Buying A Cheap Car Listed As "Needs Work"? Find Out The Facts
Posted on: 16 November 2015
You are trying to buy a used car on a budget, but you don't want to buy something that has problems you aren't prepared to pay for. What should you do? There are a few things you can do before you buy any vehicle to make sure that you are getting a fair price, and to see what needs to be fixed before you decide to get something that is listed as needing work.
Buying cars that need a little bit of work can be a great investment, especially if the body and interior are in great condition. Here are a few things to do when you find a car that interests you.
Do a Mechanical Inspection
Ask the seller if you can take the vehicle to a mechanical repair shop where they can hook it to a computer to do a diagnostic check of the mechanics, and so they can physically examine under the hood. It's worth paying the cost for an inspection to make sure you aren't buying something that needs thousands of dollars of work. You can't just take the word of the seller when they tell you what it needs, and you want to get a cost estimate to repair the car. This estimate has to be factored into the sale price and used to determine the value of the vehicle.
Find the True Resale Value of the Car
There are many sites where you can determine the value of the car, based on what auto industry professionals think it's worth and based on what others have sold the same car for recently. You can see if the seller has the vehicle priced right for the current condition, or you can take the appropriate value and subtract the costs of the work that needs to be done, and then offer the seller that amount.
Get an Auto Report
If the seller doesn't offer a vehicle history report, then take the time to get one. You may find that the vehicle has a salvage title, that it's been in a flood or that it has had a variety of other problems. You can see when the vehicle was serviced and if the mileage matches the odometer.
If you are looking at cars that are listed as having problems or that need mechanical repairs, get the above information so you can make a good purchase on a budget. Once the vehicle is repaired and after you are done driving it, you may be able to turn a profit. contact a company like Central Body Co Inc for more information about used car inspections.
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