One of the cornerstones of getting a good deal on anything is the ability to be able to haggle successfully; this is especially true when it comes to getting a great deal on used cars – having the bravery to haggle properly can really make the difference between a mediocre deal and an incredibly lucrative deal…

Haggling boils down to negotiating in order to secure the best possible deal for yourself; this can save you thousands of pounds when buying a used car, or it can secure you extras and equipment when buying a new car (such as media player, sat-nav or air conditioning), which would help to sweeten the deal.

There is no big secret or dark art to haggling; by remembering a few simple pointers when dealing with a seller:

Know the total price you would be willing to pay for a vehicle – This should be ambitious, but realistic; always do adequate research to know the proper market value of the car, to avoid going to a seller demanding a deal that is going to get you laughed back to where you came from.

Always lower the original asking price – A seller should always have some ‘wiggle room’ on their original asking price; you will rarely encounter a seller who has no flexibility on their price.

Be confident – It is not unreasonable to be looking for the best possible deal for yourself; if the positions were reversed, the seller would be doing the exact same thing…

Keep check of your emotions – Haggling a good deal can be nerve-wracking and tense, but it is vital that you keep stock of your emotions; a failure to do so could mean that you end up missing out on the best possible deal on a your desired used car.