Buyers make up their minds from the listing photos, so the car needs to be clean on the day you take them. Work from the outside in and leave the photos until last.
Take out everything: chargers, receipts, child seats, floor mats you are not including. It is easier to see what needs cleaning, and you will not forget anything in the trunk.
Wash the car on the day of the photos, or the day before at most. Include the underside if the car has been through a winter, since buyers and inspectors sometimes look underneath.
After the wash, check the wheels for brake dust in the spokes and wipe any spots with a damp cloth. Clean the inside of every window too, because haze shows up badly in photos taken into the sun.
Vacuum the seats, carpets and trunk, wipe the dash, console and door panels, and clean the pedals. The wash only covers the outside, so this part is on you.
Shoot on an overcast day or in the hour after sunrise or before sunset. Harsh midday sun shows every water spot and swirl mark and makes dark cars hard to photograph.
If a buyer comes a week later, run the car through a quick wash the day before so it looks the same as the listing.
For the wash before listing photos, Luxury gives the most thorough exterior clean and finishes with Shine Guard Plus protectant, which helps the paint look its best on camera. For the touch-up before each viewing, Quick Wash is enough.
Every stage on the menu, with two rinses and a protectant.
$2 more than Full Wash
It helps if the car has been through a winter. Full Wash and Luxury Wash both include an under-car spray.
Within a day or two of photos or viewings, so the car looks the same in person as it does online.
For a higher-value car, or one with a stained interior, a professional detail can pay for itself. For most everyday cars, a good wash and an afternoon of interior cleaning is enough.
