5 Reasons Why Car Leasing is a Family-Friendly Option

When our trusty seven-seater was ready for the scrapyard a few years ago, it left us with a huge dilemma.  We had already spent a huge amount of money keeping the car on the road the for two years prior and even though we loved the car, we didn’t want to risk spending any more, only for something else to go wrong. We didn’t have a huge amount of spare money either to buy a car outright or to pay monthly instalments for a new one.  Then someone suggested to my husband that we could look at leasing. It wasn’t something that either of us had ever considered.  To be honest, I think that I assumed that leasing was a business option rather than a personal one.  When we looked into it, we found that leasing a car was a really great option for us.

It turned out that quite a few people I knew leased cars and they all said that it was the best way to go.  So after lots of research and many conversations with garages, we made the decision to lease a new car.  It had seven seats.  It was brand spanking new.  There was lots of leg room for the growing kids.  It had a good sized boot and more importantly, we had found a repayment system that we could afford.  We haven’t looked back and if I am honest and since then, we have leased three different cars and I would definitely lease all the time now.

So why is leasing a family friendly option?

You can find a lease that fits in with your budget

The great thing about leasing is that there is a real range in the monthly cost depending on what make, model or size the car.  It is worth shopping around and getting the best possible car leasing deal and finding a car that is within your monthly budget. Make sure you have a mileage allowance that will work for you as the penalties can be quite steep if you go over your set mileage for the length of the contract.

The general maintenance costs can be lower

Cars can be a bottomless pit when it comes to money, especially older cars, so unless you happen to be lucky enough to have a mechanic in the family, you can often feel like your whole budget gets lost on the car. With leasing, you have a monthly payment and within that, you can include the cost of servicing and repairs, if it is a new car, there is no worrying about an MOT, you might not have to pay tax and in some cases, breakdown cover and accidental damage might be covered too.  When you talk to the garages or leasing companies, really look at all of the different options available as they might save you money and help to avoid unexpected costly car bills.

It’s a great way of getting a new car

Buying a new car is really satisfying.  Choosing the colours and the fixtures and added extras.  Sitting in the car for the first time.  It is amazing but the value of new cars depreciate so much in the first couple of years, it is quite shocking and it can really put you off making such a big investment.  When we compared the cost of leasing with buying a car, the difference in monthly repayments was quite substantial.  With leasing, after the lease period expires, you can sometimes opt to buy the car for a reduced price if you really wanted to keep the car or alternatively you can lease again and have a brand new car once more.

You can try before you buy

Having children can really change the way you use a car.  Suddenly you need to think about the size of the seats, how much stuff you can fit into the boot, leg room, storage space and so much more.  The thought of buying a seven-seater terrified me but our current car is an absolute dream both to drive and in terms of the space for the children.  I love the make and model that we have now and if I decided not to lease again but to buy, I would definitely buy the same car again as it is reliable and does everything I need it to do.

You might not need to pay a deposit

When you buy a new car, you often need to pay a hefty deposit but with many lease car companies, there is no big upfront cost.  That can be really useful, if like us, your previous car is so old and broken that you won’t get much money from the sale towards the next car.

If personal car leasing isn’t something you have ever considered, it might be worth thinking about it as you might be surprised at how family-friendly it is.  We have certainly found that it has suited us and we will definitely do it again over the next few years. The cost of buying and running a car is a big chunk of your monthly income, so you need to make choices that will make things as easy as possible.

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