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Car Buying Checklist

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Home, Law & Money
Right, I want to buy a car privately, but the extent of my knowledge is "hand over the cash, take the keys." So if anyone can let me know what I need to do/get, and how it works generally? I know that I need to sign some form that the seller then sends away, but that's about it. So any help would be great.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A lot of it depends how old the car is you're looking at buying. A little bit of googling will give you a good idea of the right kind of price for the car you are looking at.

    Question to ask would include:
    Does it have a current MoT, how long does it last for?
    When was it last serviced?
    Does it have a service history?
    What was the last bit of work that was done on it?
    Why are you selling it?
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    littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    Is it taxed? Have you got insurance?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Generally, cars sold privately are 'sold as seen' this means it's down to you to notice any defects when you see the car, so any problems that crop up 5 miles down the road are not the seller's responsibility. If you have any mechanically minded friends/dad/brother, take them with you. Try to take a test drive, check for wear and tear on tyres, ask to see service history. The car that sounds great because it's just had new brakes/exhaust/cam belt, head gasket etc etc may not be... ask yourself if so many new parts is reasonable for a car of it's mileage.

    Be prepared to barter... which is where having a knowledgeable friend with you is handy. If you think the price is unfair, say so. Cash sales are generally negiotiable so don't be afraid.

    On the practical side of things, find out general things like fuel consumption, how much it'll cost you to tax and insure yadda yadda yadda. The form you asked about is the V5 which deals gets sent off to the DVLA when a car changes ownership. You and the seller sign both parts, you keep the counterpart and keep it safe while they send off the main form. The DVLA then send you your certificate which confirms the car is registered in your name. It's important to do this is quickly as you can.

    Yep, someone's seen too many cars pass through various pairs of grubby hands.....
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, I know how much the car should be worth and what to ask and all that. I can ask that sort of stuff before I even look at the car. It's more stuff like assuming I've decided I want the car, agreed a price, what happens then? Do we just sign that form and exchange keys for money? What other documents can I expect (i.e. service history, previous MOT details, stuff like that)?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ^Whatever the car comes with. History, receipts, V5(registration document), CURRENT MOT, previous MOT certificates, spare keys/master immobiliser key, etc, etc.

    Take someone who knows what they are doing. Watch closely, and learn. You'd be a brave person to do it with no experience...

    Clever seller will write you a receipt with the date and time(always overlooked but important - think of speeding offences) of exchange. Expect to see something along the lines of "Sold as seen with no warranty given or implied" on it.
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