Sell Your Car For More Money

Professional Preparation That Pays For Itself

Sell your car for more

Prepare Your Vehicle For Sale

Buyers don’t pay for the car you’ve owned.

What's Your Car Worth?

Takes 30 seconds
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Part ExchangeTrade-in at dealer -
Instant BuyersWBAC, Motorway, Cinch -
Dealer ForecourtWhat dealers sell for -

Selling privately could get you - more than instant buyers

First, put your reg in and see the car’s real numbers. Private sale, part exchange and instant buyer sit side by side, so the gap between them is plain to see. In short, that gap is what preparation plays for.

They pay for the car they can see.

Every valuation assumes an average example, because average is what most cars look like on the day someone decides to sell. The distance between average and clearly cared-for is therefore the cheapest value you will ever add to a car, and closing that distance is our job. So check what the car is worth first, then decide how far to go to sell your car for more.

5.0 from 727 Google reviews. Williams Racing approved.

The maths of it

Every mark gets priced twice

A scratch never costs you what it costs to fix. Instead, it costs whatever the buyer decides it says about the car. That is the whole case for preparation, so here it is straight.

  • Instant buyers mark to a checklist

    We Buy Any Car, Motorway, Cinch. The online quote is the best case, because the inspection exists to close the gap. Every scuff, stain and ding on their sheet is a deduction, so a prepared car simply gives them a shorter list to work with.

  • Private buyers price the doubt, not the flaw

    A tired interior doesn’t read as a ยฃ120 valet. Instead, it reads as a car that has been treated like this everywhere you can’t see. Nobody negotiates that feeling down item by item. They knock hundreds off, or they stop replying.

  • Part exchange is priced at their labour rates

    The dealer values your car at what it costs them to make it retail-ready, at their hourly rate, with their margin on top. So arrive with the work already done, because then there is less on the list for them to charge you for.

  • The photos are what sell a car for more

    Scroll the listings for your own model and watch what you do. A car that looks freshly detailed will sell for more, and sell faster. Meanwhile the dusty ones sit for weeks, take the low offers, or both. Of course, your buyers are doing exactly the same scroll.

Volvo XC40 on the ownerโ€™s drive, prepared by MAX WAX to help sell the car for more
Prepared at the ownerโ€™s home, then photographed right there on the drive. This is the picture that goes in the advert, so it is doing the negotiating before anyone rings you.

Three ways in

Match the prep to the car

A ยฃ4,000 runabout and a ยฃ40,000 estate deserve different budgets, so we do this at three levels. All of them mobile across Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, or at the studio at Brighton City Airport.

Freshly valeted grey BMW X3 outside the MAX WAX workshop, a quick refresh to help sell the car for more

The refresh

MAX Maintain

For a car that’s already looked after and just needs to look it on camera. In short, a proper wash and interior once-over that takes the everyday film off the whole car, inside and out.

ยฃ120 +VAT. About 90 minutes.

MAX WAX technician deep cleaning an engine bay, preparation that helps sell a car for more

Most sellers choose this

The MAX WAX

The full inside-and-out job. Interior deep cleaned, exterior washed, decontaminated and finished, so the car photographs like one that has been cared for since day one.

ยฃ300 +VAT. About half a day.

Yellow Porsche Cayman GT4 detailed in the MAX WAX studio so the owner can sell the car for more

The strongest listing

MAX WAX Prestige

Our deepest preparation. Detailing rather than valeting, for cars with real value to protect, because at this level the difference between clean and immaculate is measured in hundreds of pounds.

ยฃ600 +VAT. A full day.

Not sure which level would help you sell your car for more? Send us photos on WhatsApp first, and we’ll tell you straight, including when the honest answer is the cheapest one.

Beyond cleaning

The marks that cost real money

Cleaning changes how the car reads, but these fix the things a buyer can point at. Each one has its own page, and most of them can also be folded into the same visit as the valet.

  • Dents

    Paintless dent removal from ยฃ80. A door ding is the easiest “knock ยฃ300 off” a buyer will ever spot, yet it usually comes out in under an hour.

  • Scuffs, scratches and kerbed alloys

    MAX PAINT is our paint and wheel side, so you get colour-matched repair with a detailer’s eye, without body shop prices or body shop timescales.

  • Dull, swirled paintwork

    Paintwork correction takes the wash marks out of the clear coat instead of glossing over them. Indeed, it is what makes ten-year-old paint photograph like new.

  • The engine bay

    A clean engine bay quietly tells every viewer the car has been looked after by someone who cares. After all, it is one of the first places a knowledgeable buyer looks.

  • Damp and odours

    A musty smell ends sales on the doorstep, so if there is moisture or mould anywhere in the car, that is the first thing to put right, not the last.

Before you book anything

When it isn’t worth it

Preparation is an investment, but not every car returns it, so here is how we’d call it.

Think twice

Low value, straight to the trade

If the car is worth a couple of thousand and it’s going to an instant buyer this week, a ยฃ600 detail will not come back to you. However, a Maintain and half an hour with a phone camera in good light might. If even that looks marginal, we’ll say so on WhatsApp before you have spent a penny.

