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Sponsored Post¦ When buying a car, it helps to know a few cost-cutting tricks to help get the best deal. Here are just seven ways to spend less when buying a car.
Buy a used car
The cheapest new car in the UK in the Dacia Sandero at £6995. It doesn’t have a radio or air conditioning. Choose to shop second hand and you’re likely to find a car with radio, air conditioning and more mod cons for less than a grand. Used cars do have the disadvantage of being in poorer condition and as a result you may have to pay for more frequent repairs – however when it comes to upfront costs you’re bound to save money.
Look into finance schemes
Buying a car on finance allows you to pay less upfront. Whilst most lenders expect a deposit, this could be as little as 10% of the vehicle’s cost if you go with the right lender. Having a high credit score helps when finding an affordable finance scheme, however there are sites out there such as https://www.reallyeasycarcredit.co.uk/ that offer finance schemes for customers with low credit score. Always make sure you can afford the monthly repayment.
Buy at the right time
There are times of the year when you may be able to get a cheaper deal. Most dealerships lower their prices from December to February as there is a lower demand during these months (most people are busy trying to afford Christmas). Certain cars such as convertibles may also be cheaper in winter due to the lower demand.
Say no to extras
Some dealerships will try and persuade you to buy extras – this could be anything from an extended warranty to a roof box. Whilst these extras may be discounted, you could find yourself paying a lot more than you intended. Be firm and say no unless you think these extras will truly benefit you.
Find a private seller
Many people sell their car privately nowadays. You can usually find these sellers on free local advertising sites like https://www.gumtree.com/cars. Private sellers will often charge less than dealerships, however you do need to be careful of who you buy from. An advantage of dealerships is that they often offer warranties so that if a car turns out to be in worse condition than advertised you can more easily get a refund. There’s also less threat of buying a stolen vehicle when choosing a dealership.
Negotiate
Bartering generally isn’t the done thing in western society – however when buying a car this isn’t the case. Most sellers are open to negotiation so long as you seem keen. Don’t go in too low and be wary of vehicles that may have a lot of interest from buyers (sellers will be less likely to lower the price).
Consider the running costs
When buying a car, it’s easy to become blinded by the sale price and forget the running costs. Some cars may be very cheap to buy, but could have a reputation for being unreliable, expensive to insure or not very fuel efficient. This is all worth researching before you commit to a sale.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.