The first half of 2016 saw a record number of used car sales with a 7.9% increase on last year.

And a raft of recent industry reports back up the view that this sector of the automotive market is on the up.

The latest SMMT figures suggest that dealerships have listened to feedback from consumers looking for better presented cars at competitive prices.

There’s a lot more to selling used cars than just putting them on the forecourt and hoping the buyers will come along. 

The Brexit factor can’t be discounted but I think it’s a lot more to do with the fact that dealerships are getting their act together regarding their approach understand how important vehicle preparation is to selling used cars and managing stock turn than just consumer confidence.

Our network has seen a marked increase in the amount of smart repairs carried out to used car stock.

With the larger numbers of quality used cars on the market as the result of the recent boom in new car registrations, dealerships have realised the need to invest in smart repairs to present their growing stock in the best possible light.

Many of the dealerships we work with maximise the relationship by involving our technicians in stock inspections and work scheduling to ensure that cars move quickly through the system onto the forecourt.

The recent Cap HPI research shows the gap between the price advertised and sale price achieved doubles over a 12-week period and our experience certainly backs that up.

Author: Mark Llewellyn (pictured), managing director of the Revive! network of accredited smart repairers