How to buy a car (instead of renting) when traveling

I saved so much money, buying, instead of renting a car.

So far, I’ve bought 4 cars, Honda Accord (US$1,300), Ford Econoline (US$1,500), Honda Civic (£900) and Toyota Siena (S$3,000). Renting a car would cost US$1,500 a month.

Mostly, I re-sold the cars for the same price or a profit.

That said, it takes about 2 full days, to research and buy the car. If travel is longer than a month, I always choose to buy.

Here’s how.

1. Go to listing sites, Craigslist (US) or GumTree (UK).
2. Search for Honda and Toyota. Japanese cars can easily run up to 300K+ miles and parts are also easily available.
3. Rank by price, use filters for listing under $5,000.
4. Open up all listening in new tabs.
5. Look out for listing prices, mileage and appearance. Ignore cars that are not working. Get a sense of the market price and what is a good deal.
6. Narrow down to 20 listings. Message or call them. “Hi, I’m interested in your car. Is it still available? Negotiable? I’d love to check it out”.
7. Once they respond, ask “What’s your best price?” Then reply, “I’m looking at different cars. I’ll get back. I’m waiting for other’s response.”
8. Look for a reputable car mechanic on Google Maps. Call ahead to arrange for a full-service check ($50 – $100). Smaller shops can usually check it, on the same day.
9. Narrow it down to 3 cars and arrange to meet. “Can we meet at ADDRESS, the mechanic will do a car check. Is that okay?” If anything smells fishy, walk away.
10. After the check, if anything needs repair, let the seller know and negotiate for a better price.
11. If you feel good, complete the relevant paperwork. For the US, it’s the Bill of Sales.
12. Make sure the photo ID name matches the car ownership document. Take a photo of their ID, face and car ownership papers (Car Titles).
13. Get the cheapest online insurance. Because the car is cheap, it’s faster to pay for your own fixes/repairs, than dealing with insurance claims.
14. Pay up. Drive off now!
15. Change the car ownership to your name at the local vehicle licensing office. If you don’t have a friend in town, use a mail forwarding service.
16. Once you get the new license plate, put it up. You’re all set.

AAA membership ($70) for extra security when the car breaks down on the road.

To adventures and beyond.