If you are a first time car owner or simply someone who is looking to buy a car at a more affordable price, a second hand car may be the best option for you. When purchasing a used car, it is essential that you ensure you do some research into exactly what you are buying. From looking at safety features, prices, mileage and depreciation value, there are a number of factors one should consider before purchasing a second hand automobile. In this article, we have a look at how you can go about getting the most out of a used car, so read on to find out more!
1. Is The Car In Good Condition?
According to trusted mechanics in Airport West, one of the most important factors to look into is whether the car you are interested in purchasing is in good condition. It is important to check the paintwork for bubbles or scratches, as well as take note of the condition of the car tyres, panels and under the car for oil leaks.
When looking inside the car, you want to ensure that the seats are in good condition, clean and that seat belts are in good condition. Ensure that all accessories such as car lights, radio, air conditioning, windscreen wipers, central locking and GPS/Bluetooth are in working condition as well. Ensuring that the car is in tip top condition will greatly reduce the chances of you having to spend thousands of dollars on repairs in the future.
2. Check That It Is Debt-Free
Before jumping the gun and purchasing a car, it is of utmost importance that you check it is a debt free transaction. If you are purchasing from a dealer, they are legally required to ensure that the car is debt free, but if you are purchasing from a private seller, it is important that you get all the details before handing your money over. To check if a car is debt free, you can simply head over to the PPSR website and punch the car’s VIN number in to run a search on whether the vehicle is debt free.
3. Check The Car’s History
Checking a car’s history is a vital step to take in order to prevent any unnecessary future headaches that weren’t your fault in the first place! You should always check that the vehicle is not one that has been stolen, regardless of how friendly or honest the seller seems. Other things to check are if the vehicle has been part of any insurance write offs in the past. You can do all of this with the vehicle’s VIN number for a small fee, so take note of these factors before purchasing any vehicle. It is much better to be safe than it is to be sorry when getting the most out of a used car.
4. Negotiate The Price
The great thing about purchasing a used car is that you can almost always negotiate the price, unlike purchasing a brand new vehicle from a car dealership. There is often a reasonable leeway for bargaining down on the original price. What you can do is to make a list of any potential faults you have found with the car, as well as calculating the cost of fixing said problems. You can use this to your advantage when haggling with prices, and most of the time you’ll end up successful in your endeavour to spend less. If there is nothing wrong with the car, there is no harm in trying to negotiate the price either – you don’t know until you try!
5. Ensure You Have All The Paperwork
The last step in getting the most out of a used car is to ensure that you have received all the payment proof and paperwork when you are handed the keys. Make sure you have the original copies of the car registration, service history and check to see if they match up with the seller’s details. When making a payment, we highly recommend making a direct deposit so that you have evidence of payment, to avoid any misunderstandings in the future.
We hope that this article has given you some insight into how you can get the most out of a second-hand car!
