If you are getting ready to sell your old car, then you should take some time and make sure it's looking as good as possible. It won't help you any if the car runs perfectly but looks atrocious. People who are buying a used car still want one that looks nice, so you can't sit back and rely on the fact that you always had the engine tuned up and the brake pads changed. No, you've got to make sure it looks as good as possible. Consider it an investment. The nicer the car looks, the faster it will sell. Then it will be off your hands and you can sell it and get your new car. Here are a few things to do.  

Bang Out The Dents (Or Pop Them Out) Dents are a big red flag for most people. They see a car with dents and envision the wrecks that the car might have gotten into. So, if there are dents, get them fixed. You can head to a body shop and get them popped out using suction cups, or body hammers. If the dents are not too severe and the paint was not cracked, then the body shop might not even have to do any repair work with compound and paint.

Get A Fresh Coat Of Paint

Even if you don't have a dent that requires new paint, it might be a good idea to get the car painted. A new paint job will liven up the car and make it look like new. This is especially true if you've parked outside for many years and the original coat has been sun-faded, or is fulled with thousands of tiny little nicks that have dulled the original sheen. These are things that you might have grown accustomed to, but consider what someone will see when they look at the car with fresh eyes.

Steam Clean The Interior

You also want the car to look fresh and clean on the inside. It's not a winning plan to have potential buyers open up the door and see stained seats and dirty floors. So, bring your car to an auto retailer and have them do a thorough steam cleaning. You can even have them use one of those "new car" scents that people love so much.

New Rims And Tires

Lastly, consider getting some new tires and rims. You don't have to get super expensive designer rims, but if you've been riding around on super filthy rims that simply won't get clean no matter how hard you scrub them, you might want to get new rims installed. At the same time, get brand-new tires. This, coupled with the fresh paint and clean interior, will really go far in selling the car.