It’s no secret that cars depreciate quickly. We’ve all heard at one point or another that your car value decreases as soon as you start your drive home from the car dealership.
But don’t worry, not all hope is lost! There are steps you can take to make sure your vehicle’s value stays decent in case you ever want to trade it in.
Our 5 Best Tricks to Maintain Your Vehicle’s Value
- Keep it in the Carport or Garage. If you’re fortunate enough to have a garage or carport, storing your car here can add years to its life. So clean out the garage! Otherwise, you can invest in a car cover or park in a shaded area.
- Maintain a Record. Make sure you can prove regular oil changes and other maintenance work. This shows that you were a responsible vehicle owner, so your car is likely in great condition. You could use a website like Carfax for tools and tips on logging maintenance.
- Follow the Maintenance Guidelines from the Dealership. It pays to read the manual! Most have a suggested maintenance schedule that outlines regular services for best performance and longevity.
- Drive Safely: Not only is this important for the safety of you, your loved ones, and other drivers, but it will pay you back in resale value.
- Keep it Clean: Remove contaminants–like dirt, salt, bird poop, and bug carcasses–as soon as possible. These can etch into your paint job and corrode your car after a while.
Of course, another way to keep your value high is to repair those dings and dents at a collision center like Direct Paint!