This is especially worth bearing in mind if you lease a car or have bought one through finance, as the car’s predicted value at the end of the agreement will be dependent on what condition it’s in. You don’t just risk a visual hit from a car that’s been nicked and scraped over time – you could also lose out financially, as a scuffed or damaged car won’t be worth as much as one that’s been looked after better. Events outside of your control, like picking up scrapes and dents from runaway trolleys and inattentive drivers in supermarket car parks, can also rob your car of some of its lustre. That aging process can be sped-up by a number of factors, too, such as leaving your car parked outside in the elements or having bush branches scrape the paintwork when you’re driving down a narrow country lane. Even if you regularly wash your car, its paintwork will inevitably fade over time and lose that factory fresh sparkle.

As anyone who’s owned a car from new will know, it won’t stay looking shiny and pristine forever.

How to get a scratch out of car