If you’re ready for a new car and can’t wait to get rid of your old one, then you will surely want to trade it in. This is a good way to easily deal with your old car and save some money when buying the new one. If you don’t have as much as you’d like to have for a down payment then the trade-in can help you out there.
The key is to make sure that you can get as much as possible for your trade-in. You may think that the value of your car is just what it is. The reality is that there are things you can do to increase the value before you trade it in. In this article, we will go over some of those ways so when you bring your car to an Evanston car dealer you will get the most possible.
1 – Dive into the research
The thing that you want to avoid more than anything is to show up at the dealer without knowing what the value of your car is. You have to expect the dealer to try to give you the lowest offer possible. If you don’t know the worth you may end up taking less than you should.
By taking some time before you go to the lot to find out the value of the car then you can avoid that. You’ll be able to see what the value is based on the year, make, model, and condition of the car.
Not only will this give you enough to understand to be able to negotiate but it will also give you a good starting point if you decide to make improvements to increase the value of the car.
2 – Do some upgrades
You can increase the value of the car by giving it a bit of a makeover. There are things that can be improved that don’t cost a lot of money. For instance, if there are any elements that are worn out or look run down then you should do something to fix them.
If there is upholstery that is tired looking then have it shampooed and get rid of any stains. Rusty areas on the car should be fixed as well. You can often do this yourself by getting some rust remover, some sandpaper, and a bit of paint. In a few hours, it will be barely noticeable.
3 – Negotiate the trade-in on its own
Before you even go out on the lot to find the ideal new car for you, try to find out what you are going to get for the trade-in. You’ll probably get a much higher offer this way if you aren’t bundling the offer into what you offer for the new car. The dealer has a lot more leverage on the negotiations when you do everything at once.
You’ll get a good deal for the trade-in and probably even get a better deal on the car that you are interested in at the same time.
