In today’s fast-paced world, owning a car is a necessity rather than a luxury and that goes even more for people living in the UAE and driving every day. It doesn’t mean that you can’t pamper your car; it just means you simply cannot do without a car these days. Whether your car is Toyota or Mitsubishi, just like other machines, every car do wear down after a certain period of time and a certain thousand kilometers. When this happens, you are faced with an axe to get it repaired or see it get deteriorate. While every one of us tries to get it fixed, there are situations when we have to decide – weather to retire it or repair it. If you are in such turmoil, here are 5 LOGICAL points that will help you take the big decision!

1. When repairs or maintenance costs more than the car’s worth. 
   Do some basic calculations and take the decision. Get an estimate of fixing the car from a mechanic and then take your car to a dealer. Ask him to quote the best price if you were to sale it then and there. Since now you have both the cost of repair and current worth of the car, the decision won’t be hard to make. Apply the simple “50 percent rule”, when your cars repair cost has reached to 50 percent of its worth then it’s the time to replace your old box.
    
2. Safety concerns
   Keeping your love for your old car aside, do watch it for your own safety. Keep in mind that not only the older and carelessly maintained ones, even the well-maintained cars wear out. I would recommend you to consider all the risks of breakdown while driving. In this advanced technological world, new cars are equipped with a long list of safety features like SRS airbags, ABS+EBD (Anti-breaking system and Electronic brake force distribution), anti-theft alarm and rearview cameras. Obviously your old car would not have these unless it's an Audi R8 or Ford GT, or BMW M4 or Lexus LFA and hence your old car should be replaced.
    
3. Your car is eating more gas
   If the car is consuming a lot of gas per kilometer, than what it was consuming a year ago, it has lost its fuel efficiency and it’s time to bid it adieu. You might know the fact, the older your car is, the less fuel-efficient it gets. Even if you get it fixed, thanks to the old technology it will get back into its bad shape and keep on asking for more fuel unless you want to save it for Cadillac Ranch or car museum purposes. Also consider the fact that the repair cost of an older car will keep on increasing with time.
    
4. Follow the laws
   The government has laid down a few automobile rules that need to be followed while on the road. These laws state the minimum conditions that your car must meet to be on the road. Get a quick check done of your car to see if it follows all the norms. If not, it would be wise to get rid of it and invest in a better car.
    
5. For the sake of LIFESTYLE
   Lifestyle changes and so does the society; and believe me change is good and you should be a part of it. Do you have plans of growing your family? Have you expanded your business and facing the loading problem?  Dude! You are in need of a new car. Your old car might not be able to bear the all the burden and new responsibilities and hence must be replaced.

 
Repairing or selling off is a critical decision to make. While you might be blindly in love with your automobile, sometimes the machine ceases to respond back with similar care; and when this happens, it can get harsh for your bank balance. Next time you take your old hooptie for a repair, do consider these 5 things.

3 Major mistakes people make while selling car in Dubai and UAE

As you know that selling is the most difficult task in the world, and it becomes even more challenging when you have to sell used car to a stranger without any trust or positive reputation. So the only thing that can help you sell your car fast with a confidence is to gain the trust of the buyer. Below are the 3 common mistakes that seller makes to prevent gaining the trust and positive reputation while selling car in the UAE. By following below steps, you can actually build a trust and gain positive reputation within ONE MINUTE of your ad-view.

1. Show the car service records
   One of the most important ways to build a trust is to show the full service records to a buyer without even asking. This will help you gain over 50% of the buyers trust in one single step. Even if you don’t have the full dealer service history, then show the partial record and explain where you have been servicing the car lately. You shouldn’t be lying in this step as smallest lie can fall apart the whole deal at a later stage if buyer suspects any wrong information. I have seen over 50% of the people who sell car don’t even realize that this sharing of service record is of utmost importance.
   
   The reason for this importance is that new buyer will be confident in buying after seeing that car has been very well taken care of in the past, and he won’t be spending for your mistakes. You should add at least one picture of the car service record in your online car advertisement to gain that trust immediately.
   
   
    
2. Click good car pictures
   Majority of online car classifieds I see really lack in this department. People click the blurriest possible pictures, night shots and overcast pictures to hide the fault but they forget that no one is going to buy their car without actually seeing it, so why waste everyone’s time. Do yourself a favor and spend some time in getting the crispiest, highest possible resolution pictures in daylight. Click 50 – 60 pictures and select best 10-15 out of it showing the exterior (all sides), interior, engine bay, trunk etc. for a complete feel of the car that buyer can see within 1 minute of viewing your online advertisement.
   
   Off course make sure the car is super clean (washed) from inside and outside and free from your grocery bags or office stuff or personal belongings.  By sharing the good pictures, you will be surprise to see how people straight away wanted to see your car as you have already build the trust and confidence within first minute of ad-viewing.
   
