A Simple Guide From FLEXED To Help You Understand The Leasing Process
Firstly, congratulations on passing your driving test – I bet you’re super excited! Now the fun begins, as it’s finally time to think about what your first ever car is going to be and whether or not you can possibly lease one.
So, what exactly is vehicle leasing? How much does it cost and will I be able to lease one at my age?
To help you understand just what the leasing process entails and how it works here at Flexed – we specialise in short term car leases – we’ve compiled a simple guide that will hopefully answer all your leasing questions and prepare you in advance.
What Is Car Leasing?
Basically, car leasing is the rental of a new car for a period of time. Here at Flexed, we concentrate on Personal Contract Hire (PCH), which means you lease a car and then return it once your contract ends.
What Is Short Term Leasing?
When you lease a new car from us, you can choose to drive it for just the minimum of 28 days and after which it’s up to you what happens next – return the vehicle, ‘roll on’ for longer or swap to another model or make, with no additional charges to pay.
Because it’s a rolling contract, you can lease for as long as you want and once your 28 days is up, you can swap cars as many times as you like.
As A New Driver, Is Leasing A Car A Good Idea?
Car leasing has become increasingly popular amongst those aged between 18 and 24, with many choosing to lease rather than buy and that’s because you get to drive a new car with all the benefits that come with leasing.
The Benefits
- A New Car with a Manufacturer’s Warranty – all of our cars are less than 12 months old, with 90% of those being less than 6 months old. Our vehicles are maintained regularly, ensuring they’re safe and ready to lease.
- Technology At Your Fingertips – driving a new car means you’ve got all the latest entertainment and safety technology to help make you feel safer on the roads.
- Flexibility – with our short term leases, you get to choose how long you lease the car for and what mileage suits you best, plus you can swap cars at any time after the initial 28 days.
- Build Up Your Credit Score – being accepted for vehicle finance should have a positive impact on your credit rating going forward, as it shows you can make regular payments on time. Please be aware, that not keeping up with payments could seriously effect your credit rating in a negative way.
To Lease A Car, What Credit Score Do I Need?
As part of the leasing process, we ask everyone to supply their credit rating score, to determine whether or not you’re eligible for vehicle finance and of course, you must have a good to excellent credit score. But, having said that, your credit score alone isn’t the only factor that a lender uses to make their decision. Your ability to make regular payments on time and other outgoings and/or debts you may have are also considered before an overall decision is made.
Here at Flexed, ‘good to excellent credit’ isn’t always a necessity. We look at each application individually and will consider every option to get you through the application. Sometimes we may ask for a refundable security amount, which sits on the account until your contract ends – as long as you don’t incur any penalties!
To be able to lease a new car from Flexed, you need to:
- Be aged 18 or over
- Hold a full, valid UK driving licence
- Be eligible for vehicle finance
- Prove you can afford the monthly payments
If you have a non-GB driving license, but are a resident of Great Britain, there are a few conditions to meet. If you meet the following conditions, we’ll happily accept your licence – please click here for more details.
What Should My First Car Be?
The first thing to consider before rushing in with excitement is your budget – how much can you really afford to spend every month on a new lease car that doesn’t stretch you financially. Once you’ve worked it out, it’s then time to think about other factors, such as:
Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric?
What engine size will you need?
What style do you like?
What size of car will work best for you?
How much will the car be used and what kind of journeys will it be doing?
What kind of roads will you be driving on?
Do you need any extras such as a bigger boot, heated seats etc..
Further Costs To Consider
At Flexed, we’re pleased to say we don’t charge a standard deposit for our leases but there are other running costs to think about before deciding whether short term leasing is right for you including fuel prices and insurance. However, what we can confirm is that your lease contract with Flexed includes UK road tax, manufacturer warranty, breakdown cover, vehicle maintenance and 1,250 miles per month (additional mileages available). If you’re a new driver over the age of 25, you might be interested in our new Car Subscription service which includes Fully Comprehensive Motor Insurance Cover – click here for more details.
Please note, you could incur end of contract charges if you go over your agreed mileage allowance or if you cause any damage to the vehicle that’s not covered under the BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines.
Please click here to find out more about our car leasing services and fantastic offers for both Business and Personal use, or give us a call TODAY on 0800 311 8290.
Drop us a quick email to talk@flexed.co.uk or chat with a member of our team NOW using our online ‘We Are Here!’ service – we’ll gladly answer any leasing questions you may have.
