Budget – This is something that many people stretch while buying old or new car. Make sure that you are not buying an overpriced vehicle. To do that, first decide your budget. This will help you in shortlisting your cars.
Search – This includes searching both cars and dealers. Make sure the cars you are searching for are within your budget limits. Try finding new car as well as used car price of that model. . Once you have shortlisted cars and model you can enquire more about them with dealers. You will get used car dealers both offline and online. For offline, you can meet dealers in your neighbourhood.
Car’s History – The most important part of buying a second-hand car is car’s history. Make sure that you check car’s history to ensure no accident or major damage has occurred to the car.
Inspection- Following things must be considered while finalizing your car –
- Check panel gaps or door gaps.
- Dents and scratches on the exterior.
- Check car’s paint to know whether it is repainted.
- Checking engine bay.
- Check for any rattling sounds.
- Checking car’s insurance history.
- Asking the car dealer/owner. (This should be your last option)
If a used car dealer is not allowing you to check a car, there could be major issues with that car. You can hire a car mechanic to check major mechanical and electrical parts of the car and perform a thorough inspection.
Negotiating a price – After you have finalized your car do not forget to negotiate on the car’s price. Some dealers do offer discounts after negotiations. Who knows you may save couple of thousands on the deal.
Checking warranty and service record – Check if the car is in warranty and whether time to time servicing has been done on the car. If the car is in warranty, then you may also buy a service pack from the car company.
Financing Options – Although many car dealers provide financing options, make sure that you are getting a best deal whether it is from a car dealer or from a third party.
Paperwork – Ensure that you have all documents related to car’s transfer such as Registration Certificate, Insurance Documents etc.
Following above checklist will help you in making an informed decision.
