When a new car leaves the showroom forecourt, you will lose a minimum of 20%+ of its value (VAT and the fact it is not new anymore, instantly lowers its’ value). Buying a second-hand car is always cheaper than a brand-new car. There are many options here for a buying your first car; do you buy privately? Do you part exchange your current vehicle? The truth is buying a second-hand car can be a very daunting task for the inexperienced buyer.
Fortunately, we have a hardcore car enthusiast Kaan Craig on hand to give advice on how to find a top second-hand car online. Please see tips below to help you find your dream car online:
Table of Contents
Create a checklist before you research online
Kaan has said that when he is looking for a new car, he carries out a few basic tasks before he starts the a new car search:What is your Budget: Identify how much you can spend on a car (not including money for insurance; road tax etc). Kaan advises “to keep a cash reserve of about £500-1000 in case of any post-purchase problems.
–Identify what you want from your next vehicle: Do you want power? A spacious family car? A two-seat convertible? Diesel; petrol; hybrid or electric?
What car brands do you like? What is the mileage?
–Select your top three models: Select up to three vehicle models you would like, but don’t rule other’s out.
-Get insurance quotes: once you have your models this is a good time to get quotes from places like: Admiral
Understand the common car faults
Once you’ve found that dream vehicle, Kaan recommends to “research the common faults of the model of vehicle you like, e.g. The Audi S4’s valve-chains can go faulty, if it does, it’s an engine out job and a bill of £3k to fix, this could be a sizeable percentage of the car’s value”. Always find out how much these faults cost to repair.
*Kaan’s tip – It is worth noting when viewing cars, take this fault list with you when you inspect the vehicle. If you find faults you may want to use them as a bargaining chip to push the price down.
Search for your vehicle online
Kaan highlights the main site/add he uses is Auto Trader. They have more than 450,000 cars listed each day. Other sites, you can review is Ebay, Gumtree and also Google “Owners Clubs forums”.
*Kaan’s tip – Misconception, cheaper cars are not always found on the site Ebay.
You’ve found some cars online that look nice, what’s next?
Contact the seller and ask about:
-Service history: Make sure it has a full-service history. The more information available, the better. It is recommended to stay away from Part-service history and to not pursue if the car has none.
-MOT: How long is left and are there any advisories on the last MOT carried out?
-Current damage: Ask if there is any damage on known problems with the car.
-Modifications: Has it been modified? If it has, this can increase your insurance premium and reduce the reliability of the vehicle.
-How far away is it to view? Good deals may require more travel, but they will cost you in travel time and cost to and from the seller.
-Carry out an HPI Check: In case the vehicle is stolen, do some checks. For £9.99, you can use an HPI check, which will check if it has been previously stolen or money is owed on the vehicle. Ask the seller for the WIN number for the HPI Check.
Bring a friend when you visit the car
-Take someone with you: Bring a knowledgeable friend or relative with you during your visit.
-Double Check the VIN number: Check the VIN number given against the V5C and those stamped on the vehicle (windscreen; engine bay; etc.).
-Start the Car up from cold: Ask that the seller doesn’t drive it and that you can start it from cold.
-Make sure you visit at the V5C Registered address: There have been stories where stolen cars have been sold at car parks/ non-residential locations. Tip: Ask for their ID politely, to check the address matches
Do you rarely use a car or don’t have the savings? Consider a rental
If all the above makes you think, I don’t drive a car enough to warrant the upfront and annual expenses, why not consider renting out a car out instead. Use comparison site My Anchor Textcarrentals.co.uk to find a car in your area for less than £20 a day (including insurance)
*The above article contains general tips, we recommend looking into each point in detail.
For more travel tips, please go here https://www.greatdealsmadeeasy.com/category/travel/
*If you want to make money from Airbnb, please read a top article here.
*Want to make money from renting spare space, read a top article here
*Want to know how to rent a car out abroad, read an article here
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