Car sellers are unnecessarily losing up to £500

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

People are losing as much as £500 when selling their cars due to their failure to prepare their vehicles for a new owner.

This is according to Manheim Auctions, which claims that one in ten motorists fails to give their vehicle a once-over before they sell it.

The company claimed that damage to alloy wheels can reduce the value of a car by as much as £150 per wheel.

Cracked car lights also impact on vehicle values by between £75 and £150 whereas a damaged windscreen can devalue a car by between £100 and £300.

Carpets and front seat upholstery should also be updated as, if in a bad condition, they can affect values by between £100 and £350.

"It's imperative that motorists do everything they can to maximise what their car is worth," said Craig Mailey, client services and marketing director at Manheim Auctions.

Last month, car care company Autoglym advised motorists to remove insect remains from their car exteriors as soon as possible as they can cause damage to paintwork.

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