Pros and Cons Of Fixing Dents Before Selling Your Car

Even the most careful person can’t keep their car 100% safe from dents. A hailstorm, a rock flying on the road, or even a shopping cart at a parking lot are just a few of the minor potential damages. A couple of minor dings might be okay with you, but if you’re planning on selling your car, this damage can hinder your sale. A potential new owner doesn’t really look for a big ding in the driver’s door. Let’s go over some of the pros and cons of fixing dents before selling your car.

Should Dents Get Fixed?

The following are the pros and cons of fixing dings or dents before selling your car.

Pros

#1 Your car will make a positive first impression on potential buyers. There is a lot of competition in the car selling industry. So it is very important to make a good first impression on customers looking at your car. Any visible dents or dings are a major turnoff that you should avoid. A car that looks good will get you more buyers and will make it a quicker sale.

#2 You might get more money for your car. Making sure that your car is in the best shape can help increase its value. This means that you will probably get more money when you sell your car. Don’t give the buyer an excuse to negotiate a lower price.

Cons

#1 You will be responsible for paying for the repair. We suggest you balance the price of the repair against your car’s value to see if fixing it is cost-effective. A $3,000 repair could potentially be less of a big deal if your car is valued at $25,000 than if it’s worth only $10,000. Even if your repair is covered by insurance, you still have to cover the deductible.

#2 Repairs take time. If you’re looking to sell your car in a rush because you have a new car lined up or maybe you need fast cash, you will likely have to wait some days or even weeks to get the dents fixed and it can be too much of a headache.

#3 If you’re planning on trading in your car it is very different than selling your car. If this is your case, you’ll be negotiating with a dealership that can have damage like dents and dings repaired at cost.

What Else Should I Fix?

You need to make sure to take care of any issues that would keep your vehicle from passing a safety inspection. Here are some of the most common used-car problems and advice on whether you should fix them.

Scratches

Small scratches in your car’s paint are very easy to repair with a little bit of touch-up paint. For bigger dings, you should do a cost-value comparison to see if it’s worth doing. You should also talk to your auto body shop about painting your car vs wrapping to restore its appearance.

Rust

Rust is a very common issue. The bad news is that fixing a rusty car is not worth it if the body panels or underframe have been affected, but you could sell it for scrap. When the rust is not severe you can always compare the repair price with the value of your vehicle before you decide to fix it.

Windshield

Having a car with a cracked windshield is a turnoff for buyers. You have to find out if your insurance will cover it. If not, it will still be worth it to fix it.

Detailing

Everybody wants to buy a car and feel like it’s new, even when it’s pre-owned. Detailing is a great way to achieve that feeling. Unless you’re advertising your car as a total clunker t=at a very low price, go for it and invest in detailing your car before selling it.

Auto Body Repair in Las Vegas

If you’re thinking about selling your car but it has some dents in it, bring it down to Sudden Impact Auto and we’ll take care of it. We’ll make it look new so your car value increases. Call us today at 702-457-3002 for a free quote and get started!