Among the very many things that parents or guardians need to teach their children, buying cars is right at the top. It’s up there with how to create a personal budget, change a tyre, and make a decent cup of tea. The thing is, too many kids are getting off to a rocky start in this area – not knowing how to make sure that they aren’t being swindled with a car that’s all shiny and new on the outside and a rusty heap on the inside.
No matter how old your child is, whether they are 19 or 33, there are just some life events that they need a helping hand with. Buying a car happens to be one of those things.
If you’re wondering how to advise your child, then take advantage of this handy guide on the top 5 things that will help your child make an informed decision around which car to buy.
- Work Out The Finances
Starting with the money. The reality is that their finances will play a major role in what they can or can’t buy. Work with them to help them see the financial side of buying a car, which includes going through the monthly running costs (fuel, oil, insurance), the maintenance costs, and of course, the repayments. You may need to advise them on how to save for a chunky deposit so that they can streamline these expenses into a more affordable amount.
- Consider The Second Hand Market
There are obvious benefits to buying a brand new, out-the-box car, such as how newer cars come with the latest technology, safety features, and the fact that you can be 100% sure of their history. That’s not always guaranteed with second hand vehicles.
That said, second hand vehicles are always going to be more affordable and there are plenty of reputable dealerships in South Africa, so there’s that.
In addition, buying a car for the first time is a huge step forward and there’s a learning curve that goes along with this level of responsibility. With this in mind, opting for a second hand car gives them the grace and freedom to learn how to be responsible for how they drive, where they park, and how they generally care for the car. In other words, a ding on a second hand car hurts way less than a scratch on your fresh out-the-box car.
- Get A Free Vehicle Valuation Report
Speaking of buying an affordable second hand vehicle… it’s also important to make sure that your child has an accurate estimate of the value of the car they’re interested in. By getting a vehicle valuation report, you can make sure that you’re paying a fair price and aren’t being scammed.
Want to get a free report? Click here and after submitting a few details, like your name, email address, phone number, and vehicle details, a report will be generated for you and emailed straight to your inbox.
- Check Out The Insurance Before
You absolutely cannot stress enough the importance of getting car insurance to your child. Not even all adults get how vital this is, but perhaps it’s because their role models didn’t impress upon them how this one policy can save them from a world of financial hurt if they’re involved in an accident or their car is stolen.
It’s not just what insurance can do for them that makes this a vital step in the car-buying journey. You can also help your child get car insurance quotes for a car they want to buy so that they can see if the car they want is affordable for them to insure. Some cars are pricier than others to insure and it’s a pity to find this out after they’ve already about the car.
- Consider Features
For the most part, the steps you take in buying your first car aren’t about the ‘fun stuff,’ like the colour and sound system. But actually, if you’re going to be paying money for something for the next five years or so, you should enjoy it.
A lot of car features can be useful, especially for newer or nervous drivers, like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency brakes, and blind spot detection. Depending on what kind of features are needed or wanted, you may have to adjust your budget, save more, or spend more time looking.
Feel informed?
We hope that this information helps! Don’t forget that AA Inform is home to a range of useful tools and resources. Click here to see them all.
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