Where it pays hardest

Private sale, decent car

A solid car selling privately for ยฃ8,000 or more is where preparation earns multiples of what it costs. First the advert stands out in the search results, then the viewing confirms what the photos promised, and finally the buyer arrives having already run out of excuses to chip the price. In other words, this is how you sell a good car for more.

How it goes

From photos to sold

  • 1. Send photos, or just the reg

    First, WhatsApp us pictures of the car as it stands. We’ll then come back with what is worth doing, what isn’t, and a price for the bits that are. Of course, this advice is free, and occasionally it talks people out of spending money with us.

  • 2. We do the work

    Next, we come to your home or workplace, anywhere across Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire, because the vans carry their own power and water. Meanwhile, heavier correction work, and anything best done under steady light, happens at the studio at Brighton City Airport.

  • 3. Photograph it the same day

    Finally, the car never looks better than the hours after we finish, so have the camera ready. Good light, clean background, and the advert goes up while the car still has that finish on it.

From our Google reviews

Sellers, in their own words

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Posted on Google Google
Marc Convey profile picture
Marc Convey
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+2
Hard not to give these guys 5 stars. The pre-sale clean was top notch as you would expect but the customer service went above and beyond. My car bonnet release lever broke so they couldn't get access to clean the engine bay, but happily did the job on separate day. And they didn't charge me an extra despite having to give the whole car a once over again. Highly recommended for multiple reasons.

Owner's reply
Thank you Marc. Glad the pre-sale detail at our Shoreham studio hit the mark, and that we could help with the bonnet too. All the best with the sale from all of us. MAX WAX Team
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Geoffrey Swayne profile picture
Geoffrey Swayne
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+3
You'll get the work done cheaper elsewhere, but not to the same standard. I had my 9 year old three series tidied up and valeted ready for sale. As I work just down the road from Max Wax they cut me a good deal. Here are a couple of the after shots of my 3 series. If you're looking for a cheap and cheerful job, I'd look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a proper professional job and are willing to pay for it, these guys should be on your short list.

Owner's reply
Thank you Geoffrey. Standards are what we're about, and we're glad the pre-sale detail and paintwork at our Shoreham studio showed it. Enjoy it around Worthing. MAX WAX Team
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Bee Lewis profile picture
Bee Lewis
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Wanted to get my car ready for sale and asked MaxWax to help. I am delighted with how it looks - and Miles was just brilliant, with a keen eye for detail. Would highly recommend!

Owner's reply
Good Morning Bee, Thanks for your business and your kind words. Really pleased you are happy with our services and we look forward to looking after you again in the future. Many thanks The MAX WAX Team
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Edmund Peel profile picture
Edmund Peel
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Good service, very prompt, good value. Did a great job on an old car for sale. Thanks

Owner's reply
Thank you Edmund. A pre-sale valet can make all the difference, and we're glad your car looked great for the sale in Liss. MAX WAX Team
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Richard Mason profile picture
Richard Mason
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F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C. ! I'm a 73 year old guy who (I'm a bit embarrassed to tell you) hasn't exactly looked after the interior of my [now 18 year old car]. Coffee spillage; crumbs off an occasional chocolate bar; travelling hand bag, and general work horse etc. I hope you will allow me to say 'I was literally on the verge of putting this much loved vehicle up for sale' when, luckily, someone recommended Max Wax. {I enquired,... and whilst I thought the costs were perhaps 'more than a lot of people would want to pay' ... when I saw the results - not only did my jaw fall open, but I thought "what they've done here, and ALL that they've done is cheap at the price ! " . I am One Happy Bunny, I can tell you. So much so, I might well take up one of their favourable long term discount options. And I'll tell my friends and acquaintances; and honestly: can thoroughly recommend MAX WAX 's services (especially if you see Jamie and the team in their Shoreham airport complex.. ). xxx

Owner's reply
Thank you Richard. No need to be embarrassed, that is exactly what we are here for. Glad the interior came up so well, and lovely to look after you in Littlehampton. MAX WAX Team
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Alex N profile picture
Alex N
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Hired Max Wax to get my family car ready for sale. Both interior and exterior hadnโ€™t been looked after and had transported our 4 and 6 year olds around for the last few years. Clint did an amazing job to bring it all back, especially the interior which was absolutely immaculate. The work did take longer than was estimated but this was discussed prior to them proceeding and at a discounted rate. Overall a very good experience and very happy to recommend.

Owner's reply
Thank you for your review Alex and kind words. Hopefully we will see you again in the future!
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kevin rowlands profile picture
kevin rowlands
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Aaron and his colleague Ben did an amazing job. This was 2 man job Ben did the inside and then couldn't continue as he had issues with his steam cleaning equipment so Aaron was assigned with continuing the job to completion and what an amazing finish especially contending with the cold weather. This was a pre-sale job so my car could go to its new owner looking like a new pin. I was so impressed with the finish and professionalism of Aaron and the team. Thanks very much. I do recommend this service to anyone wanting a thorough valet on their pride and joy.

