Every car will need a service at some point. The service schedule is decided at the factory and it can vary from manufacture to manufacture and depending on the model of car. IT is very important to have services carried out in accordance with the schedule in order to keep your car running in tip top condition.

You have the choice as to whether to take it to a main dealer (same manufacture as the car) or to take it to another garage of your choice. Many people opt to use a local garage as main dealer prices are often quite a bit higher than local garages. If your car is still within the manufactures warranty then you may have to have any services done at the main dealer to keep the warranty and stop it from becoming void or ensure that where you take the car for the service, uses genuine parts.

Having full main dealer service history can also add value to your car when you come to sell it, so if you want to look after the resale value then main dealer servicing is the way to go. If you cannot afford this then local garage services are often just as good and will ensure that the car is looked after.

People sell cars for many reasons, sometimes it is because they need a bigger or smaller vehicle or it may be that they are simply cannot afford to run the car etc. Unfortunately some people do sell cars when they know it has or is soon going to have a serious problem. It may surprise you how many people put up pictures of a vehicle they have for sale that has not been cleaned properly. It maybe that some people will see beyond the surface dirt but for others, this could be enough to put them off immediately without even bothering to read through the rest of your advert.

Before you picture your car give it a good once over clean and polish ideally, and do not forget the interior. For as little as a pound you can buy a product called back to black that is wiped over all the black plastics on the car that may have started to fade. This will really help to bring the black bumpers back to life and make them look almost new, this can make a huge difference to the overall appearance of a vehicle. 

Lots of people aren’t aware that if they are involved in a car accident that isn’t their fault they may be entitled to a free hire car.  Many insurance companies will only offer you a courtesy car (if it is included in your policy) but this is very often a very small car and may not be suitable for what you need to use your vehicle for. If you have an upgraded policy then you may be entitled to a like for like car, be sure to check your insurance policy as you may not be offered this even if you are entitled to it. If you have not chosen this option there are still ways in which you can get a like for like car without having to fork out on renting one privately.

An accident management company such as Compass hire will be able to arrange to get your car repaired and also supply you with a like for like car if you are involved in an accident that isn’t your fault. If liability has already been admitted by the other party or if they are pretty sure that they can prove it was someone else’s fault then they are usually happy to take on the case. They may deal with personal injury claims to or pass you on to another company that will manage this for you. Often you will not even have to pay your excess (and then try and claim it back) that you would if you claim through your own insurance company. 

If you are looking to buy a cheap used car then you may find many that only have a few months MOT left on them. These cars are often advertised with 1-3 months MOT but if buying from a garage they will often MOT the vehicle for you if you agree to buy it. If you want to get a good chunk of money knocked off the car sales price then you can agree to buy it with little or no MOT. You need to be aware that if you choose to do this you may have to fork out for repairs almost immedialty after you have purchased the vehicle. Once you have purchased the car take it straight to a garage to give it the once over. If it turns out that the car needs a lot of repairs that will cost more than the car is worth or the car is dangerous then you may be able to hand the car back and get your money back. This may not be a simple task though so you may have to go to court to fight it.

If you do buy a cheaper vehicle then it may mean that you have spare money to spend on repairs. If your budget is £1500 and you can find a car for £1000 then you can afford to spend £500 doing it up. This is better than spending your full £1500 budget on a car that still may require work to be done to it but you have no funds to spend on it.

If you are approaching the time when your car insurance is coming up for renewal, give yourself plenty of time to shop around for quotes before it automatically renews. Most policies automatically renew the day they expire and you may find that you cannot cancel online but instead need to call someone to cancel the policy.

If you do not mind who you use for your insurance then you may want to use a comparison site such as Money Supermarket or Compare the Market to find the best prices for you. Not all insurers advertise their prices through these sites, so if you really want to find the best site then you may also need to check directly on other insurers websites.

If you want to try and earn a bit of money back on your insurance policy then you may decide to use a company such as Quidco or Top Cashback to see what they are offering. The cashback is not guaranteed, but as long as you meet the criteria, it is often paid out. Some people use the comparison sites then use a cashback site to complete the purchase. Always be careful when doing this as some insurers will not pay out cashback if they have provided you with a quote through a comparison site first. Make sure when using a cashback site that you clear all your cookies and ideally use a different email address to the one you use on the comparison site.