How Do Dealerships Value My Trade-In?

Car appraisers are going to inspect the condition of your vehicle. This includes looking at the exterior for any damage to the body of the vehicle, the windshield, or the tires. They will also inspect the interior to see the condition of the seats and interior systems.

Test drives are also common, so an appraiser may ask to take the vehicle around for awhile to observe how all of your car’s systems are working. You’ll want to make sure to bring a spare key that they can use during this drive.

Car appraisers may also use a few other resources to determine a final value. These include:

• The current market value
• The vehicle history report
• Kelley Blue Book®, Black Book, or similar valuation guides

If you’d like to get a great deal on your current vehicle, you can boost its value in a few ways. Firstly, you will want to find and bring all items connected with the vehicle, including the spare keys we mentioned above.

A few other items you should have ready include:

• Car title
• Car registration
• Maintenance records
• Vehicle accessories

If you have a small amount of damage, like a scratch mark or two, see if you can fix it or take it to someone who can. Also, if you recently bought something new for your vehicle, bring those receipts with you to further boost its value.

Now that you’ve boosted its value, you want to prepare your car for its trade-in. A few things you can do to get your vehicle ready include the following steps:

• Wash the exterior body, tires, glass, and other components
• Vacuum all throughout the interior and trunk area
• Remove all of your belongings from the vehicle
• Delete all personal data from its technology systems

That last step is increasingly important with newer vehicles. Make sure you disconnect your smartphone from your infotainment system, and that you end any subscription services you use. If you ever used in-vehicle navigation or made phone calls, make sure to clear out the addresses and any other contact information for yourself, your relatives, and your friends. In addition, if you use a garage door opener, make sure to delete all that information, too.