Getting a new car is exciting! It’s a source of pride and freedom for many drivers, however, it’s also a serious financial investment. As such, you’ll want to start thinking of ways you can protect your new ride and its resale value. To minimize the depreciation of your car, here are 6 tips to guide you through…
1. Be Careful Where You Park
Where you park affects the state of your car and could be a contributing factor to its resale value. Whether it’s at your home, office, or somewhere in between, being mindful of where you park your car is important. If you have a garage at home to store your car, then your work is done! This will protect your auto body from the elements, animals, and people trying to break in or steal your vehicle.
If you don’t have a garage or covered area to park your car, avoid parking underneath trees. For starters, tree sap can cause severe damage to your car paint. When left to harden, it damages not only the clear coat, but the paint and materials under the surface as well. Secondly, trees are the prime home for birds. If there’s a bird perched on the branch above your car, bird droppings are bound to fly from the sky. Since animal droppings can be highly acidic, they can be corrosive to your car, making auto body repair a must-have to restore its resale value. Lastly, should a storm occur – and as an auto body shop in Vancouver we know how prevalent those are here – you don’t want your car to be the landing spot of a fallen tree.
While you need to be aware of nature’s hazards, it’s oftentimes other parkers that inflict the worst damage. When parking in a lot, keep as much distance between you and other vehicles as you can. Door dings, shopping cart fiascos, and other parking lot mishaps can be avoided with ample parking space.
2. Clean Your Car Often
As previously mentioned, bird droppings and tree sap are natures’ poison when it comes to the auto body of your vehicle. Regular cleaning not only keeps the paint in pristine condition, but it also helps you notice irregularities such as dents, scratches, and swirls in the paint. In addition to cleaning the auto body, you don’t want to ignore the interior. A stain on the seat or carpet can lead to your car depreciating in value.
3. Invest in Good Paint Protection
There are several different types of paint protection on the market, the most common being a spray-on application. Since many types of paint protection include chemicals with polymer paint sealants, this provides a safe top-layer to prevent damage to your car paint. Keep in mind, many types of spray-on paint protection need to be reapplied after you wash your car. There’s also a more permanent option known as paint protection film (PPF), which is a polyurethane sheet that adheres to the surface of your vehicle, protecting both the clear coat and paint from scratches, rock chips, grime, bird droppings, bug splatter, and environmental damage.
4. Don’t Smoke in Your Vehicle
When it comes time to sell your car, the last thing a buyer wants is the smell of tobacco wafting through. Cigarette smoke loves to sink into the upholstery of a car’s interior and is very tough to get out. If you can, avoid smoking in your vehicle to save yourself hundreds of dollars come resale time.
5. Drive Less
Yes, it may be ridiculous to ask a driver of a new vehicle to cut down their driving time, however, lower kilometres always beget a higher price point. It also decreases the wear and tear all vehicles experience with road time. When possible, catch a ride with friends and family, take public transit occasionally, and consider renting a car for particularly long road trips. Of course, this tip may not suit everyone but for car owners who are in it for the high resale price, keeping the kilometres to a minimum is a must.
6. Invest in Auto Body Repair
Procrastinating auto body repair is never a good idea. One, you risk the damage worsening over time resulting in a much more costly repair. Two, if you put off your auto body repairs, you’ll receive a much smaller offer for your vehicle. If you notice a scratch in the paint or a dent in the door, visit our team at Grandcity Autobody. We’re equipped to handle all sorts of auto body repair, from minor chips to complete collision repair, our auto body shop in Vancouver and Richmond auto body shop can make your car ready for resale. Book an appointment today!