Buy a Car Checklist

Buying a car is like buying a house or a property, but it is only a little unpleasant with all the haggling and scams. An ideal car not just suits your needs but also fits in your pocket. To make a sound decision one should not underestimate the smallest of factors you need to count in. It could be as insignificant as the size of car, but it is important to know if it will fit in your garage space. How much money can you afford? How much are your car savings? Would you need to apply for a loan? Considering these questions is the first step in buying a car. Your car budget needs to cover everything from purchase, to registration fees, to the cost of insurance.

Buy a Car Checklist

• Make a list of your needs. Do you need a car to drive down to the office every day? Or do you need a vehicle to drop your kids or help your small business? How often you’ll be driving, your location, the terrain, the weather everything needs to be accounted for.
• Do your research. Once you have an idea of the type of car you need, do a research on such car types, read and compare reviews of the service, mileage, and maintenance costs.
• Compare the fuel economy, the mileage and other essential functional features of a car. Make a list of your customized needs.
• Decide if you want a new or a used car.
• Do the search. Visit several dealerships to compare the prices and deals, but make sure they are licensed. If you are planning to buy a used car then you will have to choose between buying from an individual or from a used car dealer or broker. The used car dealers provide a lot of options, whereas a good quality barely used car is easy to come by if you peruse individual car sale adverts.
• Browse the adverts. Check out the local newspapers and car sales websites for both new and used car deals.
• Go for test drives. Test driving the car is the immediate step to do once you see a car of your liking. While test drives don’t just concentrate on one aspect of the vehicle, rather judge the overall appeal.
• Don’t get coerced into buying fancy accessories that don’t add value to your car but add to your pocket. Likewise, be aware of fishy deals.
• If buying a used car, read your country’s car sales regulations and check the vehicle history report and other details like its usage, maintenance, and number of repairs.
• Negotiate. Even if you’re buying a new car from the car dealerships don’t shy away from negotiating.
• Do the paperwork. Car sales bill, along with your name and address, registration papers, insurance, vehicle certifications should be taken care of as soon as the purchase is made.
• The most important aspect of buying a car is – buy a car you can afford. Not just the initial payment, but the monthly expense of the car that will include loan repayments, fuel charges, and maintenance costs.

Anything missing on this Buy a Car Checklist? Let us know by adding a comment below.