First time selling a car I've babied for over a decade - does my interior prep look good enough?

The short answer is that the cabin condition absolutely moves the needle, but you need to focus on presentation and quality of care rather than achieving forensic perfection. Buyers want to see a history of consistent maintenance, not evidence that you spent a night agonizing over fingerprints or microscopic dust in the slats. Spending four hours perfecting the texture of the console versus ensuring the leather is deep-cleaned and the plastic trim has a nice matte finish is where you get the most return on your effort. For the dash vents, if you can safely blast the obvious dust out with compressed air or a detail brush, go for it. It’s a quick win that makes the whole interior look sharper. The slight shine building up on the steering wheel is standard patina for a car that has been driven; most buyers will see that as normal wear, not neglect, especially in a vehicle that's been in one owner's care for over a decade. The goal is to make the car look well-loved and protected, not sterilized. If everthing is perfect, it can sometimes look fake or over-detailed. Keep the leather conditioned untill it looks supple and rich, and aim for that balance where it looks meticulously cared for without looking like a showroom model that's never been driven. Focus on those major surfaces first, and let the small, normal character of the vehicle speak for itself.

I gotta push back a little on the idea that the steering wheel shine is just standard patina. I don've seen guys argue that point before, but honestly, I think it’s counterproductive. If your hands are leaving heavy oil build up over the years, a buyer who knows thier stuff is going to see that as deferred maintenace, not 'normal wear.' If the leather and trim look perfect, that oily residue on the wheel screams neglect of the small things. You should definately tackle that with a dedicated cleaner and protector, regardless of what the post said about major surfaces first.

The thing that relly sinks a car in my opinon isn't the fingerprints, it's sun damage to the interior plastics. I once did a project on a classic where the sun had bleached the dashboard plastic to a dull grey, and that single detail told buyers the car had been stored outside for years. If you want to make sure it looks protected, grab a dedicated UV protectant for the hard surfaces. Those general car cleaners are often too harsh for the trim and can make everything look synthetic and cheap. A quick spray on the door cards makes a massive difference to perceived value.

Forget obsessing over the micro dust in the vents, I found that the smell is way bigger than the visual stuff when a buyer is checking out a car. I had a guy list his sedan, and it smelled like a stale diner, which totally killed the vibe regardless of how clean the leather was. If the car doesn't have a specific odor, sometimes just putting the interior outside for a day to air out makes the difference. If there's a stubborn, must-get-rid-of scent, a few bowls of activated charcoal tucked in the cabin while it sits is much better than spraying something heavy before the photos.