How to Prepare A Vehicle For Trade In

How to Prepare to Trade In a Car Toward a Wheelchair Van

Trading in your car on the purchase of a new one is a common practice. Everyone wants the best offer possible on their old car, but it's not well known what exactly the appraiser is looking for when they are inspecting your vehicle. Below are some tips on how to properly prepare your car for trade in to get the best price possible as well as some insight on what exactly the appraiser is looking for that may lower the offer. You can keep this in mind when you want to trade in your vehicle as you buy a new or used handicap van from AMS Vans.

What Appraisers Look For

  • Have your car detailed inside and out. Appraisers very carefully inspect the condition of your vehicle. Clean vehicles indicate that you have taken good care of your vehicle. This is the most overlooked thing when taking a vehicle in for trade in. If the paint has dulled, use a buffing product and a good wax to restore some of its shine. The cleanliness of your vehicle is the first impression to an appraiser and a lasting one.
  • Consider how your car looks from the driver's seat. What would a potential new owner think? Ask yourself questions such as "Does it have an odor?", "Does it have bumper stickers on top of bumper stickers?", "Are the knobs and instrument panel in good working condition?". Simple fixes such as these can add a lot to your trade in offer.
  • Repair simple issues such as burned out headlights, light bulbs and blown fuses. If your tires are bald, consider a small investment in clearance or used tires.
  • Restore dents and dings that can be fixed with reasonable cost. Have cracks in your windshield filled and repaired. Many insurance companies cover windshield repair and in some cases replacement with no deductible.
  • Change the floor mats. These often have stains that cannot be removed and a small investment of replacing them can improve the interior aesthetics of your vehicle more than you think.
  • Appraisers look at the frame for damage or evidence of after-market work as well as inside for signs of flood damage. Be honest about the work that has been done to the vehicle or if it's been in a major accident. All appraisers run a vehicle history report before making an offer so being upfront and honest is to your advantage.

 

These simple things and modest investments can give you a trade in offer much higher than just taking your vehicle in as is. You will more than likely get the money you invest in preparing your vehicle back in a higher trade in offer.

AMS Vans will buy used minivans for a very fair wholesale value, including the Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, and Volkswagen Routan. We also accept many vehicles on trade in when you buy a handicap van from us. We even buy our competitor's vehicles such as Braun, VMI, and Rollx wheelchair vehicles that you no longer want or need.