How to Detail Your Car for a Quick Private Sale

Don't ever detail a car in direct Aussie sun if you can help it. The soap dries too fast and leaves spots. Find a carport or wait until later in the arvo when the temp drops below 30.

Always wash your wheels first. If you do them last, you'll splash brake dust and grime onto your clean paint. Use a separate bucket for this.

Give it a proper blast with a pressure washer. You want to get all that coastal salt and red dust out of the wheel arches and door seals before you touch the paint.

If you've got a foam cannon, use it. If not, spray a bit of diluted APC on the lower bug-splattered areas. Let it sit for 2 minutes, but don't let it dry.

Top to bottom. Light pressure. Rinse your mitt every single panel. I made the mistake once of doing a black Commodore with a dirty mitt, the swirl marks were a nightmare to fix.

Run your hand over the clean, wet paint. Feel bumps? That's fallout. Use a clay mitt with plenty of soapy water as lube. This makes the paint feel brand new to the touch.

Use a big dedicated drying towel. Don't chamois it, they grab dirt and drag it. Pat it dry, don't scrub it.

Buyers always pop the hood. Cover the alternator with a plastic bag, spray some APC, agitate with a brush, and rinse gently. Don't use high pressure here unless you want electrical dramas.

Remove the seats if you're keen, but at least slide them all the way back. Vacuum like your life depends on it. Use a brush to get the crumbs out of the seams.

Wipe down with a damp microfibre. Avoid those 'super shiny' dressings from the servo; they look cheap and greasy. A nice matte finish looks way more professional.

This is the most overlooked part. Wipe the door sills and the boot track. When a buyer opens the door and it's sparkling, they subconsciously think the whole car is well-maintained.

Clean windows make a car look ten times better. Use two towels, one to wipe the product on, one to buff it off dry. Do the interior glass twice to get the 'outback haze' off.

Chuck a coat of wax or a spray sealant on. Something like Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax is dead easy, just spray on and wipe off. It'll give it that 'just waxed' glow for the photos.

Apply a thin layer of tyre shine. Wipe off the excess so it doesn't look like a used car lot from the 90s. Keep it classy.

Check for any leftover wax in the cracks or streaks on the glass. Take your photos now while it’s mint!