Should you fix the dents and scratches before selling your car?

Usually yes, for the cheap, visible stuff: bumper scuffs, door dings, a rusty bonnet edge, kerbed wheels. Buyers knock far more off the price for visible damage than the repair costs, and a car with no obvious marks sells faster. Skip the big-ticket repairs on a low-value car, and be honest in the ad about anything you leave.

How buyers see damage

A buyer looking at a car with a scraped bumper doesn't think "that's a small respray". They think "what else hasn't been looked after?" and they use the damage to bargain. A clean, straight car gets fewer tyre-kickers and closer-to-asking offers.

Worth fixing

• Bumper scuffs and scratches. The most visible damage on most cars and one of the quicker repairs. See bumper repairs.
• Door dings and small dents with the paint intact. Paintless dent removal is quick and keeps the factory paint, which is exactly what a buyer wants to see.
• Rust bubbles on a bonnet edge, wheel arch or door bottom. Buyers walk away from rust. A small rust repair done properly removes the objection. Our rust guide explains what's involved.
• Scratched clear coat. Often a polish, not a repaint, and it transforms how the car looks.
• A faded or peeling bonnet or roof on an otherwise good car. A respray of one panel can lift the whole car.

Not usually worth fixing

• Heavy damage on a car worth little. If the repair is a big share of the car's value, sell it as is and price it accordingly, or sell to a dealer.
• Cosmetic marks on a car going to trade-in. Dealers price in reconditioning anyway; a tidy wash and a small bumper fix is usually enough.
• Anything structural you'd have to disclose regardless.

Be honest in the ad

Queensland law and the major sales sites expect you to describe the car accurately. If you leave a dent, say so and photograph it. If you've had a repair done, say that too; a buyer who finds a repaired panel they weren't told about assumes the worst.

The safety certificate

Selling a registered car privately in Queensland means a safety certificate for the transfer. It doesn't care about cosmetic damage, but it does care about rust in structural areas, cracked windscreens and sharp edges, so some panel work can be a pass-or-fail matter. We do roadworthy inspections and the repairs in the same workshop. Read our safety certificate guide.

Presentation that costs little

• A proper wash, including wheels and door jambs.
• Clean the glass inside and out.
• Empty the car and vacuum it.
• Photograph it in open shade with the sun behind you, early or late in the day.
• Straight-on and three-quarter shots of each side, plus the interior and the odometer.

Order of operations

1. Get the cosmetic repairs quoted. Send photos and we'll tell you what's worth doing.
2. Do the repairs.
3. Wash and photograph the car.
4. Book the safety certificate when you're close to a sale.
5. List it.

If you're not sure whether a repair will pay for itself, ask. We'll tell you straight, including when the answer is "don't bother".