by Chris Rowlands
Buying a car for many can be an arduous process, if you’ve ever spent your weekend visiting garage after garage in the hope of finding you dream car you can probably appreciate what I mean. Of course there are other ways to find your next car and if you intend on buying brand new then you will probably find the whole experience a lot more enjoyable and considerably easier. For this guide we will centre on buying a second hand car as this is the more difficult of the two choices.
First of all you will need to decide what make and model of car you are interested in. You may find it best to choose a couple of different options so as to make your search easier. Once you have decided on the car/s you’ll be looking for you can choose your search method. Traditional methods include the previously mentioned scouring of local and sometimes national car garages in the hope of finding your perfect drive. Of course you then have options such as the classified ads in your local newspaper and certain magazines listing private car sales.
Once you’ve scoured the pages of these publications and after hopefully finding a few contenders, you can plan to go and see the vehicles in question to see if they meet your approval. Of course nowadays you have the much easier solution of using an online car classifieds site. Some of you may have heard of certain scams sellers have fallen foul of on older versions of these sites.
Here it is best to use your common sense; if you are approached by a buyer asking to send you a bankers draft on behalf of their client in another country, for the full asking price, then it really is too good to be true.
With the latest breed of private car sale listing site you should find it an easy process to either sell or buy a car with much of the hassle taken out of the equation for you.
Once you have found your perfect match and have made the journey to view it you should ask to see the owner’s documents and service history. This will tell you what condition the car you are buying is in and confirm that the mileage is accurate. If you can find a friend who is car maintenance savvy you will be able to make sure the car is in good condition.
You should check the bodywork for signs of rust, the wear of the brakes and the condition of the tyres as an initial check. Always take the car for a test drive as this will give you an idea of the condition and help you to make the all important decision of whether you actually find the car enjoyable to drive. Don’t forget to listen for any unusual engine or body noise whilst driving as this could indicate a serious problem. If you decide you are interested in purchasing the car you should then carry out a more thorough check of the engine and bodywork to ensure the vehicle has not been in an accident and repaired.
Regardless of whether you are purchasing through a dealer or buying privately, I would still recommend checking every aspect of the car thoroughly before committing to buy. I strongly recommend purchasing a vehicle HPI (Hire purchase information) check as this will tell you if any finance is outstanding against the vehicle and if it has been damaged or stolen in the past.
Bearing this information in mind you should have no problem finding the car of your dreams and ensuring you get a good deal.
Use of an online car classifieds site can greatly reduce the time and effort you spend in looking for your next car.
Private car sale listing sites can make it easy to sell or purchase a car.
Buying a car for many can be an arduous process, if you’ve ever spent your weekend visiting garage after garage in the hope of finding you dream car you can probably appreciate what I mean. Of course there are other ways to find your next car and if you intend on buying brand new then you will probably find the whole experience a lot more enjoyable and considerably easier. For this guide we will centre on buying a second hand car as this is the more difficult of the two choices.
First of all you will need to decide what make and model of car you are interested in. You may find it best to choose a couple of different options so as to make your search easier. Once you have decided on the car/s you’ll be looking for you can choose your search method. Traditional methods include the previously mentioned scouring of local and sometimes national car garages in the hope of finding your perfect drive. Of course you then have options such as the classified ads in your local newspaper and certain magazines listing private car sales.
Once you’ve scoured the pages of these publications and after hopefully finding a few contenders, you can plan to go and see the vehicles in question to see if they meet your approval. Of course nowadays you have the much easier solution of using an online car classifieds site. Some of you may have heard of certain scams sellers have fallen foul of on older versions of these sites.
Here it is best to use your common sense; if you are approached by a buyer asking to send you a bankers draft on behalf of their client in another country, for the full asking price, then it really is too good to be true.
With the latest breed of private car sale listing site you should find it an easy process to either sell or buy a car with much of the hassle taken out of the equation for you.
Once you have found your perfect match and have made the journey to view it you should ask to see the owner’s documents and service history. This will tell you what condition the car you are buying is in and confirm that the mileage is accurate. If you can find a friend who is car maintenance savvy you will be able to make sure the car is in good condition.
You should check the bodywork for signs of rust, the wear of the brakes and the condition of the tyres as an initial check. Always take the car for a test drive as this will give you an idea of the condition and help you to make the all important decision of whether you actually find the car enjoyable to drive. Don’t forget to listen for any unusual engine or body noise whilst driving as this could indicate a serious problem. If you decide you are interested in purchasing the car you should then carry out a more thorough check of the engine and bodywork to ensure the vehicle has not been in an accident and repaired.
Regardless of whether you are purchasing through a dealer or buying privately, I would still recommend checking every aspect of the car thoroughly before committing to buy. I strongly recommend purchasing a vehicle HPI (Hire purchase information) check as this will tell you if any finance is outstanding against the vehicle and if it has been damaged or stolen in the past.
Bearing this information in mind you should have no problem finding the car of your dreams and ensuring you get a good deal.
Use of an online car classifieds site can greatly reduce the time and effort you spend in looking for your next car.
Private car sale listing sites can make it easy to sell or purchase a car.
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