What are people looking for when they are purchasing a used vehicle?
1. Service history correctly filled out in the service passport.
2. Genuine Accessories correctly fitted
3. 2 Keys minimum
4. Odour free vehicles particularly smoke free
5. Well-kept paintwork and interior
6. Under Genuine Toyota Warranty
How YOU can ensure the highest resale or trade in value for your vehicle?
Exterior:
People often wash their vehicles with just a regular soap, to remove contaminants and dirt. Unfortunately this can potentially impact paints finish and can strip away what is remaining of the protective wax coating on the vehicle, exposing the raw paint to likely damage.
In order to avoid this situation we would recommend you polish your vehicle every 3 months or invest in a hardened glaze coat that will act as a sacrificial layer protecting the vehicle from the likes of tree sap, bird droppings and industrial fallout etc.
Interior:
When we prepare a vehicle for resale, we have the vehicle fully cleaned and detailed prior to presenting it. It still amazes me how close to new the upholstery comes up with those vehicles that have had stain protection on the fabric and leather. If you protect the interior at the start, it can workout at just a fraction of the cost of replacing damaged areas of factory trim.
Mechanical:
All Toyota vehicles come with the Factory backed 3 year and 100,000 kilometre warranty. However depending how long you keep your vehicle for by the time you are ready to sell, this factory backed warranty may have expired. The question is do you purchase an extension on the manufacturer’s warranty? We would always recommend this, as when it comes time to sell your vehicle might be the only used vehicle on the market with new car warranty setting it apart from all of the others. This warranty can then be transferred to the new owner, giving them the peace of mind and helping to achieve top dollar on the sale.
Service History:
Toyota buyers put a huge emphasis on the servicing history of the vehicle, so it is imperative that you make the correct decision on how and where you maintain your investment. When the service history of the vehicle is clearly detailed we have the ability to show the buyer how well maintained the vehicle is, therefore demanding a higher price. These cars are well known to sell easier and much quicker.
There are a number of servicing chains out there that offer cheap services that “won’t affect your new car warranty”. In the warranty terms and conditions of a new Toyota vehicle, it clearly stipulates that only “Genuine” Toyota parts are to be fitted to maintain the warranty agreement of the vehicle.
In any case your new Toyota enjoys capped price servicing or what we call TSA (Toyota Servicing Advantage). This entitled you to only pay a “capped price” which is offered when you purchase the new vehicle.
When you consider the benefit of the resale value, reliability and continuation of the warranty, why would you risk servicing anywhere else?
Accessories:
It is important to consider what cutting corners on accessories will cost you in long run. Time and time again we see non genuine bull bars fitted to vehicles. Granted some are styled to suit the vehicle but others really do detract from the vehicles look. There are situations where we have to mark down a vehicle based on the type of bulbar that has been fitted. We find that buyers often prefer no bulbar at all and hence have to mark down the price of the vehicle. So choose your accessories wisely.
Odours and contaminants:
Toyota is not just concerned about the welfare of their new vehicle purchasers, but also the other 80% of people that make their first Toyota purchase, a pre-owned one. All manufacturers have been moving to an “opt in” smoker’s pack in an effort to discourage smoking in vehicles to protect future owners of their products.
Most of us have heard about the dangers of passive smoking so when customers say to us “sorry the vehicle has been smoked in so I will pass” we understand completely. When you smell cigarettes smoke in a vehicle, it is the carcinogenic chemical soaked in the trim, being released back into an enclosed environment. This is particularly prevalent on hot days when the vehicle has been closed up and parked in the sun.
If you are a pet owner, we highly recommend you mitigate the damage to the vehicle by covering the upholstery and carpets to prevent pet hair and saliva from damaging the car.
