Boxster prices -summer versus winter!
Discussion
Hi,
I am new to this site.
Sold my TVR in 2005 and have been saving for a Boxster ever since!
Still unable purchase until winter 2007.
1.Do prices fall very much during winter months.
Eg would a £22k car in summer fall to say £20.5k in winter?
Any advantages waiting until Spring 2008?(sounds ages away!)
2.Advantages of purchase thro OPC v independant dealer and risks of purchase thro private seller?
Any advice gratefully received
Many thanks
I am new to this site.
Sold my TVR in 2005 and have been saving for a Boxster ever since!
Still unable purchase until winter 2007.
1.Do prices fall very much during winter months.
Eg would a £22k car in summer fall to say £20.5k in winter?
Any advantages waiting until Spring 2008?(sounds ages away!)
2.Advantages of purchase thro OPC v independant dealer and risks of purchase thro private seller?
Any advice gratefully received
Many thanks
As someone whose last three cars have been convertibles (albeit not Boxsters), I'm not at all convinced that values dip as much in winter and peak in summer as people claim. It does make a difference, but not a huge one IMO.
I think it's more a case that you have a larger potential market in spring and summer and so there's a greater prospect of it selling.
Winter does allow more chance of a bargain if you find someone who has to sell quickly....
I think it's more a case that you have a larger potential market in spring and summer and so there's a greater prospect of it selling.
Winter does allow more chance of a bargain if you find someone who has to sell quickly....
Edited by Lurking Lawyer on Tuesday 24th April 21:48
Forgot to respond to your second point - personally, I'd prefer to buy privately and get the car PPI-ed, or put through the 111 point OPC check, than pay the outrageous OPC mark up. But that's just me, and you'll find a number of people on here who will preach to you the merits of buying from an OPC.
My opinon is that convertable prices dont differ that much between summer and winter these days. Modern hoods are so good now that you can drive around all winter and forget that your car even has a soft top. Hard tops are a waste of cash, just add weight and offer little benefit on glass windowed convertables. In the days when there were few good cabrios on the secondhand market when people wanted one they were all chasing just a few cars then the prices differed no end depending on season.
Once the MX5 appeared with a watertight softop that kept out the elements it opened the floodgates and everyone started making cabrio's and CC's. Now the secondhand market is full of all sorts at all budgets if anyone wants one at any time, summer or not. Boxsters are no different, the second hand market is over run with them. Buying is easy its the maintaining and bills when they go wrong that scare off people buying a sub £20K used Porsche. Most folks who can afford something more expensive either have something newer with a manufacturers warranty or are wealthy enough not to lose any sleep over potential costs.
The best way to buy is private and haggle hard as its a buyers market. Dont get blinded by a shiney car, think through your purchase. Most sellers in the classifieds are getting bids for a good few thousand below their asking price, private buyers are trying to get as close to trade as possible as anyone can see the market is overun with used Boxsters. Find a private buyer who's car has been on the market for a while and make them an offer close to their asking but subject to them having the car inspected at OPC, any faults corrected and a years warranty being put on at their cost. If you do this prove that you are genuine, see them and the car in person, shake hands, make a reasonable deposit so they know you wont back out once the car is ready. This will still work out a better deal for them (if the car is as sound as they say it is) than some of the crazy offers they have probably been getting. You also get a warrantied car, clear of any faults exactly as you would i you had bought from OPC minus the polish and a bunch of flowers. Probably would have saved £4000-£5000 mind. I recently bought mine this way and it worked out great for me and the seller.
Once the MX5 appeared with a watertight softop that kept out the elements it opened the floodgates and everyone started making cabrio's and CC's. Now the secondhand market is full of all sorts at all budgets if anyone wants one at any time, summer or not. Boxsters are no different, the second hand market is over run with them. Buying is easy its the maintaining and bills when they go wrong that scare off people buying a sub £20K used Porsche. Most folks who can afford something more expensive either have something newer with a manufacturers warranty or are wealthy enough not to lose any sleep over potential costs.
The best way to buy is private and haggle hard as its a buyers market. Dont get blinded by a shiney car, think through your purchase. Most sellers in the classifieds are getting bids for a good few thousand below their asking price, private buyers are trying to get as close to trade as possible as anyone can see the market is overun with used Boxsters. Find a private buyer who's car has been on the market for a while and make them an offer close to their asking but subject to them having the car inspected at OPC, any faults corrected and a years warranty being put on at their cost. If you do this prove that you are genuine, see them and the car in person, shake hands, make a reasonable deposit so they know you wont back out once the car is ready. This will still work out a better deal for them (if the car is as sound as they say it is) than some of the crazy offers they have probably been getting. You also get a warrantied car, clear of any faults exactly as you would i you had bought from OPC minus the polish and a bunch of flowers. Probably would have saved £4000-£5000 mind. I recently bought mine this way and it worked out great for me and the seller.
tuckerossi said:
Find a private buyer who's car has been on the market for a while and make them an offer close to their asking but subject to them having the car inspected at OPC, any faults corrected and a years warranty being put on at their cost. If you do this prove that you are genuine, see them and the car in person, shake hands, make a reasonable deposit so they know you wont back out once the car is ready. This will still work out a better deal for them (if the car is as sound as they say it is) than some of the crazy offers they have probably been getting. You also get a warrantied car, clear of any faults exactly as you would i you had bought from OPC minus the polish and a bunch of flowers. Probably would have saved £4000-£5000 mind. I recently bought mine this way and it worked out great for me and the seller.
so basically you are saying you can get a car prepared to OPC spec and get the seller to fund it? You must have great bargaining skills. I'd have told you precisely (and anatomically correctly) where to put your offer
Fair enough its the sellers choice what offers they choose to accept or turn down. You just wouldnt have sold your car to me and I would have moved onto the next of the hundred or more available. A good few people turned my offer down and their cars are still on the market now some two months later. If you ask enough people someone will be in a situation where it suits them to sell this way.
