I have a 07 white Camry in good condition except a torn front bumper. It’s gonna cost 800-900$ to repair. Will I get more than my investment back if I have the body damage repaired before I sell it?
I don’t know, but I am buying a car, and the seller today told me he is going to paint some damaged spots on it for me. I had thought of backing out on the sale, but his willingness to go the extra mile is a selling point for me. He has also offered to buy some better tires, take it for an inspection, etc. He pointed out a recent ding to the windshield that he had fixed and the warranty papers on that. I like his helpful attitude.
I have seen it go both ways, Try listing it first without repairs, if you are not happy with the highest offer fix it and list it again, though there is not a guarantee you will make your money back
If I see damage like that on a six year old car that the seller wasn’t willing to fix before selling, it tells me this is someone who probably neglected maintenance and did the cheapest gepairs possible. I don’t buy that car.
The quickest and cheapest way to repair this would be to find a color matched bumper cover and just swap that out.
A quick look at eBay shows a number of them on the cheap. There’s even a white one listed for a 2007 at a measly 65 dollars.
You don’t give the $$$ to repair the bumper. In general if the car body and paint is in good shape you will recoup your money by spending what it takes to repair the bumper. Buyers want the perfect car and the bumper defect will reduce the value more than the cost of the repair - if the shop doing the work is quoting you a reasonable price.
These are the cars that make a good impression and sell fast
Freshly washed and waxed
Priced appropriately
Interior clean
Newer tires
Newer battery (especially if it’s visible)
No windshield defects
No serious scratches or dents
These were just the visible attributes, clearly
I bought a used car last year. It had some scratches (nothing that can’t be buffed out and no clearcoat damage). I bought it for considerably less than book price. And it had new tires (good ones, not cheap junk, new brake pads, and an almost new battery)
So if you want top dollar, you would be wise to make that bumper more presentable
If you want to keep it simple for you, sell as is, but you should ask for slightly less money.
The person that buys a damaged car does so to get a good price. If they are sharp, they will get it for less than it costs to repair and pocket the difference. Most people would not want a damaged car. I know that I wouldn’t. Remove all the objections to buying the car, and you will have your best shot at selling it quickly. I would repair it.