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Getting a car ready for sale: what does a buyer notice first?
A buyer first notices what they see before the test drive: the gloss of the paint, how tidy the interior is, the smell when the door opens and how clear the headlights are. Smartening a car up does not fix technical faults, and it is not meant to, but a tidy car shows that it has been looked after. Below we explain which jobs deal with exactly these things and what they cost.
What a buyer looks at
- Paintwork. Dullness and wash scratches show, especially on a dark car and in sunlight.
- Interior. Stains on the seats, dirty mats, rubbish and dust on the dashboard.
- Smell. A tobacco, pet or musty smell is noticeable as soon as the door opens.
- Headlights. Cloudy, yellowed lenses make a car look older than it is.
- Windscreen. Stone chips are visible from the driver's seat.
Services that help get a car ready for sale
| Service | What it helps with | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Paint polishing | Dull paint and fine wash scratches | €350–450 |
| Hard wax | Gloss and protection for 6–8 months, preparation and hand wash included | €129–149 |
| Total interior cleaning | Full interior cleaning and wet cleaning of the seats, leather seats included, using a separate method | €189–229 |
| Ozone treatment / odour removal | Tobacco, pet, mould and musty smells | from €79 |
| Headlight lens repair | Cloudy headlights | €60–80 |
| Windscreen repair | A stone chip in the windscreen | €69 |
If the interior is already fairly tidy, Full interior cleaning (€64–77) may be enough: it includes a full vacuum, a wipe-down of the surfaces, the inside of the windows and the boot. Pet hair is removed as an add-on service (from €19), and the price depends on how much hair there is. A crack in the windscreen usually means replacing the glass; it is not repaired the way a stone chip is.
Order and timing
Book the work well before the car is advertised or the first buyer comes to see it. Total interior cleaning takes 4–8 hours, so the car is with us for most of the day. Your parking is validated for the whole time the work takes. Floor washing costs extra and is agreed on site.
Remove the source of any smell first with interior cleaning. Ozone treatment then removes whatever smell is left. After polishing, protect the paint with wax so the gloss lasts until the car changes hands.
We are on level P1 of the Lauttis shopping centre. As a customer you park free for two hours, and for services over €350 parking is free for your whole visit. Ask at the counter to have your parking validated.
What you can do yourself
- Clear your personal belongings out of the car before interior cleaning. You will find tips in our article on preparing for interior cleaning.
- Gather the service history and all the keys in advance.
- If the car has been standing outside before a viewing, a quick wash just before the buyer arrives restores a good first impression. Basic wash costs €34–47.
Get the interior ready for sale
Total interior cleaning €189–229, the job takes 4–8 hours. When you book, you can see the price for your car and the available times.