Tips

Tips of choosing a reliable car dealer

- cupsofcharlotte Leave a comment

Purchasing a new car is always an exciting experience. Whether it’s a brand new car which has done less than a 100 miles on the clock or a car which has done a lot more and is second hand. It doesn’t matter both are exciting, however, how many people think a lot about the dealer they are visiting. Most people think about the type of car and if that would suit them.

Today I am going to be sharing with you my tips for choosing a reliable car dealer and getting the car which you want. Changing our car is not something that we are currently looking to do as many of you know we are in the process of buying our first house. We do have some experience in purchasing cars, however.

Check how much the car is to run.

Yes, you may be able to afford the car of your dreams or one which you like however can you afford it. On top of having to pay for the car, there is also the running costs. If you are looking at a larger car it may emit a lot of co2 I know our car is about £300 road tax due to having high emissions. But a car like the VW golf can be as low as £30 a year. Petrol cars are also cheaper to run which is always worth remembering if you are on a budget. Just make sure that you can afford to run the car before you get it as there is no point having a car but been unable to run it. If you are a young driver like us it is worth checking how much your insurance is going to be as well because this is a large expense when you first start driving.

Don’t use the first dealership you visit.

Check more than one dealership for the car you want and ask the best price that they can do for you. You can always go back and ask them to beat it some will do this if they need the sales to hit targets. I know a number of my friends have done this and have actually saved a lot of money it just goes to show even though you are purchasing the same car the price can differ. After all, we do know that all the pennies matter even if it is not a lot of money it is better in your own pocket.

Don’t purchase the first time you visit

You always get those pushy salesmen who want you to purchase a car there and then due to the fact that they get commission and have goals to hit.  Just say oh I will have a think about it and come back or ring you soon it has been proven that psychologically if they have to chase you, rather than you being super keen, is more likely to lead to a better deal. Also, it does give you breathing time to make sure that the deal which they are offering you is the best that you can get along with been the correct one for you

Ask about the previous history

A credible car dealer will share full car history with you that will entail any accidents or repairs done on the car. If it is only something small like scratches on the car it will not affect how your car is going to drive and you might be able to get some money off because of a few small scratches it is worth asking. You do not want to purchase a car which has been in an accident because this could mean that it has had damage and could end up costing you a lot of money in the long term. If you are looking for a car dealer in Brighton? Visit KAP’s Brighton Branch and find a car that fits your requirements.

Check the actual car you want.

Check the mileage on the car on average a car does around 10,000 miles does the age of the car match up to this. If it hasn’t done enough it might mean that the clock has been reset at some stage which is giving you a false reading.  You can also check the last service for the mileage to see if this is in line with the figure. Don’t feel like these are not things which you can do.  Check if there have been any repairs which have been done poorly for such gaps between the body panels after crash damage. Look inside the car make sure that it does not look like it is ready to go on the scrap heap if your gut it telling you something is wrong with it trust your gut.

What tips would you give someone looking to purchase an car?

 

Charlotte xx

Tips For Dealing With Hayfever

- cupsofcharlotte Leave a comment

It is soon going to be March which means that it is officially the start of spring, which in theory should mean that the weather is changing. Of course, this is a bonus because who else is sick of these cold horrible days, however, with the arrival of spring, it can bring an element of fear to some. Hayfever season can start as early as March and last all the way through till August. Hayfever is something which I suffer from a little bit towards the end of my school life and then since I have had Jess it is has been a problem. Speaking to my Mum this is something which she suffered with until she had me.  Hayfever is something which can last for weeks to months if I remember last year was terrible with me suffering from it that much I had to take tablets for it.

Hayfever occurs when the pollen count is high it does have a number of symptoms however, you do not have to have every single one of them. It is pretty common in the UK with around 8.4% of people suffering it is more common in men than women. If you have asthma or eczema your more likely to have hayfever with people usually developing it in their childhood or teens.

Symptoms of Hayfever 

  • sneezing and coughing
  • a runny or blocked nose
  • itchy, red or watery eyes
  • itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
  • loss of smell
  • pain around your temples and forehead
  • headache
  • earache
  • feeling tired

For me I usually get the sneezing, a blocked or running nose as well as it affecting my eyes usually I can end up wanting to claw them out which is never fun. I have in the past had it where I have wanted to scratch my actual throat because of my hayfever. I frequently get headaches and noticed it is usually when I have been outside a lot when the pollen count is high.

