The time has come to sell my car...

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

When is it time to buy a new car? I've been threatening to buy a new car for ages now, but I find that without a balloon payment - which is irresponsible and really expensive if you ever get into an accident - I will not be able to afford a brand, spanking new car out of the box. You know, when my mom bought her Toyota Corolla out of the box in the 80s, she paid about R2800 for it. LOL! You're lucky if your blown front light is that cheap these days.

Anyway, so I set myself a goal that as soon as my racy little Kia Picanto {his name is Blikaspaai} reaches 150 000 km, which is around the corner, I am going to sell it - even if it is all paid off and doesn't cost me a cent besides the occasional do-it-yourself services. I need some aircon guys. Summer in the city in my car is no joke. 

Now, the other problem is that I just can't settle on a car to buy, even if it is used. My mind changes every week - I want a Mini Cooper, or no, how about a Hyundai iX35? Wait, I really want the Volvo V40, but now this Suzuki Jimny looks real cute. Why can't all cars just look the same?

I also know that my car will be quite difficult to sell - so I'm probably going to sell it to my parents, because I'm accident prone and my dog liked climbing on the roof of my car. Or maybe someone on Gumtree might be interested, they also have a really nifty tool that let's you determine how much you should charge for your car, based on the colour, year, kilometres driven and so forth. It also shows you in graphics and has extra tidbits of info on the side to help you decide on the price. But, if you want to make sure your car is in tip-top shape before you sell it, here are a few tips {note that I will also be implementing it immediately, to save what I can}. This picture below is not my car. I can only dream to own this car.



Keep It Clean

While keeping it clean may not seem like an important part of maintaining a vehicle, it truly is. Washing the outside of the vehicle keeps it looking good, while taking care of the inside helps maintain its value. Do not forget to wash the underside where salt and grime tends to build up. If the salt and grime are left in place, it can cause rust and other problems.

Change the Oil Regularly

While you may not necessarily need to change your oil every 4 800 km, especially if your car is newer, it is important to never let it go too long in between changes. At the very least, have the oil changed every 12 500 km. If the oil breaks down too much, it can damage the engine. Do not forget to have a new filter installed at the same time. When you have the oil changed is also a good time to have other parts of the vehicle checked out. If you do this all at once, you are less likely to forget something.

Check Brake Pads

When the brake pads wear down, they can pose a danger as the brakes will fail to work as they should. If they wear down too much, the metal on metal contact will ruin the rotors and this can result in very costly repairs. Have the brake pads checked every couple of months to make sure a replacement is not needed.


For more tips, head over here.

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Image via Ultralinx
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