How Much of Your Work is Pre-Sale Prep?

Coach Steve

Coach Steve

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I don't know if it's just me or if it's common but it seems like I do a lot of cars for people who are selling them. Granted, a freshly, professionally detailed car is going to help keep the price up for the seller. It would be very interesting to know definitively just how much more money a car's value increased as a result of it being detailed.

Do any of you see many of these types of jobs?
 
I am just starting out and so far in a couple of months I've done 2 cars (wash/clay/sealant/interior) for people who were planning to sell them in the near future


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I charge them how I normally would. If I get a car that needs a quick vac and wipe, 2-3 hours? If I get something that makes me feel I need a hazmat suit, 10-15 hours.

Exterior is the same. They usually start pulling out the big $$ when I start pointing out screwed up body work (runs, OP, dust, hard tape lines, etc)

It all comes down to the customers budget and what you feel your time is worth.
 
I would say a clean interior isn't going to raise the price of the car but it will be a much faster sell if the car is clean.
 
I can't comment on what % of my business is sale prep but like others have said treat them like any other vehicle but chances are the next owner won't care about perfect paint. They don't know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel so a gloss booster (AIO) might be the most commonly sought after option. Try and gauge your customer's realistic goals and go from there. One other comment to add. IMO a clean car doesn't necessarily "add" value to a vehicle but instead makes the vehicle easier to sell. First impression is everything. Hope that helps answer part of your question or just adds a little insight to your question.
 
Almost half of mine have been too. I am just starting out also.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I wasn't really asking for advice,:o:D I was more just curious if anyone else gets a significant number of vehicles through their doors that are pre-sale prep jobs.
As for the question about whether or not a higher price is realized by detailing a given car... that was hypothetical due to the fact that you can't sell the exact same car at the same time twice with one being freshly detailed and the other not. It just isn't possible.

Regarding what I charge... exactly the same as I would charge for the same work on a car that's not being sold. In fact, I'm less apt to negotiate the price due to the fact that in my mind, I firmly believe the car WILL sell for more BECAUSE of the work I'm doing which translates to more $$ for the seller as a direct result of my efforts.
If I do a car for, let's say $200, and the owner makes an extra $1,000 or more because of it and I don't charge said customer correctly for the work I've done, then I've done the customer a favor which probably isn't going to be reciprocated. It's not like he's going to stop by my house right after he sells the car and toss me a big fat tip.

The only piece of evidence that leads me to believe a detailed car sells for more money is what I've heard customers tell me and hearing it from a referral that "Joe X said you did his car and he got a lot more money for it. How much will you charge me to do mine?"
Now, there might be truth to that and it might just be that the seller believes the car is worth more and decides to stand firm on his price rather than believing the perceived value is actually less (for the not detailed version of the car) and therefore drops his price just to get rid of it.
 
I'm working on a few cars that are for sale or have just been sold and are awaiting delivery to the new owners. It does help. I worked on a car the other day that was for sale. A lady came in took to look at it and loved the way it looked. She bought it. I also detailed a car for a guy who about to pick up. He was really happy with the like new condition when he took delivery. I find people are impressed when all the jambs & hinges are cleaned. Its the extra detail that most people over look. Most people think they just have to wash the exterior of their vehicle.
 
A vehicle has a set value on it which is manipulated through financial institutions (banks, etc., depending on condition). If someone is going to finance a vehicle, the bank will only allow so much to be borrowed, and of course that also depends on credit scores.

A professionally detailed vehicle gives the seller the advantage to go for “top dollar”, and again, that price is generally dictated via NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association).

Resales for me is about 30% of my work load, but most of those are RVs and Motor Homes. About 80% of my customers are through referrals either through other customers or RV dealers. An individual customer will hire me to do the work, not the dealership which means I don't have to lower my prices or standards to dealership levels.
 
04Golf said:
I'm working on a few cars that are for sale or have just been sold and are awaiting delivery to the new owners. It does help. I worked on a car the other day that was for sale. A lady came in took to look at it and loved the way it looked. She bought it. I also detailed a car for a guy who about to pick up. He was really happy with the like new condition when he took delivery. I find people are impressed when all the jambs & hinges are cleaned. Its the extra detail that most people over look. Most people think they just have to wash the exterior of their vehicle.
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About a year ago, I started offering my services to not only detail the cars for those who are having it done prior to listing the cars, but also brokering them. That has turned into a really nice new resource for extra $$. I take care of everything for the owner, including listing the vehicle, fielding calls, showing them, keeping them clean in the interim (which I've discovered people really like about the deal - not having to keep it sale-ready) acting as liaison between the buyer and seller with offers and counters and arranging for the two to meet to complete the deal. It sounds like a lot but it really doesn't take all that much time and I make a tidy commission on top of the $$ paid for the detail. I've done it for 11 vehicles up to now.

I just finished a VW Westfalia that I'm brokering and stand to make some serious change on it. I can't believe how much people are willing to pay for one that's in the kind of shape this one is in. Original sticker on it was $24,000 and the owner is asking $39,000 - and will probably get it! Unreal....

scrubs147 said:
A vehicle has a set value on it which is manipulated through financial institutions (banks, etc., depending on condition). If someone is going to finance a vehicle, the bank will only allow so much to be borrowed, and of course that also depends on credit scores.

A professionally detailed vehicle gives the seller the advantage to go for “top dollar”, and again, that price is generally dictated via NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association).

Resales for me is about 30% of my work load, but most of those are RVs and Motor Homes. About 80% of my customers are through referrals either through other customers or RV dealers. An individual customer will hire me to do the work, not the dealership which means I don't have to lower my prices or standards to dealership levels.
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Good points and you're absolutely right about NADA and standards by which cars are valued. In my particular case, the cars I prep, for whatever reason, are generally cash deals between the buyer/seller - from what I've been told by those who are regular customers who readily volunteer that info the next time they see me and brag about how much they were able to get for their car.
 
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