you do want to be able to drive freely wherever you need, get a rental car. Afterward, all that you are going to have to do is pay for the cost of the high mileage to the rental service.

 

Wax your car

It pretty much goes without saying that first impressions matter an awful lot when you decide to sell a car. So, if your car’s exterior is in rough shape, it’ll be the first thing that a buyer notices, and you are already hopping onto the “not interested” train. Or, at the very least, you will have to bargain for a price that is a lot lower than the one you’ve had in mind.

You may want to do a whole new paint job before selling the car, but that is the more expensive way. It would cost you a lot less to wax your car a few times annually. Waxing protects the exterior paint from scratches and fading. Be careful so that you use the right kind of wax for your vehicle, because otherwise, you may end up damaging it.

 

Leave it to the professionals

Finally, most people want to deal with their car on their own. After all, it is generally the less expensive solution. However, DIY-ing isn’t always the best way to go. If you are going to do everything by yourself, you need to be very careful and experienced enough with it so that you don’t make costly mistakes and end up spending more money than you should have.

If you are unsure about how to deal with a particular issue, it is a much better idea to take your vehicle to an auto repair service. This is particularly the case when it comes to tune-ups or complicated engine repairs. But, if you are an inexperienced car owner, then you shouldn’t DIY anything that you really know nothing about.

 

Final words

You certainly have to think about responsible driving. If you intend to treat your car roughly and do a lot of hard braking and cornering at high speeds, it is going to show during a test drive. The suspension is going to be loose, the engine is going to respond inadequately, and your car’s price is going to go down.

So, think about responsibility in more than just terms of safety. Think about the fact that you’ll be diminishing your car’s value faster than you can say “vroom”.

 

Stewart Thurlow

Stewart Thurlow

I once shared a lift with Meryl Streep & Julianne Moore. Oh, & Victoria Beckham smiled at me. UK Editor for ADDICTED.
Stewart Thurlow

@stewartthurlow

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