Visa finally came through!! :) Need car help!

[Guest The travelling brummie's]

Hello...

 

Finally got our 190 Visa through last week after 2 years of trying and waiting and stressing!! So releived!! we were waiting for my OH aussie pilce check to come back for 2 months (must have got lost in the post) very frustrating!! but once it was completed and uploaded. our visa came through within 24 hours!! feeling proud as punch and a massive weight off our shoulders!!

 

A little question from people who are set up already... How did you go about getting a car... I CANNOT get my head around the cost of cars in Aus, I have previously lived in adelaide for 2 years before travelling and working etc, in this time i didnt need a car... but since i will be settled a starting a family this time, a reliable veichle is essential to us! We love to go off camping etc for the weekends....

 

I actaully think i would be better off and it would be easier getting a new car on finance... but getting ourselves into $15 - $20k worth of debt is a little scary!!

 

My OH is a carpenter so would need a van for his tools also!!

 

can anyone give me your advice, would it just be safer to actually save up and buy one outright? I mean even reletivaly old cars are coming up $7-$8k!!!

 

Thanks!

[Guest Alexis]

Congratulations on your visa! We are on a 457 sponsored visa and I remember the stresses well! My husband was in Adelaide while myself and our daughters were waiting very impatiently in the UK! Onto the car issue.....

We had exactly the same opinion as you have. My husband has a company ute so we only needed a car for myself and the children to 'run around' in. We bought a 2000 ford KA for $2999 as we didn't want to get into any debt. To cut a long story short I drove this car for 2 weeks then realised we'd made a mistake! Yes it was fine going to and from the beach but for a journey up to the Hills it scared the life out if me! Needless to say after 3 weeks of living in Adelaide we had a KA sat in our garage and a Kia Cerrato on our drive!! We paid $16000 for a 2009 with only 5000km on the clock and a year warranty with Kia (watch out for high mileage, or what seems like high mileage to a Brit but is very normal here!). We were very lucky! It works out at $120 a week finance with capital over 4 years.

Good luck with everything and although saddling yourself with a car loan might not be for everyone, the security and peace of mind that we have with our car was worth it for us!

Alexis

[NicF]

We bought one outright. My OH bought a used Mazda 6 for $12,000 ish while I was still in the UK. I haven't had finance for a car since I was 24 and didn't intend to start now. I'd be wary of getting finance on a car unless you really need to, but if it's the only way to get something reasonable then maybe you need to consider it.

[huggesy]

Don't factor out gumtree and some local dealers I know there is a good one in glenelg cash monster or some thing like that who gets the cars and vans serviced etc before sale and you can pick one up for a few grand and if needs be finance.

 

we were lucky enough to pick one up for a bargain on gumtree low kms and mint body work just needed the head doing off gumtree. Think you can get the raa to come and do checks or mick from aldinga garage I believe also offers a check service.

 

they don't have to have any annual checks like the uk which we were surprised by, so definitely check service history.