Keeping your car dirty and cluttered is a great way to shave off a few hundred dollars from your final selling price.
It may be painful to spend the time or fork over the cash to detail a used car to sell. But cleaning your used car thoroughly not only makes your car look more appealing and newer, it also sends a signal about how the car has been cared for over the years.
"Getting your car cleaned makes a huge difference," Kovach says.
On the other hand, a dirty or cluttered car can jump out to prospective buyers as a clunker.
"You could have the most well-maintained car but if it's messy on the inside, it doesn't send that message that it's going to be a good car," Kovach says. "They might be wondering, 'If this is how they take care of their car's interior, I can't imagine what the engine is like.'"