   
    
3. Be reasonable and fair
   No matter how much you love your car, but every car depreciates with time and the mileage and you should know the real value of your car. You can add 5-10% extra for final negotiation, but not over 50% markup and scare the buyer while viewing your ad. Price it right and you will sell it fast, as remember every day your car is anyways going to lose more value so sooner you sell better price you can fetch. If car has some damage or issues, be clear in the car classifieds pictures and in description and let the buyer take the call to still view your car with minor concerns or not.
   
   Hiding these will again waste your time and only 1 out 10 people will be actually interested in it. So being honest and clear will help you filter the interested buyers that potentially will accept the car with the little issues along with reasonable discount in the price.
   
   

More than 500,000 used cars are listed every year online on UAE car selling portals. So every time you plan to sell your used car that figure is your competition. So how does one go about selling used car quick and easy ? I have been asked this question more than 100 times in my life in Dubai, UAE and that's why I thought of writing this article and keep sharing and using it for others to help. In last 3 years I have bought and sold more than 7 cars for myself, my friends and family. Selling your old car can be pretty daunting task if you don’t know how to sell. Of course, even if it’s an old car a buyer will surely look on all of its aspects. With that, you have to make sure that your car is in good shape and proper working condition overall. You need to make sure that your buyer will be impressed with the first looks. Remember strongly that while selling softer tone, cooperative approach and friendly behavior will help. If you can't adopt any of these three things, sell your car at car dealer for quarter the price.

1. Make Sure Your Car Look Awesome: They say dont judge a book by its cover, but in case of a used car its always judged by its looks. No matter how powerful your engine is or awesome your music system sounds if your car is not presentable from outside, there is a chance that the buyer might not even open your door. To do so you’ll probably spend some cash for detail cleaning, washing and some minor repairs. These all are necessary to make your car as good as new. More than 75% of car buyers always look for car that has no immediate cost and they can reliably use the car from the date of purchase.
   For placing an online advertisement make sure cars is extremely clean and drive off to spacious parking lot and take lot of pictures with the best phone or real camera you got. Post the ad with best 8-10 pictures showing all exterior and interior angles. Highlight any flaws, dents or scratches in picture, be more realistic and honest. This way you will filter the picky buyers and save lot of time in viewing. Always remember, the price is what draws peoples attention, but the description and photos is what causes them to call your number.
    
2. Show the Love, Bond and Good Memories: Emotions sells better than anything else. So share your best car stories with the buyer, show your love, attachment and bond with the car that gives the new buyer a confidence in buying a car from a careful and loving owner. Share the story of you and your spouse had really good drive-time, kids love it completely and going to miss this ride, etc. This shows that you kept the car as a family member and not just a piece of machine and pushed it hard for having fun. What I meant is to show the love, if you really have it, but don’t fake it.
    
3. Be Honest and Transparent with Full Car Service History: Last but not least, this alone is the key game-changer point that many owners don’t know the value of showing the detail car service history to a new buyer. If you have the dealer car service history, then it’s easy to show the records on booklet with stamps or receipts. If car is out of warranty and you have maintained the car with reputable workshop, then show all the service details and recent repair bills (if you have it). This builds the immense trust and helps you sell the car in NO-TIME. 

When done preparing your car, it's time to find potential buyers. Of course, even when I say it is to sell your car fast, you still need to be patient and wait for people to respond to your ads. Moreover, so that your advertisement will be really effective you should share it on the Social media and you might have to repost it sometime for more people to see. Fortunately, with all your efforts, someone will be interested and you can get the best price for the deal. 

I have bought and sold many used cars over the years and I've noticed a lot of people have problems on what to do with an older car when they get an alternative.

1. Clean the car: I'm not looking for show room quality, but when I go to look at your car, I don't want to see all the food you were eating over the past year or the all the cloths thrown all over. And a wash would be a great idea too! You don't need to hand wax it but even a standard car wash is enough and can change the feeling of the car. Also clean the rims manually as the automated wash will not get the brake dust off.
2. Hmm what's that noise: When it comes to the mechanical side of things, you should have a general knowledge so you don't get taken. Maybe you need to find a good mechanic and become good friends with him! These people can be hard to come by (I have seen so many shady things while repairing cars - lots of nightmares) so when you find one, do be nice!
3. Negotiating: This is one of those life skills you should develop and know the game as it unfolds. I can't go into too great of detail here as this post would be very long. Here is the short hand version: you need to know what your bottom line is and need to negotiate as that. The buyer may suggest that your price tag is inline with what others are paying for similar vehicles, but he want's to pay less because this or that problem. Know that *ALL* used vehicles will need repairs of some kind and to find a mint condition vehicle for the same price as your beat up jalopy isn't going to happen so use that to your advantage.
4. The paper work: This you will have to do some research before hand into what needs to be filed and where. It's more complicated in bank loan than in straight cash deal where you just sign an agreement in front of registration authority - RTA, Tasjeel, Shamil or Wasl in UAE. 

You would be surprised at how often these items listed above are overlooked. If you're savvy, perhaps you can squeeze a little more money from your old car or at the very least get the fair price your car deserve.