Negosentro| Adding New Features to Your Car? Think Twice… | You might be thinking about getting a new paint job for your car, a better sound system, or window tinting…
All well and good, but you should keep in mind that when you try to modify your car in any way, you’re putting yourself at a huge risk regarding its value.
So, what should you go for? What shouldn’t you go for? And what do you need to know before making such a decision?
Here’s all you need to know before you consider changing anything about your car…
Why You Should Care About this
Your car is probably the second biggest purchase you’re ever going to make in your whole life (second to your house). But unlike your house, adding new features and renovating it most probably damages its value…
Because the moment you decide to add something new to your car, you’ve eliminated an array of potential buyers.
And yes, you might not exactly be a vanilla kind of person… you might like to suit yourself and get comfy inside what you’re driving, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles… cars look way less appealing to a lot of people and agencies when they’re tinkered with. And this is not something an online car valuation tool will tell you… you will only find it out when someone physically inspects your car.
Let’s face it, you might love the look of those black rims on your Toyota Corolla 2012, but does a potential buyer imagine the car that way when they’re coming to buy it? Probably not.
You might not care about this because you’re planning on never selling it, but you never know what might happen. You could end up in need of quick cash and want to sell your car fast, but having modified it might make the whole thing take up a lot more time.
However, some improvements will guarantee you a price increase, because they will definitely be adding something valuable and practical to it.
Let’s get to know what’s a good mod and what isn’t…
Which Mods Damage the Value of Your Car?
- Engine Tune-ups: Some drivers like to get on the highway more often and get the most out of their car, but if you decide to modify your car to burn more and accelerate faster, that’s a big NO for any regular driver, people usually look for saving up on fuel and be more economic, nobody wants a race car to take their children to school.
- New Paint: New paint means a lot to an experienced buyer. It can mean that your car had scratches or dents beforehand, and a badly applied paint job can affect some of your car’s feature functionality as well.
- Custom Parts: This kind of modification is only good for racing cars and car collectors. If you’re not in league with those guys, definitely do not consider adding spoilers, side skirts, window tinting, stickers, etc. – people won’t like them.
- Wheels and Rims: These look beautiful on a car until they’re out of fashion… surely some models, even luxury models, use all-black rims and all kinds of flashy stuff, but still, custom added is obvious, and what you might find appealing others might not.
- Lights: To an experienced car buyer, an added set of lights has a huge potential for being ruined because they’re most likely not installed correctly. Add to that the paperwork and regulations that might go into them.
Pretty much everything mentioned above, and everything along the lines of unprofessionally added tech, such as cameras, entertainment systems, different seats, an added radio… all that hits your car’s value hard.
Which Mods Increase the Value of Your Car?
- New Tires: Having used a car for some time will definitely wear out its tires, which means when you install a new set of tires, you’re getting better traction and handling. There are many kinds of good tires you can get and specific types for driving in winter or on harsh roads. Installing new tires is always a plus.
- Factory-installed Seats or Interior Enhancements: Pretty much anything factory installed is more trustworthy to any buyer. It reduces the chances of any mistakes during the installment, looks natural, and adds value to the car. Heading that direction is definitely the first option you should consider when you want to add to your car.
- Sunroof: If you own a somewhat luxury car that doesn’t have a sunroof, you should probably think about installing one because that’s something a potential buyer of the car would be expecting to see. But keep in mind, a poorly installed sunroof is easy to spot… and that won’t be good for the value of your car.
- Anything that Adds to Safety: Securing your car is an important aspect for any driver. After all, your car is your reliable pal that takes you wherever you want… that’s why a professionally installed GPS tracking system or an alarm system will always get you more money for what you’re selling.
It’s always a good thing to get comfy in what you’re driving. But always remember, when it comes to modifying cars, there’s always a thin line between properly optioned and extremely over-personalized.
