Before you spend your hard-earned cash on a used car hoping to drive home a bargain, there are some things you need to check. We have prepared a buying a used car checklist that outlines what you need to know when buying a used car. Continue reading to learn more.
Buying a Used Car Checklist
Everyone loves a great deal, but no one wants to drive home a bad one. Buying a used car doesn’t have to be difficult. By doing little research, you can ensure that driving home your used car feels like you’ve picked one up right off the factory line, well almost.
People buy old cars for a variety of reasons, budget, needs, necessity, lifestyle, work, family and more. But whatever the reason, it’s important that you consider a used car checklist before buying a car, here’s 7 tips from our used car buying checklist.
What You Need to Know When Buying a Used Car
Mileage
When buying a used car it's important to know how many miles it has driven. Some older cars may have fewer miles than newer ones that have been driven daily and longer distances. Mileage equates to wear and tear on your car and means bigger problems could occur. That means big spending for you is possible in only a matter of weeks, months, or even two years. Before you buy make sure you investigate. That way you can make a decision based on price, your needs and how long you want the car to last, as well as, how much money you are willing to spend. So you're wondering, how do I check if the mileage on my vehicle is correct? Well, why not try a used car broker?
Buying a Used Car Checklist for Log Books & Service History
If cars have plenty of miles or years on them what can set a good one from a lemon is a detailed logbook. If the car has all its service records, things that have been replaced, major fixes, and tune-ups then this used car could be a winner at a bargain price.
Manual vs. Auto, Luxury vs. Standard
Believe it or not, most millennials in Australia cannot drive a manual. So depending on your age, this is an important detail to check. That bargain of a car may not be so cheap if you can't drive it. Luxury models tend to have extra features. These can be a better buy than a standard as the previous owner could have taken more care of it. You also get additional luxury features like inbuilt cameras, electric windows, cruise control sunroof, traction control or a range of high-end luxury features that make your drive home smooth and fast.
Is The Vehicle Certified & Does The Vendor Have The Correct Paperwork?
You should get all your paperwork in order. That includes the paperwork you need to be ready. The main reason people want to sell their cars within 3 months is to do with paperwork. Determining when your car registration is due is also a good way to decide when to sell it. People often prefer cars to have at least 3 to 6 months of registration left on them, but the paperwork required to sell your car is the most important factor. Selling cars varies from state to state. The East Coast states all have different requirements.
What You Need to Know When Buying a Used Car in QLD
I want to sell my car in Brisbane. But what are the QLD requirements? When selling your car in QLD, you are required to purchase a Safety Certificate. This is the seller's responsibility and to obtain one they need to get their car inspected at an approved inspection station. This certificate costs $75 and is valid for either 5000 km or 3 months whichever comes first.
What You Need to Know When Buying a Used Car in VIC
There are certificates that certifies your car as roadworthy for sale. You are unable in VIC to change the registration details without one, and it is a necessary part of selling a car unless you choose to sell it without plates.
What You Need to Know When Buying a Used Car in NSW
NSW is the most complex of the states. While there is no requirement to obtain a roadworthy certificate, NSW requires all cars of more than 5 years to have a pink slip, which is an annual safety inspection. This pink slip can be a requirement when re-registering a car you have bought. The seller in NSW must provide the buyer with their entitlement to register the vehicle, and they must lodge a notice of disposal with the Roads and Maritime Department. It is critical that you do not buy a car in NSW without making sure these two requirements have been met.
Stolen Vehicle Registry
This is more important than how clean your car is or how dirty it looks. This tells you if the car you are buying is stolen you need to check the VIN as well as the plates. It also tells you if any money is owed. If it's a repairable write off then these are all very important details to look into before you purchase a used car. Rego checking the registration tells you if there's anything wrong like if the rego is suspended.
Check out the websites below which will help identify anything suspicious about the car you’re purchasing. https://www.revscheck.com.au or these eastern state vehicle registries can help you:
- New South Wales: https://myrta.com/wovr/index.jsp
- Queensland: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Registration/Registering-vehicles/Written-off-vehicles/Written-off-vehicle-register
- Victoria: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registration/vehicle-modifications-and-defects/written-off-vehicles
Inspection
While taking a car for a drive is good if you are serious about wanting to buy this used car. The best drive you can take is to your trusted mechanic. They can inspect your prospective car and inform you of any issues you may have. Cars can be deceptive. They might look and run fine but it could be a whole other story under the hood. A mechanic is trained to see what problems can be prevented and what needs fixing. Taking a car to be checked out is a good idea as it will help you make an informed decision.
Insurance
What do you need to secure your loan? Do you need special insurance? Do you need to provide security or does your business need to have assets? This is one of the most important things to assess If you only need insurance. Who will insure you? What can they offer? What are the costs? Can they offer you a long-term deal? When buying a used car, questions are the answers you might need.
Finance
If everything checks out and the only thing stopping you is money. It's time to explore finance options. Some finance companies won't finance a used car. Find out who will if you will need finance. Some older cars cost much much more to insure. Find out what your insurance offers on a used car. See if you can get an agreed value, not just a market rate check, and compare the repayments and make sure you can get insured against all things that could happen to your car. If you are a student, work part-time, casually, own a business, or don't have a job or a stable income sometimes a broker can help you get a loan.
Tick The Final Box
So now you know the 7 handy tips on what to look out for before buying a used car. With our buying a used car checklist you can feel more confident next time you’re in the market for that shiny new-ish car.
At eCarz we’re not exclusive to those who want to buy or sell a car in Brisbane only. We’re a car broker that offers this service Australia-wide. Not only this. We also offer caravan finance, truck finance, and equipment & machinery finance.
Best of all, We can cater to any circumstance. With a network of over 40 lenders, we can offer very competitive rates and deals.
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