Buying a new car is an exciting prospect no matter who you are. Feeling safe, secure and more comfortable over miles of travel can have a tangible impact on your life, and so it’s wise to plan for this in advance.

For this reason, it’s important to consider budgeting your finances well, so you can achieve the best car possible. But of course, it’s also worth including more than the cost of buying your car in that budget. Like planning a home renovation, it’s important to expect hidden or supplementary costs that simply become the means of completing the sale or doing business.

Of course, most people know to never buy a car brand new unless it won’t impact them financially because the asset loses its value significantly the moment it leaves the lot. However, with some of the following advice, we believe you’ll prevent an affordability issue before one begins:

Car Tax

It’s important to make sure you understand the sales tax tied to the car’s emissions, engine size, or value, depending on your location. Location can factor into it too, such as PA sales tax considerations worth knowing. Newer, more efficient cars might cost less to tax annually, but it’s worth double-checking the rates for your specific model before you buy. It’s unlikely; to prevent you from gaining the car you want, but it’s certainly another cost to factor in. That said, if the car is pre-owned, make certain that any back taxes are cleared before transferring ownership, as that can prevent a nasty surprise down the road.

Transporting The Vehicle

You may be able to drive the vehicle home after buying it, but of course it needs some fuel, you may need to drive a long way to get there and back, or you may even need to import it. All of this can come with costs and the need to plan your schedule. If you drive there, you need to find a way to drive that original car back unless you’re trading it in. Either way, having that cash on hand to help you make the logistics of the purchase more reasonable is usually a decent enough idea. It can save you from being stranded at least, which doesn’t feel great if the reason you left home was to be more mobile, not less.

Updated Maintenance Checks

Even if the car is fresh off the lot, maintenance checks are important. The car should have a history and documentation of MOT or annual inspection passes before you buy it, but should also include oil changes, tire rotations, and inspections too. Double-check on all if this with an associated garage you trust and go over the car just to ensure everything seems to be in working order before you buy it. Odds are, there’s bound to be one little thing that needs attention which may not have precluded your purchase but still deserves a trained eye.

With this advice, we hope you can budget for the additional extras when scheduling your next (or perhaps even first) pre-owned car purchase.