Buying a car that fits the needs of the whole family is a lot harder than buying a “personal” car. This is because the vehicle will most likely be used for a variety of purposes, from driving the kids to school to taking camping trips into the backcountry.

The first thing you need to do, before anything else, is to take a look at your budget. Then factor in the cost of the car, how much gas it will use, how often you will need to do maintenance and how expensive it will be. If your budget is small, this first step will most likely take some options out of the running.

Once you know how much you can spend, the next step is to look into the particular needs of your family. If you have small children, for example, you will need a car with the right size backseat, so you can strap the car seat or pack large toys. Have a dog? Make sure there’s enough room in the back to store a cage, in case you need to travel long distances. Look also into the types of activities your family is into. If you take lots of family trips, you would do better with a car that gives you the most mileages per gallon. If you often go into the countryside, a small car not fit for 4×4 driving will get you into trouble.

If at all possible, take a 24-hour test drive. If you have your eyes on a particular car that you have never driven before, you can try renting it for a day to see how your family “fits” into it.

There are several things to consider before getting your car shipped such as the car preparation basics (washing your car, removing personal items, checking your gas tank, etc) but there are a few more things that you should consider even beforehand.

Before signing the contract and making your initial deposit, make sure that you thoroughly read the contract and understand the car shipping company’s terms and conditions. If there is an item on the contract that you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone or drop an email for clarification. Every car shipper is different; therefore, you will want to make sure that you understand the car shipping company’s policies and procedures including their payment details. 

Tip: Make sure that you verify that the car shipping company that you are doing business with actually has a valid license.

If you are shipping your car on an open carrier during the week of Halloween, you will want to have adequate coverage because your car could get “egged” during transport.  If you’ve never experienced getting egged before, it can actually chip your paint.  So, make sure that the auto transport company you choose offers a full coverage insurance policy in case of any damages to your car.

On the day of delivery, if your car is damaged, you can feel confident about being covered because you have adequate insurance coverage. Your car shipping company should not have a problem reimbursing you for damages. But if they should happen to refuse reimbursement, you can simply file a report with the BBB.

Tip: On the day of pick-up, make sure that you receive a copy of your vehicle’s inspection report.  This report will state the condition of your vehicle such as current damages to your car such as nicks and scratches. You will want to keep this report with you for the day that your car is delivered. Also, make sure you thoroughly inspect your vehicle.

If you’ve been considering hiring a driver to get your car to its destination, there are some things you should keep in mind. For starters, paying somebody to drive your car is not necessarily any cheaper than having your vehicle shipped on a carrier. Even if the driver charges you a lower amount, you still need to factor in the cost of gas, tokens and incidentals like overnight parking and even the added miles to your car.

Aside from that, hiring a driver gives you no protection whatsoever. If something breaks or the car is scratched or dented, nobody will be responsible for the repairs except you. When shipping through a carrier, on the other hand, you’re guaranteed that the car will arrive in the same condition as it left or you will be compensated for the damages.

Finally, you should also think about reliability. Do you really trust an unknown individual to take charge of your vehicle? Shipping companies usually have years of experience and lots of satisfied costumers that can testify to their good work. They also have experienced people who can handle unexpected situations, such as problems with delivery or custom clearance taxes.

Small details make all the difference when preparing your car for shipping. While you may be well aware of what to do when it comes to the contract, the delivery and the insurance, here are other things to keep in mind:

Taking photos of your car is a great way to protect yourself. It will ensure that there are no new scratches or paint chips on your vehicle at the time of arrival. Make sure the photos are clear, taken in good light.

While some companies will remind you to disconnect the car alarm, others will make nothing of it. If you think leaving it on is a good idea, consider the possibility of the alarm going off during transport and wearing your battery out. Or causing delays because the driver needs to stop and contact somebody in order to disable the alarm (driving with a blasting alarm behind your ears is not a comfortable experience).

Companies may not know exactly what kind of taxes you’re expected to pay at the destination port. If you’re shipping your car internationally, it’s important that you take it upon yourself to contact the embassy or destination custom office to find out what charges to expect. Taxes can be higher if you don’t have all the right paperwork with you at the time of pick-up.