tips on car valuation Page 9

Want a fair car valuation without summoning your inner accountant? Here’s the quick-and-dirty playbook that won’t make your eyes glaze over.

• Start with recent sales, not asking prices: check Tradingpost listings and completed sales, then cross‑reference RedBook/Glass’s.
• Adjust for kilometres, service history, options, and tyres—receipts add dollars, bald rubber subtracts them.
• Condition trumps age: minor panel dings or a scruffy interior can swing value by thousands.
• Check market timing: tax time and long weekends shift demand; rare colours or manuals can be niche gold—or doorstops.
• Account for costs due soon: rego, timing belts, brakes—buyers will.

Reality‑check your figure with two comparable cars above and below your price. Then list it confidently, leave a small negotiation buffer, and don’t be afraid to walk.