Need advice for first time buyer in the UK

[NetDriver]

Hi there,

I am in the market for a Polo 1.4 2002 for under 1000 pound ideally with current MOT and Tax. The thing is I have no clue about the process after I have agreed to buy the car from a privat person. Things like insurance, V5 and Tax.

As I understand the seller and me have to fill out the V5 which goes to the motor vehicle departmant. This will transfer the owner rights to my name. How long does this take and can I drive and insure the car before I get the confirmation?

Regarding the insurance I qualify for the expat insurance from Clements. Once I purchase the insurance online I can print out the policy. Is that enough to have the car insured?

Basically its filling out the V5 print out the insurance policy and I can drive the car away from the seller? Provided the car has MOT and Tax obviously.

Please can somebody enlighten me on the process I dont want to do anything wrong. Thanks a lot in advance any help very much appreciated.

[iva cosworth]

You don't even have to print the insurance out but many like to have a hard copy.

[RobM77]

NetDriver said:

Hi there,

I am in the market for a Polo 1.4 2002 for under 1000 pound ideally with current MOT and Tax. The thing is I have no clue about the process after I have agreed to buy the car from a privat person. Things like insurance, V5 and Tax.

As I understand the seller and me have to fill out the V5 which goes to the motor vehicle departmant. This will transfer the owner rights to my name. How long does this take and can I drive and insure the car before I get the confirmation?

Regarding the insurance I qualify for the expat insurance from Clements. Once I purchase the insurance online I can print out the policy. Is that enough to have the car insured?

Basically its filling out the V5 print out the insurance policy and I can drive the car away from the seller? Provided the car has MOT and Tax obviously.

Please can somebody enlighten me on the process I dont want to do anything wrong. Thanks a lot in advance any help very much appreciated.

Yes, you're correct.

First of all, exchange funds (it's a good idea for both of you to get a receipt at this point, although almost all private sales of cars are 'sold as seen', so if it breaks down on the way home it's your car and your problem, not the seller's). Funds can be exchanged in any way you like; the most popular methods are cash, bankers draft or you both going to a bank and doing a transfer.

Insurance you just arrange to start before you plan to drive the car home and that should be enough. The law in the UK is that if you're pulled over you have to produce your documents within a specified time, not necessarily at the roadside, but if you have some sort of confirmation of insurance (and the receipt obviously) it'd help a lot as the car will appear on the DVLA databases as the previous seller's, although the insurance database will show the car as insured to you as soon as the cover starts.

Tax and MoT is car specific, not driver, so as you rightly say, no problem there provided the car has them.

Finally, the V5 is simple. The car's existing V5 will be marked to cut in two and you both sign both bits and put in the buyer's name and address. The buyer then takes one bit of it as temporary proof of ownership and the seller posts the other bit to the DVLA, who then send the new V5 out to you.

That's pretty much it - easy

[NetDriver]

That was very quick thank you very the help guys. Any general tips on how to purchase a used car in the UK?

[RobM77]

NetDriver said:

That was very quick thank you very the help guys. Any general tips on how to purchase a used car in the UK?

Most regular people advertise through Auto Trader (if I'm allowed to say that on here?), but the Pistonheads classifieds are extremely well stocked too. I normally just search those two sites.

The other decision is whether to buy from a private individual, an independent car dealer or a main dealer:

Private individual: You get to meet the previous owner and see how they drive and treat their car. The price is often the least.

Independent dealer: middle on price, you don't get to meet the previous owner, usually no additional comeback over private sale though. I've frequently found the salesmen have a really bad attitude, not allowing test drives etc. You do get to trade in your existing car though and perhaps get finance, so it's convenient. They do have a habit of covering the interior of cars with that horrible dressing stuff though which us a bugger to get off and will be greasing up your fingers and clothes for months afterwards - I walk away if I even smell it (oh and yes, it stinks).

Main dealer: Top price, but stock is often of good quality and the salesmen are often much friendlier than an independent dealer. Finance and trade in available, of course. You get far more comeback than the previous two options as well. Watch out for that interior dressing though, some main dealers use it too - we specifically asked for a car not to have it put on once (we'd caught it before they'd valeted it and put a deposit down on that basis), but they did it anyway before we picked the car up...