Cash advice

Buying a car, even a second-hand one, can turn out to be an expensive business, but there are certain things you can do to save money while getting your hands on a vehicle. ‘Finding a good deal can sometimes seem impossible,’ says Terry Hogan, CEO of Reg

1 ASK ONE SIMPLE QUESTION

How long has the car been on the forecourt? We all know we should haggle and not always offer the asking price, but the longer a car has been on display, the more desperate the dealership will be to shift it. By finding this out, it will put you in a better position to put in a lower offer – and have it accepted!

2 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

It’s hard to know if a used car is being sold for a good price. One way to check is to find the registration number of the car you are looking to buy and do an online valuation for free. Having that extra information means you’ve then got a benchmark for your negotiations.

3 PRE-LOVED?

Find out how the last owner treated the car. ‘One careful lady owner’ may sound good – but she may have had a teenage son who was a rally driver! You can see the complete MOT history of any car online at gov.uk/check-mot-history. So if it’s had new brake discs and bald tyres every year, avoid that car. A clean bill of health at every MOT test is a sign it’s been cared for, meaning it’s likely to be in a good condition overall.

4 AVOID WEEKENDS

Try visiting dealerships midweek, when the showrooms are quiet. Dealers like to look busy, so if you appear during a slow spell, you’ll have their undivided attention. When they’ve got more time, you can start asking for free added extras like spare keys and servicing deals, which will get you more for your money.

5 PURCHASE PRE-PAYDAY

Dealers usually have targets they need to hit in order to take home their commission at the end of every month, so just before payday is the perfect time to buy. They’ll have lots of slow sales days because other customers will be waiting for their own monthly injection of cash, so you’ll be sure to find offers, discounts and deals – and have plenty of room for manoeuvre!