The guy who sold to me pretty much ended up with the trade in value after he had paid the bill at OPC, could have made more but the car needed a few bits. He didnt care as he was selling up and taking out a leased car through his company. To sell the car back to a dealer without taking another car out he would have made less than selling to me as many of them are overstocked and dont even want Boxsters at trade money. The car had been on the market for months with no serious interest and only daft offers. He was happy to make the sale, make some space on the driveway for his new CLS and send the Porsche off to a loving home for a few quid extra in his own pocket rather than to a dealer. I got a sorted car and also made a saving. It still will need expensive rear brake disks soon,a bit of paint on the front to deal with a few stone chips and swirl marks corrected which were obviously not needed to put it into warranty. Other potential buyers who are blinded by cars with mint shiney paintwork over warranties good mechanicals and service records were probably put off this car as it had never been polished or had and touch up paintwork in its 4 yr life. It dont have any dents whatsoever just swirls and a few stonechips, at least I know exactly what I've bought and what it costs to mint it as its hiding nothing.
Sure many sellers may not like the idea but if the car is as sound as they claim putting it into warranty costs no more than £1000 including the inspection. When they are getting offers £3-4K below the asking, if you offer very close to the asking your offer looks far more attractive as you are only essentially bidding £1k below. Sure if work needs to be done it eats into the sellers margin but if the car is as fault free as they claim its not going to be an issue. If someone wont stand by their car with their own wallet wouldnt you be more wary of buying it?
The guy who sold to me pretty much ended up with the trade in value after he had paid the bill at OPC, could have made more but the car needed a few bits. He didnt care as he was selling up and taking out a leased car through his company. To sell the car back to a dealer without taking another car out he would have made less than selling to me as many of them are overstocked and dont even want Boxsters at trade money. The car had been on the market for months with no serious interest and only daft offers. He was happy to make the sale, make some space on the driveway for his new CLS and send the Porsche off to a loving home for a few quid extra in his own pocket rather than to a dealer. I got a sorted car and also made a saving. It still will need expensive rear brake disks soon,a bit of paint on the front to deal with a few stone chips and swirl marks corrected which were obviously not needed to put it into warranty. Other potential buyers who are blinded by cars with mint shiney paintwork over warranties good mechanicals and service records were probably put off this car as it had never been polished or had and touch up paintwork in its 4 yr life. It dont have any dents whatsoever just swirls and a few stonechips, at least I know exactly what I've bought and what it costs to mint it as its hiding nothing.
Sure many sellers may not like the idea but if the car is as sound as they claim putting it into warranty costs no more than £1000 including the inspection. When they are getting offers £3-4K below the asking, if you offer very close to the asking your offer looks far more attractive as you are only essentially bidding £1k below. Sure if work needs to be done it eats into the sellers margin but if the car is as fault free as they claim its not going to be an issue. If someone wont stand by their car with their own wallet wouldnt you be more wary of buying it?
I don`t think there is much difference either between prices summer & winter. What you do find in the winter is the odd car that looks cheap but in reality is a bit of a pup rears it`s head presumably in the hope that the buyer won`t spend too much time poking around in the freezing cold. There are people who think they`ll get a cheap car in the winter so buy then, others who think buying in Summer is paying a premium, the net result is that they cancel each other out and the prices remain quite stable.
A good car will make it`s money any time of the year.
Henry
A good car will make it`s money any time of the year.
Henry
softinthehead said:
tuckerossi said:
Find a private buyer who's car has been on the market for a while and make them an offer close to their asking but subject to them having the car inspected at OPC, any faults corrected and a years warranty being put on at their cost. If you do this prove that you are genuine, see them and the car in person, shake hands, make a reasonable deposit so they know you wont back out once the car is ready. This will still work out a better deal for them (if the car is as sound as they say it is) than some of the crazy offers they have probably been getting. You also get a warrantied car, clear of any faults exactly as you would i you had bought from OPC minus the polish and a bunch of flowers. Probably would have saved £4000-£5000 mind. I recently bought mine this way and it worked out great for me and the seller.
so basically you are saying you can get a car prepared to OPC spec and get the seller to fund it? You must have great bargaining skills. I'd have told you precisely (and anatomically correctly) where to put your offer
Absolutely normal - unless the seller describes the car as averasge and needing work. Many private sellers offer 'Very Good' or 'perfect' cars at many £k over trade bid. If they are confident that hte car is as described, it should be no issue for them to pay for anything that a decent PPI picks up.
johnfm said:
it should be no issue for them to pay for anything that a decent PPI picks up.
Agreed - but I'd draw the line at paying for the cost of the OPC inspection and then to apply the warranty for the buyer's benefit, which is what tuckerossi appears to be suggesting the seller should do.
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