Are you thinking about buying a new car? If you are looking to upgrade your model, buy your first car or are just looking for a change, buying a new car is an exciting time. However, before you make your purchase there are some things that you should consider. In order to make the purchase as smooth as possible, read on to discover everything you need to do before buying a new car.
Understand your budget
Budget is probably one of the biggest factors when it comes to making a decision on what car you’ll buy. Understanding your budget fully is essential to making sure that you don’t overspend and invest in a vehicle you can’t afford.
One thing to remember is that it’s not just the upfront cost of buying the vehicle you have to consider but the running costs too. With car insurance payments, the price of fuel, potential repairs or upgrades needed and maintenance costs, there are plenty of expenses that will come at you after the purchase is made that need to be considered.
Look online for reviews and demonstrations
Whether it’s finding a new place to go out and eat or looking for a film to watch, many of us now go straight to online reviews to determine if something is worth our time and buying a new car should be no different. Online you’ll be able to find myriad websites that offer impartial reviews, and you can even find videos that offer car tours, facts and demonstrations.
Julie, the blogger behind the site Finance Girl, said this is especially important if you cannot visit the dealership: “If you’re looking to purchase a car while lockdown restrictions are in place, you’ll know that test driving a car isn’t possible. However, you can ensure the car you want is the right one by doing your research and watching plenty of video reviews from varying sources to minimise bias. You can also request a video call with the car dealership who will be able to provide a full virtual tour of the car and answer all of your questions before you decide to commit.”
Organise insurance
Something that is imperative to remember is that when test driving a car or driving it home after purchasing it, you’ll need insurance. Especially when test driving a car being sold by a private seller, having insurance in case of an accident is essential. After all, you’re likely to be driving in a car you’re unfamiliar with and may be in an unfamiliar area also. Obviously, amending your annual policy in order to cover a test drive is unrealistic and that’s where cheap temporary car insurance can be useful. Allowing you to arrange cover for the short amount of time you’ll need, you can know that you’ll only be paying for what you use but have peace of mind that should something happen you’ll be covered.
Equally, when setting up your annual cover, you may want to take some time to ensure you get the best deal you can or find the right policy. Although in an ideal world this can be arranged before you take your new car home, if it can’t be, organising a temporary policy, like our one-month car insurance, can give you’re the breathing room you need.
READ MORE: How can I make my car insurance cheaper?
Consider the future
As we have said, buying a car is exciting and it’s easy to get carried away with what you need. Although it’s important to consider how you need the vehicle to function right now, something that can be overlooked is thinking about how you’ll need it to function in the future. Cars are long term investments, especially when you are buying a new car, and as such, they will need to serve you not just now but years down the line as well.
When considering the future, think of things like whether you are planning to start a family soon, whether you might need to drive longer distances in the future, whether this car may serve as a business vehicle too and more. You won’t know the answers to all of these questions right now but by taking the time to think about them you can start to rationalise how functional a vehicle may be for you.
READ MORE: What are the most popular cars in the UK?
What you need to do before buying a car
- understand your budget
- look online for reviews and demonstrations
- organise insurance
- consider the future
With these four simple tips, you’ll be in a much stronger position when buying a car and be able to make a much better-informed decision, letting you take the perfect set of wheels home.
If you need temporary insurance for a test drive or to bridge the gap between polices, then why not check out our car insurance app? Get cover at your fingertips quickly and conveniently.
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