Buying cars abroad can be daunting and overwhelming; make no mistake. Importing vehicles from one country into another requires a considerable amount of time and resources. Nevertheless, the car importation industry is highly lucrative and rewarding. You’re probably here because you are looking for tips to guide your purchase. Not to worry, this article explores some valuable tips for buying cars abroad and fixing them up at home.
Check the vehicle condition before buying.
Before buying a vehicle abroad, make a mental list of the features you want in the car. Remember that buying a car is an important decision you shouldn’t make lightly. Some people look for age, comfort performance, fuel efficiency, current mileage, and appearance. So, decide on which criteria are essential to you.
No doubt, the appearance of a car says a whole lot about the vehicle. So if you notice a minor dent on the car’s body, consider paintless dent repair to remove it. Otherwise known as PDR, paintless dent repair can fix a wide range of damage as long as the paint job is still intact. These may include hail damage, hail storm damage, large dents, door dings, and crease stains. PDR works best on both aluminum and steel panels.
Once you clear your vehicle from customs, don’t hesitate to take it to a reputable PDR workshop. Choose a repair technician that can provide quality paintless dent repair services. With paintless dent repair, experts can restore your vehicle to its original factory condition. When the work’s done, even the original automakers may likely not recognize the car.
Consider the cost of buying the vehicle.
When buying cars abroad, decide on a budget to guide your spending. For example, let’s say you want to buy used cars for sale in Ghana, factor in the cost of the vehicle and the customs fees and taxes. The customs process is a critical aspect of the car importation business. No doubt, clearing imported goods through customs can be a daunting task.
In most countries, the customs and border protection agencies worldwide require importers to file entries on vehicles immediately after they arrive. A good rule of thumb is to start the customs entry process in advance. Different countries have different custom fees for importing international vehicles, so check the destination country’s imported car custom fees.
It’s also worth noting that when buying a car from abroad which you intend to fix, you have to consider the repair costs and understand which parts might be missing. Many car importers buy their vehicles from dealer-only auctions to get the best deals on select used cars. Honest dealerships tend to list out all the relevant information that’ll help you decide faster.
Think about the availability of spare parts.
The decision to buy a car abroad goes beyond whether it is a Nissan, Toyota, or Volkswagen (VW). You have to factor in the maintenance needs of the vehicle. Car enthusiasts tend to purchase cars that the spare parts are readily available locally to cut down on repair and service costs.
If you’re buying cars abroad to fix them up at home, you must ensure that their spare parts are readily available in your home country. For example, getting spare parts for a famous car brand and model like Toyota Corolla won’t be difficult. However, that can’t be said for high-end cars like Porsche, Chevrolet, Bentley, and Rolls Royce. Similarly, you may experience difficulty getting spare parts for less popular vehicle brands and models. The key takeaway is that you should consider spare parts availability of the car you want to buy abroad.
