Buying A Car In Delaware: What To Know
Buying a car in Delaware isn’t as complicated as it is in some other states. It is also not as expensive since there is less sales tax. In fact, if you’re buying a car in a state close by, you should think about registering and titling your car in Delaware to save some money.
Regardless, buying a car anywhere is considered buying property so it still can get a little stressful. In this article, we will go over buying a car in Delaware: what to know.
Buying a car from a Delaware dealership
Finding a dealership is a little harder in a smaller state like Delaware. If you visit Dover and Wilmington, you will find that they are bigger cities with more dealership options. If you want a less stressful experience, New Castle or south of Wilmington have fewer dealership options but offer a less crowded experience. This doesn’t mean you get poor service, in fact, you will probably get better service as the sales staff will have more time to pay attention to you and your needs.
If you like to avoid the hassle of going shopping for a car through a private owner and going to the DMV, the dealership route is a great way to go. Dealerships often have more options than you know what to do with, and the paperwork process is mostly completely handled by the dealership’s sales staff.
There’s one other advantage when shopping at a dealership over a private owner. When a private owner sells their car, what you see is what you get. At a dealership, you often not only have your pick of a wealth of cars, but a lot of times you can add on accessories that you like or require.
When buying a car in Delaware, make sure you bring with you your photo ID, a driver’s license if you want to take a car for a test drive, and a good idea of what you’re looking for so you don’t get overwhelmed.
When you find the car that you want and you have decided to make a purchase, there are a few things you want to do. First, before you sign anything, make sure the car is correct and everything you asked for is on it. Then as you go through the paperwork, everything that pertains to that transaction, make sure to get a copy of everything.
There is one last thing. Before any vehicle can be registered in a person’s name, you have to have insurance on it. This is something that the sales staff can help you out with to a point, but you have to have an insurance company or find one that is willing to insure you. If that is set up, the sales staff will usually take the time to call the insurance company to make sure the car gets insured so they can get the DMV process taken care of properly.
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Buying car in Delaware from a private owner
Sometimes you can come across some really good deals by going through a private owner. Oftentimes they have a lot more wiggle room than your average dealership car salesperson. It also can oftentimes become a headache. Let’s go over selling and buying a car in Delaware: what to know.
Never take a private owner at face value, they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you find a car you like, you don’t have to trust the seller as much as you have to be smart not to get screwed.
First, the owner should have some type of CarFax or AutoCheck report for the car. This will tell you all about the car and what kind of condition it should be in. It will tell you how many miles should be on the odometer, how many accidents the car has been in, and what kind they were. It should also tell you things like how many owners have owned the car, where the vehicle spent its life (what state in the U.S.), and what kind of car it was: private, fleet, salvage, etc.
Visual Inspection: A visual inspection of every car you’re thinking about buying, inside and out, is mandatory. Whatever you miss before you buy, you’re stuck with it. So make sure to do a thorough inspection of any car you are thinking about buying in Delaware.
There should be no reason why any seller won’t let you check every inch on the interior, the trunk, under the hood, under the car in general, and everywhere else you know is a good place to inspect.
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Mechanical and Test Drive: You want to make sure a car is a sound driver and fits your driving style and abilities.
While you’re on a test drive, make sure the car runs the way it should. It should accelerate, brake, handle, and steer perfectly fine. Also, make sure to check all the accessories to make sure they all work. This includes things like the radio, windshield wipers, heat and A/C, power windows, locks, and everything else. If something doesn’t work and you buy the car, you will be stuck with the bill to have it fixed.
Title and Registration: Unlike a lot of states, in Delaware, buying and registering a car is pretty easy. All you have to do is hand over the money for the car and make sure the seller gives you the title and a bill of sale. Then after that, you have 30 days to get your paperwork in order and get your car titled and registered in your name. The best advice to take in this situation is do this “sooner than later”. Just because you have 30 days, doesn’t mean you won’t run into problems on day 29 at the DMV.
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Buying a car in Delaware: What to know
Paperwork You Will Need:
● A safety and emissions inspection certification
● Proof of active insurance on the car
● A completed application for the title using form MV-212
● Odometer statement
● Money for taxes, titling, and registration
● Lienholder information (if applicable)
If all this stuff is in order, titling and registering your car in Delaware should be easy peasy. But it’s easy to forget to take care of these issues with 30 days to spare, that’s why it’s best to get this stuff taken care of sooner than later.
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