It’s not just about rocking up and liking the look of the car – instead you need to look at everything, from the paintwork to the tyres, seatbelts and headlights. Make sure you follow our list to check:

Check the car’s mileage. The average covered is around 10,000 miles a year, so if the odometer’s figure appears wildly out for its age, ask why. If the answer doesn’t stack up, be suspicious. Crooks may have ‘clocked’ the odometer. You can also check the last service for the mileage to see if this is in line with the figure.
Make sure the car’s previously has not been written off, or cut-and-shut (parts from two cars welded together). Watch out. Or it has been in crashes previously, and often cost k20 000 less than you’d expect.

The heart of the vehicle is the Engine

Overall condition. Cast a beady eye over the car’s condition, crouching down to look for scratches and dents.

Check repairs. See if there are any signs of poor repair, such as gaps between body panels after crash damage.

The engine. Look at the engine for signs of oil or water leaks, as well as the surrounding parts – and look under the car for any signs of leaks too.

Check the oil. Do this by lifting out the dipstick to see if the level’s correct.

Test the radio. Plus all other gadgets to make sure they work.

Turn on the lights! Check these work, and that you can open and close the windows easily.

Check as many dealerships as possible and pit them against each other

Ask all the dealers in your area for their best deal on your second-hand car of choice. If you’re prepared to travel far and wide to find a rock-bottom price, expand your radius. Make a note of the best price, and ask others to beat it.

You can always go back to your local dealer to ask if they’ll match the best offer. They might be keen for your cash, and happy to offer the same deal.

Always haggle!

Haggling isn’t reserved just for backstreet bazaars, it’s a dealer’s classic skill – and it’s expected of you, too – so bargain hard, and play Arthur at his own game. The first rule is that you should NEVER pay the list price of the car – you’d be a fool to hand over the full cost (unless buying online, or Japan where your haggle opportunities are limited!).

Arm yourself with the cheapest web prices and make dealers compete for your custom – What Car? lists a handy. Print this out and stick to it during negotiations.

Haggling can be daunting, even for hardened Money Savers, yet there’s nothing to be scared of. Here are some of Afripart Team top tactics.

• The beginner’s haggle – get them to chuck something in for free. Dealers often say they’re not allowed to give discounts but if you’re new to haggling, an easy start point is asking them to throw something in on top. Whether it’s free sat-nav or floor mats, if you need an add-on, try not to pay extra for it.
  
• Look for already-discounted cars. If the price is already reduced, there’s often more flexibility. The boundaries have already been flexed and the psychological loss for the salesperson is reduced as they’ve already given up on the idea of getting full price.
  
• Don’t fill the silence. As negotiations come to a close, a classic sales technique is staying silent. They want you to accept the price just to fill the awkward silence. Make them fill it with a cheaper offer.
  
• Walk away – get them to call you back. Psychologically, if they have to chase you, rather than you being super keen, is more likely to lead to a better deal.
  
• Flaws mean discounts. Look for the tiniest of dents or scratches. This makes them more difficult to flog, but still perfectly nice to drive!
  
• Play them off against each other. This is covered in the point above but worth mentioning again. To really up the haggling, don’t target dealers in isolation. Try to play off a number against each other. This has two advantages: it gives you a solid foundation and it prods their competitive instincts in your favor, as they want to prove they’re better than the opposition.
  
• Be friendly, but firm. You’re more likely to get a result if the staff member empathizes with you. If you’re polite, charming and treat the whole process with humors, you’ll get further.
  
• Watch for the “whack-a-mole” effect. Haggle on the price of the car, and the dealer might then charge more for the finance. Haggle on the finance, and there might be no wiggle room on the price of the car. It’s worth doing your sums to see how much each saving from haggling will be – and taking the most valuable.
  
• Ask for the sun and you may just get the moon. Remember, do it with humor, do it with style and there’s no price or suggestion too outrageous. You can haggle virtually anywhere for anything.

Money Saving success stories

Never sign on the day – walk away. You’ll start getting phone calls/emails the following days with better deals… I ended up with my target trade in, k10,000 off list price and 2.9% APR on a Ford Fiesta. It was 4.9% APR but they dropped to 2.9% when I walked away.

If you’re buying privately, it never hurts to make an offer. The worst they can say is no. And even if you walk away then, the seller could call you back if there’s been little further interest.