Prevention

Hayfever cannot actually be prevented which sucks however, you can treat the symptoms which you have.  I have found that keeping the windows and doors closed as much as you can help as it prevents the pollen from getting in the house. I know this is not always possible as it can be warm. In order to cool the house down, I sometimes have to use fans to keep the windows closed. During high pollen, I try and limit the time that I spend outside this does not mean that I do not go out. On the days that I do have to venture outside I also make sure take antihistamine tablets which help reduce the symptoms.

Apparently putting vaseline around nostrils helps as well this is a trick which I have not tried yet. This is something which I may try this year though it is meant to trap the pollen. Showering and changing your clothes when you come in from the outdoors is another tip that I have been given. Which to me sounds like an excuse to use Lush products and be in my pyjamas which I love.

What do you do if you also suffer with Hayfever?

 

Charlotte

This post is in collaboration with the independent pharmacy however, all words are my own.

Tips For Selling On eBay

- cupsofcharlotte Leave a comment

We all are feeling the pinch of Christmas still and if you’re like me you have no room for all the new toys. This year we have decided that we need to declutter a lot because we plan on moving house in the summer. We do not want to have to transport everything. So we have been selling items on eBay for a few months with a lot of success I think in the last couple of months we have made over £100. Just selling items which we no longer require and we are thankful for a little bit more space. Today I thought I would share with you a few of the things which I have been doing in order to enhance my sales and making more money.

Pictures

Make sure that you have good pictures, for me, I use my camera a lot of the time rather than my phone. This may not be possible for some of you I know because not many people have a nice camera. I try and use natural light because it always makes the colour of the item look true. Using flash can change the colour of items which is not something you want.  I make sure that I have several pictures of the item as well within the listing this is the time if there is a mark on the item to show it as well. Just because you are purchasing an item of eBay does not mean that the buyers standards slip considerably.

Times Item End

Make sure that your items do not finish at a silly time. The number of times I have seen people with items ending in the middle of the night when not many people will be browsing eBay. Another time which I would avoid is Sunday mornings this is when I have been picking up items cheap for Jess. Again this must be because people are not online. I make sure that my items end on a night I list between 8-10pm on a night.  This is a time when people are looking online as I seem a spate of late bids sometimes. If your browsing eBay there is a chance that some other person will be and they could be looking for your type of items.

Reasonable Postage Costs

If you put your postage prices too high this can put people off from bidding.  I know for sure if these items are listed too high I will not purchase them.  Previously I have seen it where the items have been more expensive with postage than it would purchase the item brand new in the stores.  I make sure the maximum which I charge for postage is £2.90 for second class.  If I am unsure how much to charge I make sure I got the maximum amount it can be in order to make sure that I am not out of pocket. Maybe if someone purchases a number of your items think about doing combine postage as this can mean that people will purchase more items of yours. This is something which I have done a lot and had people purchasing a lot of items I think the most I had is a bundle of 28 items.

Descriptions

If there is a mark on your item state it because otherwise people will leave you poor feedback and this is something which can affect people purchasing of you in the future. Selling a small fitting item state this as I listed a cropped jumper recently and had a lot of people asking for the dimensions of the item.  The more information you give the fewer people will message you questions. I also put on the bottom that I have other I am having a huge clearout because this might make more people check out your other items.

Leave Feedback 

I have found that if I leave feedback for people they are more likely to leave me feedback in return.  The more feedback which you have the more likely it is that someone will purchase from you.  If people know that you are a good seller they will be tempted to purchase from you. I now have around 900 rating as have noticed that more people are purchasing from me since I have been rated higher. I know we all start with low ratings but slowly been nice and a good seller pays off don’t forget you can even get rated for purchasing items.

Start reasonable

Start with the lowest you would want something to sell for. Don’t forget the amount may increase if you have it in an auction anyway. I have had it where items I have put on for £7.50 have risen to as much as £24. Selling at a reasonable price helps increase the likelihood of a sale occurring. eBay now also puts a suggested starting price on items as well as a suggested buy it now price. This is all based on the sales of the item in the past and currently, it is something which I have used and had items which I wouldn’t have listed so high.

Sell season appropriate

For example at the moment I have items on which are suitable as gifts for Mother’s Day. I try and sell children’s clothing which Jess has grown out of all year long and have found even in December people are purchasing swimming costumes because you cannot get them in the shops. Please may still be going on holiday or wanting to take a trip to the pool. I would recommend putting fancy dress on for children soon as world book at approaches you are likely to sell these.

These are all my tips for now on selling on eBay do you have any others let me know in the comments.

Charlotte