When you're ready to list your current vehicle in your local online classifieds with the plan of selling it and buying a newer set of wheels, it's important to give some thought to the condition of the car sitting in your driveway. While any prospective buyer will want to be sure that it runs smoothly, the look of the vehicle is also important. Simply put, if the body of the car leaves a little to be desired, you might have trouble getting your asking price. It's worthwhile to take the vehicle to your local auto body repair shop before listing it for sale. Without spending a lot of money, you can get a series of jobs done that will boost the car's visual appeal. Here are some ideas.

Filling The Dents

It's common for older cars to have a variety of dents on the doors, quarter panels and bumpers, but if you have an auto body repair professional fill these dents, your car will look better and send a clear message that you're an owner who has taken proper care of the vehicle. For many small dents that are common in older vehicles, a technician can quickly fix these areas easily with a specialized body filler, sand the area smooth and repaint it to match the rest of the body panel.

Remove Rust Spots

Rusty areas on a used vehicle can scare prospective buyers away, given that they may be legitimately concerned about the likelihood of the rust spreading. Your local auto body repair shop is the right place to take a vehicle with rust spots. For major rusted-out areas, the technician may opt to replace the entire panel — an up-front investment for you but one that should hopefully pay off in helping you get a higher sale price for the vehicle. For smaller areas, grinding out the rust and filling the void will leave the panel looking as good as new.

Loose Body Panels

If you've ever mistakenly backed into a fence post or had a similar issue, you might have a bumper or body panel that is slightly loose. In many cases, the damage will be easy to fix — there's a good chance that the pin or bracket holding the panel in place is simply broken. This means that your technician can swap out the broken piece with a new one and snug up the fit of the body panel, which will make you feel more confident when you list the vehicle for sale.  

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