When you lease a car, you quickly feel like it is yours. The way you sit behind the wheel, add your own bits and pieces, and integrate it seamlessly into everyday life. You also know that you can hand it back at the end of the agreement and choose another new model with none of the headaches of buying. That said, there is one minor headache that you need to address: the inspection.
The leasing company wants to check that the vehicle has been returned in the agreed condition so that it holds the value they expect. An inspection can feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to when you have an expert helping hand from a professional detailing team.
Can’t you just pay the leasing company?
You certainly can pay the leasing company to restore the car to a condition they deem as good as new, but they will charge you a premium. They will likely have an in-house team of detailers they use as part of their regular operations, but they want to have the car in perfect condition the moment you return it.
Because having to detail the car themselves costs them time and money, they will charge you considerably more than if you had the work done yourself. Considering that the work is often just a deep interior clean and a check for minor dents and chips on the exterior, finding your own car detailing team can make a real difference to the price you pay.
Avoid leasing company penalties
Anything beyond fair wear and tear will be billed to you, including scratches, chips, dents, and excessive wear inside the vehicle. Hiring a professional detailer allows you to address each of these issues in a calm, low-stress way before the leasing agreement comes to an end. You can then return the vehicle with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are not going to be left with a costly bill at the end of it all. This is the only way to hand back the car with a clean slate so that you can upgrade.
Make the right first impression
A vehicle returned with mud up the sides and a dirty windscreen may not sound like the worst thing in the world to you, but it will make a poor first impression with the inspector. They will assume, rightly or wrongly, that if you haven’t kept the exterior clean, there will be other issues they can uncover. In many cases, they will then take a much more forensic look at the car, making it much more likely that you will be left paying a series of costly penalties. On the other hand, a car that looks immaculate at first glance will be looked on far more favourably and is likely to glide through the inspection process.
Fix costly interior issues
When you come to the end of a BMW Leasing agreement, you may suddenly start to notice little imperfections and signs of wear and tear inside the vehicle. The fact that you could be faced with a substantial bill to put them right will be playing on your mind, but contacting a car detailing professional will remove these headaches. They can also help with things such as deep cleaning and lingering odours so that you can return your vehicle in the very best condition possible.
Recondition minor exterior damage
Superficial paint damage can be quickly and expertly corrected using precision polishing, whether by hand or machine, causing light scratches to fade before your eyes. Small chips that have been caused by stones striking the car while in motion can be expertly touched up with the exact shade and type of paint to create a truly seamless repair. And brake dust can also be carefully removed from the wheels and arches to make sure that the external appearance of the car is pristine.
Now that you know what a detailer does and the benefits of hiring one at the end of your leasing agreement, all you have to do is a very quick bit of prep work.
Prepping for a car detailing job
The key here is to remove any personal items from the car that you don’t wish to return to the leasing company. By making sure that you double-check the interior of the vehicle, you can make sure that the car detailing team has the time and space they need to focus on what they do best. You could also provide them with an itemised list of imperfections you are already aware of to speed things up.
In just a few minutes, you will have your vehicle ready to drop off with the detailer so that you can avoid costly leasing penalties the smart way.