subject: Buying A Car In Regional Nsw [print this page] So you live in regional New South Wales and you need a new set of wheels. There are probably a few questions you're going to be asking yourself, so let's get some answers for you starting at the top.
Is It Harder To Buy A Good Car In Regional NSW?
In smaller towns there may be fewer vehicles to choose from when it comes to buying new car, but the history of the vehicle may be easier to trace and cars may be better value, and costs somewhat lower.
The funny thing about buying a car is that, from region to region, stamp duty costs can vary from high to low in different areas. Its not as clean cut as you might thing. Thats not to say that its more expensive to register your wheels here in NSW than it is in Western Australia "no matter what". Stamp duty always depends on your car's value.
In regional NSW, you pay around $300 for a car costing $10,000 but you pay $600 for a car costing twice that; $1200 for a car costing $40,000; and for people who can afford an $80,000 car (or something pricier), you're looking at $3100 for stamp duty.
In Western Australia, it's only $125 for a $10,000 car and $550 for a $20,000 car, but it's twice over $2000 for a $40,000 car and more than $5000 for an $80,000 car.
For most vehicles, though, Western Australia is the cheapest place to register a vehicle but, given the distance to WA, registering your car in that state if you live elsewhere is not a practical consideration!
These prices are rough estimates, of course. They are approximately what you can expect to pay. You may wind up paying a little more or a little less, depending on the type of car you have purchased. The good news for people in regional NSW is that often associated car ownership costs, such as duties and insurance, can be significantly less than for car owners in the major cities.
So that's how it goes regarding price. As for the actual registry process, checks and things of that nature, it really varies wildly from state to state and depending on which organisation you've asked to inspect the vehicle, which insurance agency you're going through and so on.
Inspections and Ownership
You may be tempted to avoid the hassle and expense of having a car you are possibly interested in buying inspected by an independent expert, but dont. Look up your local registered inspection authority and get a thorough check done to make sure that the vehicle is everything it's promised to be. If you live in a more remote part of regional NSW you may need to take the car to one of the larger town centres nearby for the check.
Once the car has been inspected, if there is a problem, the findings may provide you with a little more room to haggle on the price, or give you the information you need to let it go then move on and find a better vehicle.
Even country folk need to be a bit savvy. You should always look up the Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REV) when buying a used car. The REV tells you whether or not the seller actually has the legal right to hand the car over to you. If they don't, well, "finders keepers" doesn't really hold up in a court of law if it turns out the car was stolen or appropriated in some other non-legal manner or if it has money owing on it.
Vehicle Tax
No matter where you buy the car, you're going to be paying the vehicle tax in your own state. For most owners, this should be in the $200 range, while people with pricier cars (those in the $80-100,000) range will be paying anywhere from $5000 to$10,000 a year. However, buying your vehicle from a private collector may allow you to skip this tax. Nice to know
Beyond these considerations, just find a car you're comfortable with (ideally, low mileage for its age, well cared for, and no structural impacts), one that suits your needs, and one that's within your price range. Dont be tempted to jump price brackets if youve already worked out a budget for buying and running your car.