Owner's reply
Thank you Kevin. Aaron and Ben make a great team, inside and out. Good to look after you in Reigate. MAX WAX Team

Common questions

Straight answers

Is it worth valeting a car before selling it?

Usually, yes. Preparation typically costs between ยฃ120 and ยฃ600 and the difference in what the car fetches is normally a multiple of that, because buyers deduct far more for a flaw than the flaw costs to fix. However, the honest exception is a low-value car going straight to the trade, where a light refresh or nothing at all can be the right call. So send us photos and we’ll tell you which side of the line your car sits on.

How much value does preparation add?

There is no fixed number, and be wary of anyone who quotes one, because it depends on the car, its value, and how you are selling it. Still, from doing this since 2004 we can say that a decent car, properly prepared and sold privately, will sell for more, and the return is commonly several times the cost of the work. On a ยฃ2,000 car sold to an instant buyer, however, it may add very little.

Can you make an old car look new?

No, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we can do instead is make a ten-year-old car look like a ten-year-old car that has been genuinely cherished, which is exactly what a used buyer is hoping to find. Meanwhile, marks that have gone through the paint, torn trim and kerbed wheels are repair jobs, and our MAX PAINT side handles those.

Will you tell me if it’s not worth doing?

Yes, and it happens regularly. The advice on WhatsApp is free, so if the car or the sale route doesn’t justify the spend, we’d rather say so than have you feel it didn’t pay. After all, people remember that when they come to sell the next car.

Do you come to me?

Yes. We cover Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire with vans that carry their own power and water, so home or workplace both work. However, deeper preparation and paint correction are better done at the studio at Brighton City Airport, and we’ll tell you if your car would benefit from coming in.

How close to selling should I book?

Book so the work finishes a day or two before you take the photos, and keep the car dry and unused in between if you can. After all, the car never looks better than the day we finish, and the advert should be built on that day.

I’m handing the car back to a lease company. Same thing?

Different job with a different aim. Sale preparation is about helping the car sell for more. Lease return preparation instead targets only the things the inspector is allowed to charge you for, and skips everything else. That has its own page: our lease return preparation service.

See the numbers before you decide

The valuation is instant, the advice on WhatsApp is free, and either one might tell you to spend nothing. However, when preparation does pay, you’ll know exactly what to book to sell your car for more.


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MAX Wash car valeting service Wash

An exterior refresh to keep your car looking sharp between deeper cleans. Perfect for regular upkeep.

ยฃ75+VAT 45 min

MAX Value car valeting service Value

Straightforward car care covering the essentials. A simple inside-and-out clean.

ยฃ95+VAT 45 min

MAX Maintain car valeting service Maintain

Ideal for new cars to maintain and sustain our previous work, this regular service keeps your car immaculate inside and out.

ยฃ120+VAT 1.5 hours

Winter MAX car valeting service

Get your car ready for winter. A deep exterior clean, sealed with Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax.

ยฃ150+VAT 1.5 hours

Interior MAX car valeting service

Clean and revive your vehicle's interior. Carpets and seats are dust-vacuumed and shampooed, interior trim cleansed, glass polished inside and out to remove dirt and odours.

ยฃ190+VAT 2 hours

In-Out MAX car valeting service

Pairs our Interior with a Detailed Exterior Wash. A noticeable refresh inside and out, sitting between Interior and the full detail.

ยฃ250+VAT 3 hours

MAX WAX detailing service

Combines our Interior and Exterior . Ideal for sale preparation, or getting your vehicle back into great condition. A comprehensive solution for those seeking a noticeable uplift in appearance.

ยฃ300+VAT 4 hours

MAX WAX Prestige detailing service

The Prestige offers a comprehensive refresh, targeting paint imperfections and scuffs for a significantly improved finish, while restoring the interior to a like-new state.

ยฃ600+VAT 8 hours

MAX WAX Correction detailing service

Focused exclusively on your vehicle's exterior, removing scratches and enhancing gloss to elevate paintwork to its best. Advanced machine polishing and compounds deliver head-turning results.

ยฃ600+VAT 8 hours

Williams Ceramic 8H coatingCeramic 8H

High-performance coating with 14% solid content and 8H hardness. Provides 89% mirror-like reflection, UV protection, and strong SiOโ‚‚ bonding.

ยฃ350+VAT
Williams Racing Official Licensee
Williams Ceramic 8H

Williams Ceramic Plus 10H coatingCeramic Plus 10H

Engineered with 26% solid content, this dual-layer coating achieves 10H hardness and long-lasting clarity. Its strong Siโ€“N backbone improves gloss, chemical resistance, and surface strength.

ยฃ450+VAT
Williams Racing Official Licensee
Williams Ceramic Plus 10H

Williams Self Healing Ceramic coatingSelf Healing Ceramic

The UK's first true self-healing ceramic coating. Repairs fine scratches when heated above 60 ยฐC or gradually at room temperature.

ยฃ750+VAT
Williams Racing Official Licensee
Williams Self Healing Ceramic