Expert Advice on Maintaining the Value of Your Van

Depreciation is unavoidable if you have a van. In fact, it is by the largest motoring cost you will face. The older your van gets, the lower its resale value gets, which is why you never sell your used van at its original price.

While it is true that depreciation cannot be halted, there are things you can do to maintain the value of your van, so that should you ever decide to sell, you will be able to sell it off for a good figure?

Keep to a strict maintenance schedule  

One of the keys to keeping your van in the best of shapes is to stick to a proper maintenance schedule. In fact, it is best if you follow the maintenance timetable on the manufacturer’s manual.

When you keep to your monthly maintenance appointment at the garage, it is easier to detect faults ahead of time, or before they escalate into expensive repairs. So, not only is this a good motoring habit, but it also saves you money. A good idea is to set a reminder on your phone or computer’s calendar ahead of time so that you can choose a date that suits your schedule.

Remember daily checks  

Before you drive out in the morning, there are a series of checks you are expected to carry out on your van by yourself. It will take about 20 minutes of your time or less to do these routine checks. They include checking for oil spills, gauging the oils, tyres and a host of other basic maintenance activities. This way, you can detect any problem before it occurs, and your van will never break down on you suddenly.

Also, a keen potential buyer will be impressed with the fact that your vehicle is well maintained, a fact that would help its value.

Have the complete paperwork  

It will be very difficult to sell a used van for good money if the paperwork is incomplete. Asides from the fear that the vehicle might be stolen, a new buyer will likely face plenty of hassles when trying to recover some of the missing paperwork.

For this reason, it is important that you keep your vehicle’s paperwork up to date, and secure. This also includes the vehicle’s servicing report sheet and handbook. Nothing reassures a potential buyer like a complete stack of paperwork showing that you are on top of servicing and that your van is properly insured.

Watch the mileage

When it comes to the resell value of your vehicle, mileage plays a very important role. The higher the number of miles on your van, the lower the resell value. A van that is 5 years old and has 10,000 miles on it will sell better than a van of 2 years old with 50,000 miles. Therefore, if you intend to sell your van after a while, consider ways to improve vehicle mileage.

Leave important details to the professionals

Nothing reduces the value of a van faster than a shoddy paint job or windshield wiper blades that don’t match. Even if you are really smart with machines and have a lot of experience with vehicles, there are just some things you should leave to the people who are qualified to handle them, especially if you intend to get good value for your van when selling off.

Of course, you are not expected to run to a qualified mechanic for every cough and rattle, but make sure a qualified one handles major repairs so that your van can keep its value.