Pre-Owned Car Buying Made Simple – The Basics

This is the first of a three part series where we provide you with an in-depth look at the pre-owned car buying process. We will start with the basics then move on to if it is a good time to sell your car, and finish with making the deal work for you.

Car buying is a time consuming process, and at times may also be difficult. You will get frustrated, you will be thrilled, but, in the end, purchasing a car does not need to be stressful. If you are willing to follow these steps, I can promise to improve your car buying experience, and reduce the amount of stress you might feel.

Step 1 – Relax
This time is going to be different. Forget any bad experiences you may have had in the past. You are in control of whether or not you buy a car. So take a deep breath and let’s get started.

Step 2 – Do your homework
When I sold cars one of the best customers to work with was the one that came in prepared. With so many avenues for gaining information about such a large purchase, it is ludicrous to think that you can stroll onto a car lot and end up with the perfect vehicle. Before heading out to the dealership take some time to think about the type of vehicle you want, and why you want to make the purchase.

Every dealership in the world wants to sell you a car, but the dealerships that keep you happy and develop a relationship with you are the ones that will sustain your business.

Step 3 – Run the numbers
Have some understanding as to how much you can truly afford. A good rule of thumb is that for every $5,000 financed, you will pay around $100 per month. Depending on your budget, you do not want to start looking at the $100,000 car only to discover that you cannot afford it. I’ve seen people go from an extreme emotional high to the pit of the earth when they realize their dream car does not fit into their budget.

Step 4 – MOST IMPORTANT!!!
This step is absolutely critical when making a large purchase, and will save you a lot of stress. Do not believe the closeout-blowout-everything must go car sale or the random word on the street. Chances are very good that the deal or tip is not really all that great

Following the steps I outlined above will help with your basics of car purchasing. Research, prepare, relax and have fun!

What do you think about the basics of pre-owned car purchasing? Let us know by posting in our comments section. Be sure to read part 2 of our pre-owned car buying series.