Car accessories are a great way to personalise your car and to make it better suited to your needs, but there are some things you need to consider.
Jeff Osborne, Automotive Head for Gumtree SA says "a potential buyer will only pay for what they need so a good rule of thumb is not to overdo it -“ while you may appreciate a garish looking car with every cosmetic treatment under the sun a new buyer may not".
He believes accessories that can be removed from the car at any time are usually seen as more desirable and they should be appropriate for the type and class of car; "a roll bar, bush bar and side steps may be appropriate for a Hilux but not for a Corolla; mags or alloy wheels that are tasteful and appropriate for a specific car can add value; and a set of 22-inchers may not work on a MINI but a KIA Sportage looks great riding on them".
Osborne provides some tips for getting value out of accessories.
- Roof racks and extra driving lights are considered removable items and desirable but built-in electronics are considered fixed and less desirable.
- Fitted navigation and high-end in-car entertainment systems do not necessarily add much value.
- If your car is still under warranty or plan, consult your dealer first to check if any modification will void the warranty in any way.
- If a dealer fits an approved accessory there’s no problem, as the manufacturer would have an approved accessories inventory process. But if it is done by a third party, check first.
- Make sure that your insurance conditions remain intact or if any addendum is required. For example, adding a set of alloys may result in changing a car’s road-holding behaviour, and doing any engine tuning may make it faster than it was originally, substantially raising the insurer’s risk.
- Desirable items include cruise control, heated and ventilated seats, tow bars, a bull bar on a bakkie or lifestyle vehicle, smash-and-grab window tinting and a nice set of wheels.
- Undesirables include special paint colour, lowered suspension, tuned engines, modified sports exhaust systems, and complicated electronics.
Osborne emphasises that you always need to consider a possible resale of your car and have the purchaser in mind when adding accessories; "by keeping it relevant and simple you open up a larger pool of potential future buyers".
Source: Gumtree SA
