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15th January 2009
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British Car Auctions has long urged fleets and teasing companies to up-spec their vans when buying new in order to make them more desirable in the used market when it comes to selling them on.

Words: Duncan Ward When you are offering upwards of 400 vans in some of the bigger sales, you really notice how the buyers gravitate towards the best-presented, well-specified vehicles. If you are a professional buyer for retail, you know that certain vehicles will stand out on the forecourt, and you want those on your shopping list.

In a similar fashion, the end-user buying at auction will seek out the best vehicle they can get with their budget. If a van with two side-loading doors, a bulkhead and airconditioning is on offer, that will be the one they bid on if all the other vans available are basic models.

When valuing options, it is important to remember that price is always relative to the current market conditions, the demand from buyers and the physical condition of the vehicle itself.

For example, in the current market, if you offered a van with every option imaginable but it was in poor cosmetic condition, any premium would be wiped out by the buyers' concerns about the lime it would take to repair the vehicle. When values are falling, time equals money!

Generally, however, a better specification will make a van more desirable, and higher-spec vehicles will often sell the first time they are offered, which will improve cashflow for the seller.

Boosting resale values

Possibly the best value extra you can specify for your van fleet is interior ply-lining. For a start, used buyers expect to see it and second, it will protect your valuable company vehicles from the bulk of 'inside-out' damage they might otherwise experience during their working life.

All sizes of vans benefit from this little`extra', from long wheelbase high-roof examples to smaller hatchbacks. In terms of added value, ply-lining might add £100, but the real benefit is that the van is more likely to be in a more saleable condition after three or four years' hard graft.

Side-loading doors are the second key option for fleets to consider. This option is as essential for smaller vans (Connect-sized, for example) as it is for the 1.0-tonne and 3.5-tonne van sectors.

A single nearside SLD is probably the bare minimum these days, while a van that is going to work in tight urban conditions would benefit from two side-loading doors. Potential value in the used market can increase by around £150 for a single and £250 for two side-loading doors, depending on the vehicle Sat-nay is so ubiquitous now that it really is not the deahnaker it once was. When you can get a fully functioning system for under £1130 retail, or on your mobile phone or even a handheld games console, there is little margin Lobe gained by having it.

That said, however, a good-quality factory fitted integral system might add £50 to £100 for the right buyer. In-van entertainment and Bluetooth connectivity may also boost the value of a retail-standard vehicle, but any increase would be marginal, say £50. Parking sensors are rare, but are particularly valued in the 3.5-tonne market, where low-speed reversing damage is more common.This feature might also add around 150. While inside the cab it also worth considering other options. Air-conditioning is highly valued when combined with a bulkhead; otherwise all that cool air will dissipate into the load area and simply burns money.

Similarly, if a van is going to work in a start-stop urban delivery role, then air-conditioning will be seen as wasteful, because the driver will be in and out of the cab and not getting the benefit.

For vans that are doing longer-distance delivery work, or in a tradesman's vehicle that doubles as the family transport at the weekend, air-conditioning is far more appealing. Air-con will also add more value to a well-presented 'retail' van than it will on an otherwise more basic model and is worth between £100 and £200 depending on the vehicle. •

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