So you’ve decided that it’s time to buy another car. Perhaps it’s your first car, and your heart starts beating a little faster with anticipation. That’s perfectly natural and certainly understandable. Having your own car means freedom of movement, not depending on your mates for a lift from here to there or worrying about public transportation schedules and routes. But it can also be a somewhat daunting task, especially if you don’t know where to start. Wanting the car is one thing. Understanding exactly what you can afford, how to finance it, where to buy it and what to look for is another thing altogether. However, with a few simple guidelines and check marks, you can make the whole experience a lot easier for yourself.

New or Used?

Given the opportunity, many people would rather buy a new car. There’s nothing like that new car smell, they say, and there certainly is nothing like knowing that no one else has ever driven it around. But used cars are far cheaper, given the same make and model. If you decide that your best investment is going to be a used car, you need to consider a few things. Perhaps most important is who owned the car previously, how they maintained it and if it was involved in an accident at any point during its life. This can often be investigated fairly easily, and the part about the accident should be taken very seriously. If it was just a small collision at a stop sign, the overall damage to the car is minimal, if not negligible. However, if it was involved in a more serious accident, there may be latent defects in the car, such as the main frame being out of alignment. Therefore, knowing your used car’s history is crucial before you make a buying decision.

The Financing Jungle

This can really be a complex subject. There are so many different financing schemes out there; it’s difficult to get your head around them. Car dealerships often try to make it easy for you by offering you a couple of different options. If it’s a new car, there may actually be a special financing deal from the manufacturer themselves. If not, the types of financing deals that the dealership offers may not actually be to your benefit. It is not a bad idea to check with your local bank to see what terms and conditions they offer for a car loan, as well as third-party agencies who specialise in such things.

Get the Car That’s Right for You

If you’re single and plan on staying that way for a while, perhaps a nice little sports car would do the trick. However, if you plan on starting a family any time soon, you may want to think ahead and unfortunately leave your sports car dreams behind. Let’s face it, they’re not very practical for carrying your spouse and two kids from here to there. So think of how you will use the car, where you will use it, how many kilometres a year you think you’ll be putting on it and then start selecting the type of car that fits these needs.

Easily Sell Your Old One

If you already have a car and are looking to buy a new one, or perhaps you’re actually going to be out of the country for a while and don’t need a car at all, you may be asking yourself: How am I going to sell my car? The answer is actually quite simple: Rather than going through the aggravation and cost of placing an ad in the paper and having complete strangers knocking on your door, you can easily sell it to a company that will give you a fair price and pay cash on the spot.