If you have had enough with nasty bus conductors, crammed train compartments, and unpredictable tuk drivers, hopping onto your own vehicle must be like stepping into paradise. Just imagine the peace of driving in your air-conditioned cocoon, perched on comfortable leather seats and humming along to your favorite music on the radio. It’s the Sri Lankan dream!
We explored the reasons why someone would be motivated to buy their first car, and here goes the list: Let us know if you can relate with one or more of the following:
- A new job opportunity in Sales & Marketing comes your way and owning a vehicle is a prerequisite to apply for that vacancy.
- Now that you are getting married, your fiancée is reminding you to buy that much-talked-about car ever since you got that ring on her finger. (Or it could be your mother-in-law giving you the look of disapproval you try so hard to ignore every time you pick her up for a date. The daughter, not the mother.)
- You just scored a raise in income and now it is time to reward yourself for all the hard work you have been putting in. (And of course, to make mummy proud!)
- It could also be because you have decided it is better to battle with the horrendous Sri Lankan traffic and its incessant heat (and not to mention the sudden showers) in a car than on a bike.
- Now that you have reached adulthood, daddy says he cannot chauffeur you everywhere and decides to trust you with a new set of keys.
Have we missed anything? If so, don’t hesitate to add your reasons under the comments section.
We get it. We get it. Reasons matter not but some helpful tips to get you through the daunting vehicle buying process ought to make life easier, don’t you think?
What to look for and avoid
Once you buy a car, do you want to drive around happily or live in misery? The outcome depends on how prudent you are in your car shopping.
If you have the funds to buy a brand new car, you will have less things to worry about but if you want to start off with a second hand car, go prepared. Do your research well in advance before you enter a car dealership. Read up about the car you would like to purchase, ask for advice from those who live and think about cars or even better, take someone with the right knowledge along so they can look out for anything you don’t know much about. This will stop you from getting trapped in the wrong deal.
Look for red flags in your new car relationship. Ask for the “Vehicle Book” of the car, which is a sheet of paper provided by the Department of Motor Traffic in Sri Lanka. This will list out all the previous owners of the vehicle. You will learn how many times the car has been exchanged. If the seller is not the owner, this is important because the vehicle could be problematic hence why a dealer is handling the sale. This is why you must inspect the vehicle, take it out on a test drive, and be ready to ask all the right questions from the seller. After all, this is a massive investment in your life. Do not be intimidated. And the biggest rule you should be aware of is not to transfer any advance money to ad posters before checking out the vehicle in person. This will save you from crafty fraudsters ready to flee with your money.
Formalities are set down to save you from trouble. Make sure all the proper legal documentation is handled properly. Another aspect of cars is taking it to the designated hospital if it encounters any illness. This means authorized dealers. They can save you loads of money because they are trained to handle the infinite brands and models out there in the market, unlike the garage down your street. They are even cheaper than you think. So save yourself from unwanted trouble by making smart decisions.
Now that you have been educated about buying your first car, how can stop staring wistfully at the flashy new car whizzing past you and leap into the stage of actually driving in your own vehicle?
How ikman can make it easier for you?
Since you are reading this on ikman, you know why you are here. It is because you know we have worked tirelessly to ensure ikman is an efficient and effective platform for you to buy your own vehicle from. Anybody who wants to assess the current market value of new or used vehicles visit ikman for reference. We are glad that car buyers drop by our website to gather market prices.
We have an extensive vehicle inventory so that you would be spoilt for choice. You can browse through different deals and compare them to arrive at an informed conclusion.
Don’t want to suffer from choices overload or just don’t have the time to look at all the options? We heard you. Our filtering system helps you narrow down the search by brand, model and even price. Yes, Christmas all year around for ikman clients. (That was a little cliché, but don’t mind it. We are just as excited as you are about your lifestyle upgrade!)
