Tips on how to buy a car online

Before you start shopping, you first need to make two vital decisions: how much do you want to spend and what kind of car are you looking for? This is where the internet can really help. Several sites, including Desperateseller.co.uk have buyer’s guides that can help you compare one model to another within your budget. You can also read comprehensive reviews and ratings from leading car magazines and consumers who drive your potential future car every day

Know Your Price
Once you’ve selected the car you want, read all the reviews and taken your future car out for a test drive, it’s time to research prices. If it’s a used car you are thinking about buying, first check the Glass’s guide for the car’s current value, by visiting glass.co.uk.

What you also need to include in your budget for your new car is the cost of insurance. Sites such as Money Supermarket (moneysupermarket.co.uk) can search all leading insurers by filling in one form to provide you with a quote for insurance.

Start Searching
Looking for your new car online as opposed to the local newspaper, gives you the opportunity to search and compare prices for thousands of cars in your area and scanning multiple pictures can also help you to get an idea of the car's overall condition.

Desperateseller.co.uk is a great place to start your search. You can search using a range of different options, such as new or used car, private seller or dealer, price, engine size, automatic or manual and so on. All searches require your postcode, so that every listing returned includes the distance in miles from your location to the seller.

We recommend limiting your search to vehicles within 20 or 30 miles of your home. This way you can easily test-drive them and get them inspected by a mechanic you trust.

The Test Drive
Once you’ve selected a potential vehicle to buy, a test-drive is a must! Try and arrange the test drive at the seller’s home, this should give you a better feel for the car by visiting the seller’s home and talking to their family. Also, never be swayed by shining looks: a quick valet and a new set of number plates will make any old wreck catch the eye.

Buying The Car
Before money changes hands, make sure you're up to speed on the legal aspects of buying and selling by reading the AA's advice for private car sales, by visiting theaa.com

You also need to get an independent check from a company such as HPI hpicheck.com which checks the records to make sure the car hasn't been written off, stolen or has outstanding finance.

By arming yourself with used car knowledge and know-how, beginning with these tips above, you’ll greatly minimise your risk of buying a vehicle that will be more of a costly headache than a joy ride.

Desperate Seller has over 130,000 vehicles for sale everyday, so why not start your search at desperateseller.co.uk

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The test drive
Buying the car