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How To Prepare Your Car For Trade-In

Posted on November 3, 2021

How to Prepare Your Car For Trade-In

Is your vehicle not running how it used to? Or are you ready for an upgrade? Trading in your old car is likely your best option. We help make this an easy process, and it could help you save a lot of money on your new car. We’ve complied some easy tips to help you get a fair price for your old car, which is important to both you and us! Lets see how you prepare your car for trade-in:

Getting Ready to Trade Your Used Car In:

• Clean the car, inside & out. Clean your vehicle as how you’d want the condition if you were buying it. For the exterior, give it a thorough wash with warm, soapy water & finish with wax. For the interior, vacuum the entire inside and getting in all the nooks & crannies. Wipe down all surfaces and finish off with wiping the inside of the windows. 
• Remove all personal belongings. Make sure to remove your kid’s 2nd grade picture from the visor and that rusted penny from the bottom of your glove box! Don’t forget that CD in the player, or book in the back of your seat!
• Fix the small issues yourself. Check things that you know are easily fixable — like lights. Check all exterior tail & front bumper lights, and your dome lights inside your vehicle. Top up washer fluid, and all other fluids if needed— brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid. Any more serious work should be left for the dealership. It’ll lower the cost of the trade-in, but the repairs will be less than what it would cost you. 
• Inspect the windshield & wipers. Are there any cracks or reparable chips? What about the wipers? Are they operating in good condition? You may want to replace both of these before you bring your vehicle for trade-in.
• Gather the important documents. This would include the car title, the service records, registration, and anything else a buyer may want to see. What would you want to know if you were purchasing a used car? You can print off a CarFax to find the vehicles history. 
• Do your own inspection. Make note of any exterior dents and dings that can’t be buffed out with a little elbow grease. Take the car out for a test drive and pay close attention to anything that just doesn’t seem right. If there are any issues with the car, whether electrical or even a need for new tires, note them down and let the dealership know when you go for your trade-in inspection. 
• Know how much you owe. If you’ve financed your current vehicle or decided to go with lease-to-own, you might have a balance owing on your current car. There’s a chance that you might be able to roll over the amount owed onto your next vehicle, but that means your monthly payments will most likely increase. It’s very important to know the remaining balance before going into the dealership. 

Thanks for reading on how to prepare your car for-trade in! Are you looking to upgrade your vehicle with a trade-in? Give us a call at 1-855-813-8204 or come visit our fully indoor showroom at 14037 156 St NW, Edmonton AB.