Auto Body Repair: Four Tips That Minimize The Cost Of Car Repairs
Posted on: 4 May 2021
The need for car repairs can arise at any moment. Due to the sudden nature of car repairs, most of the time, a car owner doesn't have sufficient money lying around the house specifically designated for repairs. Hence, a car owner has to readjust their budgets or break their bank accounts to cater for the repairs.
However, if you are wise in your approach, you can significantly mitigate the cost of the auto body repairs so that you don't break your bank account. Therefore, here are four easy money-saving tips you need to utilize when you are conducting auto body repairs.
Consider DIY
Not all auto body repairs require the specialized services of an auto body repair shop. If the auto body damage is minor, for instance, like replacing a headlight, you may be better off buying the headlight and fixing it on to the vehicle instead of taking the vehicle to an auto body repair shop. Besides, you can use online tutorials or the installation manual to fix the headlight correctly.
Remember, if you take the vehicle to an auto body repair shop, you will get charged for labor. Installing the headlight yourself eliminates the need to hire an auto body technician, and thus, you eliminate the cost of labor from the auto body repair costs.
Get Multiple Labor Estimates
If the damage is too severe for DIY repair, don't just hire the first auto body repair shop you come across. Instead, ask different shops to provide an estimated cost of the car repairs you need.
Different auto body repair shops charge different rates per hour. Hence, you may find that apart from the estimated costs of the parts required, the wages significantly differ for different auto repair shops. Thus, in a bid to minimize the total cost of the car repairs, your best bet is to pick an auto body shop that charges the least amount per hour for labor.
Source the Parts Yourself
When an auto body shop provides the parts required for your car repair, they usually quote the parts at a higher price to make a profit on them. Typically, auto body shops buy the auto parts directly from dealers and manufacturers and sell them to you at a profit.
However, if you buy the auto parts directly from the dealer, you are bound to save some money that would otherwise be the auto shop's profit. However, before you buy any parts, make sure you get the full description and specification of the parts from the auto body repair shop to ensure you buy the right one.
Check Your Warranty
Warranties are a great way to save money on car repairs. Unfortunately, most people never read the warranty agreement when they sign on the dotted line. Hence, before you shell out your hard-earned money on auto body repairs, check the fine print of your warranty.
You might be surprised to realize that your warranty also covers auto body repairs. Hence, if the warranty is still valid, you can get auto body repairs done for free under warranty, and you get to keep your money.
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