Guide and tips
Every year, around 10.5 million cars change hands in Germany, approximately 3.5 million new cars and 7 million used cars. Are you also toying with the idea of buying a new car? Or are you wondering whether an upcoming repair is still worthwhile? We can give you tips on how to achieve the best possible sales result for your used car.
Before selling, you should find out what your car is worth: Internet portals such as AutoScout24 or mobile.de provide initial indications. Immediately after initial registration and in the first two years, a vehicle depreciates enormously in value. After that, the loss in value is somewhat more moderate, but still very high. Anyone who sells their new car after just five years is therefore generally making a bad deal. The loss in value is then up to 65 per cent. In the following five years, it is then only 25 per cent in total. It is therefore advisable to keep a new car for a few years first.
Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly reliable: whereas the average age in the 1970s was around five and a half years, it is now more than nine years. In past decades, many engines often reached the end of their service life after just 100,000 kilometres - today, 150,000 kilometres is the rule rather than the exception.
Regular inspections are important for the safety of the car, but also provide valuable information about upcoming repairs. Repair costs usually rise as the vehicle's service life increases. Many car owners then think about buying a younger vehicle. In most cases, however, it is still worth investing a few hundred euros in repairs and spare parts for older vehicles. Only when the costs are higher should you reconsider, because repairs generally do not increase the sales value of the car.
As a rule of thumb, if the repair costs amount to more than half of the residual value, it is better not to invest any more in the car but to sell it. However, if you don't shy away from more expensive repairs, you really should keep your car until the bitter end.
Buyers particularly appreciate a new general inspection sticker on an older used vehicle, as this gives them the confidence that the vehicle is currently without any recognisable defects and is therefore roadworthy. Even if the vehicle has hardly any residual value, it makes sense to invest in another general inspection. A fresh MOT sticker often fetches 1,000 to 2,000 euros when sold.
Cosmetic repairs, on the other hand, have little influence on the value. However, it is always worth giving the car a thorough clean inside and out. Take your used car to the car wash again so that it makes a good first impression.