The walk-around appraisal
The walk-around that finds every scuff is building a case for a low trade number.
When you mention a trade-in, someone will usually take your keys and walk around your car. They run a hand over a door ding, look closely at the tires, note a chip in the windshield, maybe ask about a warning light. Often they say very little while they do it.
That walk-around is a real part of appraising a car. It's also a quiet conversation. By the time the number comes back, you've watched someone find every flaw, and a low offer feels earned. It's hard to push back on a number you just saw justified, one scratch at a time.
Here's how that can play out. Say an online buyer has already offered you $14,000 in writing. The dealer's appraisal comes back at $12,500, with a list of reasons. Without the written offer, $12,500 might sound fair. With it, you know the gap is $1,500, and you know someone will actually pay the higher number.
The answer isn't to argue about scratches. Your car's condition is what it is, and other buyers will see the same dings. The answer is to arrive with offers already in hand, so the appraisal has a clear number to beat.
If the dealer beats your best offer, great. If not, you sell the car to whoever made that offer, and nothing about the deal on your new car has to change.
Where it fits in the method
Related in the method
- Get three written offers
- Why they go to down payment first
- Loan-to-value and being underwater
- Bring your own financing
- Disclose the trade last