Independent pre-sale advice for private sellers

Fix what pays.
Leave what doesn't.

Before your car goes on Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids, PCARMARKET, a private sale or a dealer trade-in, I'll tell you which repairs will raise the price and which ones to skip. Twenty years buying, reconditioning and selling cars. No stake in your repair bill.

Free 15-min call · $125 review · $350 report · $595 sale support

Fix-or-Leave Report Sample
Vehicle
2006 BMW 330i ZHP
Miles
94,200
Selling on
Cars & Bids
  1. Check-engine light, O2 sensor Fix A lit warning light makes bidders assume the worst. Cost $250Adds $1,000Net +$750
  2. Curb rash on all four wheels Fix It shows up in every photo of the car. Cost $400Adds $1,200Net +$800
  3. Aftermarket exhaust, stock one in garage Fix Refit stock and include the exhaust in the sale. Stock cars draw more bidders. Cost $180Adds $800Net +$620
  4. Original paint, light swirls Leave Bidders pay more for original paint. A polish is plenty. Repaint $4,800Adds $0Net −$4,800
  5. Worn driver seat bolster Disclose Normal at this mileage. Photograph it and say so up front. Repair $350Adds $200Net −$150
Recommended spend$830
Value added$3,000
Net to you+$2,170

Illustrative example. Your report covers your car.

in the car business, from my family's GM dealership to the auction lanes
20 yrs
in dealer wholesale, appraising and reconditioning trade-ins
11 yrs
in lease returns priced and sold as Director of Remarketing
$1B+
cars sold at auction in a single month, at peak
2,000+

How it works

From photos to a sale-ready car

You do the selling and your shop does the work. I tell you where the money is.

  1. Free screening call

    Fifteen minutes to talk through the car, where you plan to sell it, and which option fits. If you don't need a paid review, I'll tell you.

  2. Send the car

    Fill out the intake and share 18 photos from the shot list. Not nearby? Order an independent inspection, like Lemon Squad, and send me the report. Around Hartford and Springfield, I can look at it in person.

  3. Run the numbers

    Every issue gets a call, with what it costs to fix, what it adds to the sale price, and what you net.

    FixLeaveDisclose
  4. Sell it right

    You get a realistic price and the best time to sell. With Sale Support, I'm with you through the auction or the dealer negotiation.

What the right fixes are worth

A $6,500 fix list. An $18,600 jump.

A 1991 Toyota Celica convertible sold on Bring a Trailer for $11,200 with a torn top, a lightly damaged fender, a dirty interior and surface rust underneath. The buyer replaced the top, dry-ice blasted the undercarriage, cleaned the interior and replaced some small parts for under $6,500. Then the same car sold on the same site for $29,800.

Not every car moves that far. But plenty of listings carry $1,000 to $2,000 of fixable problems that cost their sellers $2,000 to $8,000 at the hammer.

From public auction results. Not a Sale Ready client.

Pricing

Pay for the time you need

Every option starts with a free 15-minute screening call. Prices are per car.

Start here · Free

15-minute screening call

We talk through the car, where you plan to sell it, and which option below fits. If you don't need a paid review, I'll tell you.

Book a call

One-Hour Review

One hour with me, by phone or video

$125

  • What to fix on your car, at a high level
  • What each fix should cost, and what it should bring back at sale
  • A realistic sale price, and why the car is worth it

Spend $300 on a fix that adds $1,000 to the price, and you're $700 ahead. That's the math we do on every item.

Usually scheduled within a few days

Sale Ready Report

A written report built for your car

$350

Everything in the One-Hour Review, plus a written report with:

  • Comparable cars and what they actually sold for
  • Where to spend your reconditioning money, item by item: cost, value added and your net
  • The best time of year to sell this car, based on past sales
  • Your expected sale price
  • Where to sell, and what you'd net after fees on each option
  • A recommended reserve, asking price or trade-in floor
  • A one-page work order for your shop, including what not to touch
  • A disclosure and paperwork checklist for the listing

Report in 3 business days

Sale Support

With you until the car sells

$595

Everything in the Sale Ready Report, plus:

  • A review of your listing before it goes live
  • Help answering bidder questions and comments during the auction
  • Advice on live decisions, like adjusting the reserve or taking an offer
  • Trade-in coaching: your target number, your walk-away number, and how to negotiate the dealer up
  • Phone and text access through one auction or one dealer negotiation

Starts when your report is delivered

If you need an inspection report, you pay the inspection company directly. Repairs are done by your own shop.

I don't do repairs, sell parts or take a cut from shops, so the only thing I'm working on is your sale price.

Who's looking at your car

Chris Riggs

Founder, Sale Ready Motor Co.

I grew up in my family's GM dealership, following my father through the showroom, the service drive and the used-car lot. At 18 I went into dealer wholesale and spent the next 11 years buying and selling trade-ins: putting numbers on cars, reconditioning them, and learning which fixes pay and which don't.

Then I spent 8 years as Director of Remarketing for the largest indirect auto lessor in the country. My department sold lease returns at auctions nationwide. I ran pricing and sale strategy on more than $1 billion in vehicles, with peak months above 2,000 cars sold.

Every one of those cars came down to the same question: what do you fix before it sells? Now I answer it for you.

When I'm not looking at your car, I'm finishing my own: a 6,200-mile C6 Z06 making over 1,400 horsepower at the wheels, with street manners intact.

Based in Connecticut Remote reviews nationwide In person around Hartford and Springfield

Get started

Tell me about the car

Fill out the intake and share your photos, or start with a free call if you're not sure a review is worth it.

01You
02The car
Optional, but it speeds up the market check.
Tells me whether I can see the car in person.
03The sale
Which option are you interested in?
Where are you planning to sell?
When do you want to sell?
Your best guess is fine.
04Condition
Service records
05Photos
The 18-photo shot list 0 of 18
Before you shoot: wash the car, shoot in daylight (overcast is best), hold the phone sideways, and keep the whole car in the frame. No filters.

Exterior8

Interior4

Tires4

Under the hood1

Trunk1

Put the 18 photos in a Google Photos, iCloud or Dropbox shared album and paste the link.

I'll review it and reply with next steps, usually within one business day.

Questions

Before you send the car

Do you do the repairs?

No. You take the Fix list to your own shop, and I'll tell you what kind of shop to look for if you don't have one. I don't do repairs, sell parts or take a cut from shops, so the advice stays about your sale price.

I'm trading my car in at a dealer. Is this worth it?

Usually, yes. Dealers price reconditioning at their own cost, so most repairs won't come back to you at trade-in. A few cheap ones do: a detail, a second key, service records in a folder and clearing a warning light. The One-Hour Review covers which ones apply to your car. With Sale Support, I'll also help you negotiate the dealer's number up.

I'm not in Connecticut. Can you still help?

Yes. Most reviews are done remotely from your 18 photos and a phone or video call. For higher-value cars, order an independent inspection, like Lemon Squad, and send me the report. You pay the inspection company directly.

How long does it take?

One-Hour Reviews are usually scheduled within a few days. The written Sale Ready Report comes back within 3 business days of receiving your photos. Sale Support starts when your report is delivered and runs through one auction or one dealer negotiation.

Can you guarantee a higher sale price?

No one can. Auction results depend on the market and on who's bidding that week. What I can do is keep you from spending money that won't come back, and point you to the fixes that usually do.

Are you part of Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids or PCARMARKET?

No. Sale Ready Motor Co. is independent. I'll recommend whichever venue fits your car, including a private sale or a trade-in.