Article by Andrew Lynch, professional Car Detailer and Detailer Trainer

If you’ve ever sold a car before, I’m sure you’ve experienced the hassle of wasted weekends and price-haggling buyers. My clients tell me all the time about the inconvenience of selling their cars. Here are just a few of the complaints I hear on a regular basis:

• wasted money – on weeks of classified ads that bring no phone calls;
• wasted weekends – sitting around waiting for calls and buyers that don’t show up;
• lost sales – potential buyers look, test-drive and leave with the promise that they “might call back”… yeah right!
• disappointment – after weeks of trying, you finally give-in to the bargain hunters and drop your sale price just to “get rid of the thing!”
• … that’s just to name a few!

Sound Familiar?

This was exactly the kind of hassle my friend, Mark, was having when he wanted to sell his white Nissan Pulsar. It was a couple of year’s ago and it was the first time I realised the true power that detailing has to raise the sale price of a car. The car was an older model, so he was trying to sell it for $1500. He had not had any interest, so I told him that if he let me detail his car before he tried to sell it, I thought he could ask $3000. That’s right… an extra $1500! So, he agreed.

I went ahead and did a full detail on the car. A ‘full detail’ is the works. Everything from the engine to the roof lining! After I’d finished I remember how surprised he was with the results. He made that old joke “wow, it looks so good I don’t think I’ll sell – I might keep it!” Yeah, Yeah – ha, ha… I hear that all the time!

So how did it this story end? Well, Mark did sell that white Nissan Pulsar for more $3000! That’s a bonus $1500… and he sold it quickly too. He was definitely one happy camper.

So why does a detail get you more $$$ more quickly?

Well, I haven’t done surveys or science on this, but here’s what I know for sure…

• Buyers will say “this is it!” – think about it. It’s not just you that has the hassle. Most buyers have been driving around all weekend looking for a decent car. Time after time they are disappointed by the low standard. Then they stumble across your car. Here they find a shiny, well-presented, fresh, clean, new-looking car. It looks like it has been well looked after and it feels nice to drive because it’s so clean! You hear them talking… “this is the best one we’ve seen all day… I think this is it! Let’s buy it.”

• They’ll want to buy it now – buyers usually know what kind of car they want. They look at just one type of car all day long. When they see your shiny, clean car it really stands out from the crowd! Buyers know that if they don’t put a deposit down now, this car will be snapped up by another buyer before they know it.

• You’ll have the upper hand – after your car is detailed, you’ll have the confidence of knowing that your car is one of the best-looking, cleanest cars on offer. This means you’ll have the power to ask a higher price. You’ll also be able to say ‘no’ to low price offers because you know your car looks so great that it will sell quickly enough.

• They’ll thank you for the deal – when buyers drive off in a great looking car, they feel happy and satisfied with their purchase. They’ve found a bargain. You can imagine them talking… “this car is so clean! The paint looks so shiny… I’m sure it must have been garaged all its life!”

Here’s the amazing proof…

It’s easy to see why all of the above is true. The proof is in the pudding…

Photo-Proof – just click here to take a look at some photos of Car Class work.

What Others Are Saying – click here to take a look at what our clients have to say.

So, what should you do?

After reading this article, I’m sure you agree that you need to get your car detailed. I would recommend getting your car professionally detailed, although you could do it yourself. Here are my thoughts on both options.

Option 1: The Professional Detail

A professional detail will ensure that you get the absolute best results. You can check out my price on this website. With a professional detail:

Option 2: The DIY Detail

If you want to detail your car yourself, here are some great tips that will help you get more money and sell your car quickly…

1. Detail the Engine of your Car – a clean engine says a lot about a car and its owner. Mechanics love working on a clean engine – it is a sign that the car’s owner cares for and looks after the vehicle. An engine detail can hide oil-leaks and make the car more appealing to buyers. To detail an engine properly, make sure you cover any sensitive electronic parts. You can use alfoil or plastic bags to do this. Use a degreaser and scrub to remove oil and grime from the engine and the surrounding engine bay. Be careful not to scratch the paint on painted areas. Here are the steps to follow when detailing a car engine:
        a. Cover sensitive engine parts.
        b. Remove debris and dirt from the engine and engine bay.
        c. Use a pump-pack to apply degreaser
        d. Scrub the engine
        e. Hose off the engine with hose or high-pressure washer
        f. Allow engine to air-dry
        g. Remove the foil/plastic covers
        h. Apply silicone dressing to visible engine parts

2. Detail the Exterior of your Car – this is the most important part of the detail. A professional detailer will always get the best results when polishing paintwork. This is because we use high-speed rotary polishing machines that generate heat and help to remove imperfections and restore paintwork. These machines require training and experience to use properly. If you have never used one before, you should not attempt to use one on your car. Instead, stick with a basic hand polish. You won’t get the same results… but at least you won’t damage your paint! Here are the steps you should follow to detail the exterior of your car:
        a. Wash and Scrub Wheels and Tyres – remove all break dust and road grime.
        b. Wash the car body
        c. Chamois Dry
        d. Machine Buff and Polish
        e. Apply Hand Polish
        f. Dress Exterior Plastics with Silicone Dressing
        g. Remove Hand Polish

3. Detail the Interior of Your Car – the interiors of most cars are very dirty. At first glance, the interior might seem relatively clean. A second look will reveal grime on the steering wheel, gear stick and hand brake from dirty hands, women’s makeup and nicotine. Seats are filled with dust and food scraps - and carpets are heavy with sand and stained with spilled drinks. A professional detailer uses an air compressor and shampooer to bring a car’s interior back to as-new condition. Here are the steps you should follow to detail the interior of your car:
        a. Vacuum the floors, floor-mats, seats and upholstered areas. Don’t forget the boot.
        b. Empty ash-trays and use a brush-attachment to vacuum ash-trays, air vents and crevices.
        c. Use an all-purpose cleaner to spray hard-surfaces. Wipe the surfaces down with a wet chamois, paying attention to any built-up grime or stains.
        d. Use a paint brush to clean dirt and food crumbs from vents and crevices.
        e. Shampoo seats and carpets – leave doors open to air-dry.
        f. Apply and interior dressing to all hard-surfaces that require a gloss finish.
        g. Use a dry cloth to buff the interior dressing.
        h. After completing the interior clean for all sections of the car, double check you have cleaned all of the following items:
        • Boot
        • Dash
        • Steering Wheel and Column
        • Gear Stick and Knob
        • Hand Brake
        • Sunroof Tracks
        • Passenger Handles
        • Centre Pillars (i.e. sides of the car between front and back doors)
        • Seat Rails
        • Seat Belts (including the retractor compartment)
        • Driver’s Pedals (accelerator, brake, clutch)
        • Sun-Visors
        • Ceiling

4. Add the Finishing Touches
        a. Clean the windows inside and out
        b. Spray an air-freshener inside the car
        c. Place a rubbish bag inside the car
        d. Clean rear-view mirror and side-mirrors

The above DIY detailing outline is a good overview of how to detail your car. I hope it gives you a good head-start.

If you still feel uncertain about DIY detailing – because you don’t have the time, the know-how, the equipment or the chemicals, then hiring a professional detailer is the best option for you.

So call now… pick up the phone and dial 0433 403 302. We're waiting for your call!

Call now, 0433 403 302.