'Preparation and specification of used vehicles is still the key to achieving the best resale values – and recent research has revealed some very interesting pointers to success.

It should by now go without saying that simply washing and valeting a car, while important, is not enough after three years of use if the vehicle has not survived in A1 condition.

It must always be remembered that used car retailers want the minimum of fuss and the quickest turnaround possible. This means they continue to avoid mechanical or paintwork problems wherever possible – and they often can at the moment due to the high standards of preparation in evidence from many fleet disposals sources. Refurbishment is time and money to them, so it pays to ensure you save it for them wherever possible.

Smart repairs are proving a wise investment for some, especially when it comes to the kind of minor damage which most vehicles sustain in car parks, for example.

The abandonment of side-rubbing protection strips on cars in recent years has exposed them to the kind of additional scuffs and scratches which can leave a car unfavourably compared to the competition in open sale.

One rental company we regularly research has now established that the standard cost to them of £35 for removing a dent or scratch delivers an additional £100 when the car sells.

New wheel trims are also a cost-effective method of sprucing up a vehicle. A few years ago they cost around £30 apiece but now that sum buys a whole set it can up the value of a car by significantly more.

On the specification side – which relates more to the sourcing of new vehicles – nobody needs telling that a good metallic paint generates the best attention on resale.

But new and ongoing research conducted by CAP is revealing some interesting facts about colour and trim combinations. Interestingly, a less-than-ideal exterior colour can be mitigated by a popular internal finish. For example, we have researched examples of Volkswagen Golf in Desert Beige achieving up to £400 more with a black interior than with a beige inside finish.

In fact, beige interiors are well down the list of desirable features with the normally popular Flame Red Vauxhall Vectra penalised by the trade if the interior is beige.

The same goes for the Peugeot 406, where black interior can bring up to £300 more than a sandy shade inside, and Alfa Romeo 156 can lose up to £200 with an orange/brown interior compared with the more usual inside finish.

This is a rich area for further investigation and certainly one worth being aware of when sourcing cars new.'