*This is a collaborative post
How to Upgrade your Car as your Family Grows
As parents, our number one job is to keep our children safe at all times. This can be challenging, as there are so many things you need to consider in order to keep them safe.
For example, when your family grows and you give birth to another child, you may need to upgrade your car and trade it in for a larger model. This will of course depend on your existing car, you need to consider space, safety features and how many doors the car has.
In this post, we’ll look at how you can upgrade your car and keep your kids safe even as your family grows.
Start by Identifying the Right Vehicle and Core Safety Features
Budget is usually the most pressing consideration when buying a new car, regardless of the payment method and the trade-in value of your current vehicle.
It shouldn’t be the only factor to keep in mind, however, as the last thing that you want to do is buy a cut-price car and then have to upgrade it again quite quickly when it doesn’t give you what you need.
To avoid this, I’d recommend researching vehicles that have a core range of safety features, including smart airbags, automatic door locks and LATCH functionality. The latter provides secure anchor and tether points for car and booster seats, making them much less likely to come loose in the event of a collision.
You can include additional features depending on the age of the children in your family, but the most important thing is that you make safety a key priority when it comes to choosing your new family car.
Use Finance to Secure a Vehicle that Suits your Needs
Budget is always a consideration when it comes to buying a new car. And it is always important that you buy a car that you can afford and don’t get yourself into financial difficulty. But at the same time, you don’t want to have to buy a car that is going to cost you more money in the long run because you to upgrade it again quite quickly or spend a lot of time having to get it repaired.
Once you’ve created a shortlist of the most important safety features and prioritised these, you need to compare the market and determine which car offers you the best value for your money.
Even if you cannot afford to buy this outright or in cash, you may be able to organise finance to get better value and a more affordable deal. The key here is to identify reputable lenders that offer a degree of flexibility to customers, in terms of the amount that you need to borrow, the duration of the loan and the fixed monthly repayment sum.
The AA car finance is a good option, as they offer a relatively low APR (depending on your credit score) Similarly, you can use the site to obtain a quote in matter of seconds, while adjusting the terms to help you get the best possible deal.
If you are thinking of taking a loan out though, always get financial advice if you’re unsure and remember to work out what you can afford in the long run, as it is a commitment you will need to pay back every month.