Servicing your car is worth it in the long run
Posted by Fiona Birkwood
Getting your car serviced can be seen as an unnecessary expense and many motorists in the UK are putting off taking their car to the garage to save some cash.
However, Kwik Fit research has found that those who put off taking their car for a service will in fact lose a large chunk of money in the long run.
Findings from the organisation found that a full service history on a car could increase its resale value by 26 per cent, and with the average used car selling for £5,500, the full service history equates to up to £1,500.
David White, customer services director at Kwik Fit, said: "It's accepted that a fully stamped service book will increase the re-sale value of a car but this research has been able to put a figure on it: £1,500 is a significant number and makes a big difference to the value of a car when an owner comes to sell."
As well as boosting the price of your vehicle when you come to replace it, a full service history will also increase the possibility of securing a sale, as Kwik Fit found that 34 per cent of drivers would not buy any car unless it had a complete history.
A full service history is always best when it comes to selling a vehicle but it is important to note that some services carry a premium over none at all, so it's always worth taking your car for services even if you cannot afford to do it regularly.
The benefits of regular servicing are not just monetary in nature, as Mr White noted that servicing a car to the manufacturer's recommendations will boost efficiency, performance and see on-going running coasts decrease.
With 2010 seeing the lowest number of used cars sold in a decade – 6.7 million cars – and buyers driving a hard bargain, having no service history will make selling a car at a decent price even harder.
