Buying a new set of wheels is a thrilling experience, particularly if it’s your very first car, or if you’re treating yourself to a long-awaited ‘upgrade’.
However, it’s important not to let your excitement get in the way of some very important steps that need to be taken before you can get behind the wheel and drive your new purchase home. Neglecting any of them could turn your dream purchase into a nightmare if you’re not careful.
Read on to discover the four essential things you mustn’t forget before you can set off in your brand-new motor.
Register Yourself As The New Keeper
The very first thing you need to do once you have decided to purchase a new vehicle is to register it in your name. When you buy a car from a dealer, this process will automatically be carried out for you at the dealership, but if you buy a motor from a private seller, you will need to do this yourself. Before you start completing the form, it’s a good idea to double-check whether the person you are buying the car from actually owns the vehicle. You can determine this by checking their name and address against the details registered in the system.
Get It Insured As you probably already know, your vehicle needs to be insured in order to be road legal. Finding the right insurance policy can take a little time, so you may want to opt for a cheap day insurance policy just to allow you to drive home, and then you can spend some more time shopping around for your long-term insurance. Quotezone.co.uk allows you to easily compare policies from a range of different providers, so you can quickly and easily find the right low-cost day insurance.
Tax It
Your new car will need to be taxed as well as insured before you put the key in the ignition. This process doesn’t take long, and if you’re buying from a dealer, they can assist you with the details. If you’re buying from a private seller, however, all you need to do is go online or call DVLA, and within a few minutes your gleaming new purchase should be taxed and ready to go.
Double-check Its Service History
Before you commit yourself to buying the vehicle you’ve been eyeing, it’s important that you take some time to go through its service history and check its MOT certificates and current MOT status. This can easily be done online, where you will also find the car’s service history if it doesn’t come with many physical documents. Checking your car’s paperwork – whether in real life or online – is a great way of making sure that you’re getting a bargain rather than a potentially very costly dud. Most importantly, you should ascertain that its mileage is genuine and that there are no reoccurring problems that could prove to be a drain on your bank balance.
After all, a new car should be an asset to your life, not a burden – so make sure you follow these simple but important steps, and your new wheels will hopefully take you on many a pleasurable journey in the years to come.