How to Detail Your Car for a Fast Sale and Top Dollar

Never, ever detail a car in direct Aussie sun. I don't care if it's 4pm and 'cooling down'. If the panels are hot, your soap will dry, your wax will smear, and you'll end up with water spots that are a nightmare to remove. Get it under a carport or wait for a cloudy day.

Empty everything. Under the seats, the glovebox, the spare tyre well. If a buyer opens the centre console and sees your old servo receipts and a half-eaten muesli bar, they'll think you haven't maintained the engine either. (Trust me on this one, first impressions are everything).

Blast the wheel arches and the underbody first. If you've been off-road, you'll be amazed how much red dirt is hiding in there. Don't worry about the paint yet, just get the heavy muck off the bottom.

Wash your wheels before the paint. Why? Because if you do them last, you'll splash brake dust and grime onto your clean car. Use a dedicated wheel brush. If the rims are caked in black dust, a product like Autoglym Magma works wonders, it turns purple when it hits iron particles. Satisfying as mate.

Chuck some snow foam on if you've got it, let it dwell for 5 minutes (don't let it dry!), then rinse. Then, use the two-bucket method, one with soapy water, one with clean water to rinse your mitt. Start from the roof and work your way down. Never use a sponge from the bottom of the car on the top.

After rinsing, run your hand over the paint. If it feels like sandpaper, it's covered in fallout and tree sap. Use a clay mitt with plenty of soapy water as lubricant. This makes the paint feel like silk. A buyer will touch the car, you want it to feel smooth, not crunchy.

Most people are scared of this, but a clean engine bay screams 'well maintained'. Cover the alternator with a plastic bag, spray some APC on the greasy bits, agitate with a brush, and rinse gently (no high pressure here!). Dry it off and apply a bit of plastic dressing. It'll look brand new.

Don't use a chamois. They're old school and they trap dirt that scratches the paint. Use a large microfibre drying towel. Pat it dry, don't drag it. Make sure you get the door jambs, buyers always look there.

Vacuum like your life depends on it. Use a soft brush to get dust out of the AC vents and buttons. For the seats, if they're leather, use a proper cleaner (I like Bowden's Leather Love). If they're fabric and stained, you might need a steam cleaner. Honestly, if the stains are bad, just hire one from the supermarket for fifty bucks. It's worth it.

Clean the windows twice. Once with glass cleaner, then a final wipe with a dry, clean microfibre. Streaky windows look terrible in photos, especially when the sun hits them. Do the inside of the windscreen too, that film of 'outgassing' plastic makes a car look hazy and old.

You don't need a full ceramic coating for a sale, but you do need a sealant. Apply a spray sealant like Gtechniq C2V3 or Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. It adds a massive amount of gloss and makes the colour 'pop' in your ad photos. It'll also help if it rains before the buyer shows up, the water will just bead off.

Don't go overboard. You want a 'new rubber' look, not a 'greasy oily' look. Wipe the dressing on, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then wipe off the excess. This prevents 'sling' where the dressing flicks onto your clean paint when you drive to the photo spot.

Walk around the car with a fresh microfibre and a detail spray. Look for any wax residue in the gaps or water drips under the mirrors. Check the exhaust tip, if it's chrome, give it a quick polish with some Autosol. People notice that shiny bit of metal more than you'd think.