To help shoppers make the most of this time, Dustin Woods, associate editor at Autotrader.ca, is sharing simple car care tips that will pay off when reselling a vehicle.

Tires 

Whether you’re selling your vehicle to a dealership or through a private listing, the tires will factor into the price. Often overlooked, tire maintenance requires upkeep from the beginning, including keeping proper inflation levels and rotating tires to ensure longevity. If you’ve kept up with maintenance, it’s useful to hold on to any records you may have so you can reference them when a buyer is interested.

Detail 

No one wants to buy a car that feels used. It’s easy to recreate that new-car experience by detailing the interior and exterior. Clean out any debris, wipe down all surfaces and remove any personal items. Don’t forget to take those dirty floor mats out of the car and vacuum them or hose them down if they are rubber winter mats. Not only is this more visually pleasing for buyers, it also shows them that the vehicle was well taken care of. If you don’t have time to do this yourself, investing in a professional detailer to do a deep clean on your car will pay off.

Get a health-check 

Visit your mechanic and ask for a full health-check on your vehicle. Fluid and brake inspections are important after those long winter months, when we’ve been harder on our cars than usual. Once you have a record of the car’s current condition, you can share this with potential buyers so they feel confident in the purchase they’re making.

When your car is fixed up and ready for resale, take a look on Autotrader.ca to identify your vehicle’s value so you know what a fair price looks like.