Ways To Preserve The Mac Value
They’re certainly not cheap but one of the beauties about Apple products is that they hold their looks as well as their value – with a three or four-year-old Mac still seen as a relatively new model and a covetable piece of tech.
If you are a Mac lover, then you already know that they can have an awesome lifespan, meaning that when you are ready for an upgrade, it isn’t necessarily the end of the road for your loyal laptop. With the right maintenance plus a dash of deliberate TLC, you can also get good deal as well as see someone else continuing to enjoy your re-sold tech.
To keep your current Pro or Air in prime saleable condition check out our easy top tips to preserving the value of your Mac.
1. Keep The Original Packaging
If it’s not too late, keep the original box as well as all the manuals, cables and accessories that came with your Mac when you bought it. This will give your Mac laptop or desktop a ‘straight out of the box’ vibe when you come to sell it on – and the word ‘boxed’ on your advert could well add up to $50 extra on the selling price. The box for Macs will also have all the ID details your buyer may well need, making life easier all round.
2. Record Your Upgrades And Extra Accessories
When buying a new piece of IT, we rarely leave it as it is as we want to spec it to fit our needs. This probably means you have spent more on your Mac than the initial purchase price, and this all potentially adds value when you sell it on. Upgrades such as additional RAM, remote keyboards and a wireless mouse all enhance your Mac and make it even more enticing on the secondhand market. Keep a note of all the upgrades you have made, with receipts so you can more accurately value the total ‘Mac for sale’ package as well as provide extra detail to a potential buyer if asked.
3. Maintain Software With Updates
You may get a bit fed up with the regular notifications to update your Mac, especially if you are in a happy place with a particular version of Mac OS and think you don’t need any of the new updates or extras. Even if you personally don’t want any of the new features, always accept the invite to upgrade to the latest version of the Mac operating system as all the new security and bug fixes each time could well help to extend your Mac’s lifetime, speed up a slow Mac and preserve its re-sale value.
4. Keep It Protected
The Mac design is a beautiful thing so take positive action from the get-go to keep it as re-sale pristine as you can. As a starter, be mindful where you place your Mac and how you move it and you can reduce any scratches or blemishes. Avoid dragging across your desk or picking up your MacBook with keys or pens in the same hand. For extra protection for your Mac go for a protective, clip-on hard case as well as a clear ‘skin’ for the screen to keep it all looking like new. With the massive choice of Mac Air and MacBook Pro cases out there, you can also make a real style statement at the same time.
And don’t forget your keyboard, especially if you are a super-typer as you want to keep the keys readable, hygienic and clean. Opt for a barely-there keyboard skin which you can whip off when you come to sell, revealing a keyboard as pristine as the day you bought it.
5. Avoid Domestic Dangers
Macs have their domestic enemies, so it’s essential you keep them away from your precious IT. And top of the hit-list are liquids and dust. Water and moisture can cause untold damage to your Mac so be extra vigilant when you drink as you work, as that innocent cup of coffee can become a Mac-destroyer in seconds if you spill it. Another danger to your Mac is household dust, which can build up over time to clog internal parts and block ventilation openings. A Mac running at a higher temperature than it should due to poor ventilation is going to put strain on its processors, causing damage over time. As well as regularly dusting your Mac, don’t place on a soft surface such as a cushion which could smother the ventilation. Another good tip is to cover up your Mac desktop or laptop (in a sleeve or laptop bag) when not in use.
6. Keep Your Mac Clean
Practicing good tech hygiene is essential if you want to preserve the value of your Mac. And this starts with cleaning it regularly. Just a few minutes once or twice a week will prevent that gunk build-up and keep it not only looking pristine but performing as if it’s fresh out of the box. Keeping your Mac clean also ensures it runs at the lower optimum temperatures and won’t get hot under the collar.
A simple keyboard brush will whip away crumbs and dirt and prevent them getting deeper into the Mac’s internal workings, while a soft cloth and spray screen cleaner will buff up the screen and casing to keep your Mac gleaming and looking re-sale ready. And don’t forget your accessories, such as the mouse, trackpad and the inside of your MacBook case as well as any USB flash drives and adapters you use.
7. Perform Routine Maintenance
Keeping your security and hard drive in good working order means you get top value out of your Mac, both now and when you come to sell. So, as well as physically keeping your Mac clean, get into a habit of regularly carrying out routine ‘internal cleaning’ to keep its performance top-notch. Running ‘first aid’ and security diagnostic tools can nip any problems in the bud and identify corruptions or breaches that could dramatically slow down or cause serious problems with your Mac. And keep your desktop, Apps and files tidy and not overloaded, deleting anything you don’t use as this will also save you time when you come to do a final clean up, ready to sell.
8. Preserve Battery Health
Battery life can be the cause of strife for many Mac owners, so you need to take steps to keep yours in full working order and running like a dream, now and when you come to sell.
Although all batteries have a finite lifespan before they need to be replaced, you can take steps to prolong your Mac battery’s health, so it remains sparky for its potential owner. The first step is to avoid extremes of temperature – Mac batteries work best within an operating temperature range of between 50° F and 95° F. Lower than 50° F can temporarily reduce function but over the top end range can lead to permanent battery damage. And if you are not going to be using your Mac for some time, run the battery down to half charge then power off your Mac completely and store away, to prevent a deep discharge which can affect the battery long-term. A final tip when it comes to protecting the shelf-life of your Mac’s battery is not to leave it plugged in to charge when it doesn’t need it as this can eventually affect its long-term capacity. Charge as and when needed, and you and your battery should have a long and happy life together before you decide to part the ways!
Source:
- How to sell your Mac – How to Geek
