2+ month car hire, or other options?

fixx

Hi,

I've moved back to the UK fairly recently, and I'm not sure it's a permanent move. I'm on a short term contract at my current role, and it's a bit outside the city centre.

I can get there on public transport, but I'd like to have a car to make life a little easier. But until I work out what I'm doing I don't want to buy a car - so I'm looking for some kind of hire solution where i can have a car for a little over 2 months.

Most traditional car hire firms only do 28 days at a time, and car leasing tends to be for 2years and over.

Are there any solutions for the period of time I'm looking for that I'm missing?

Any help much appreciated!

DKLS

You could buy a banger, but plenty of car hire companies do monthly rentals for longer periods, the company I work for often do it for new starters as their is often a lead time for their company cars.

Pick up the phone and ask the hire companies what they can do for 8-10 weeks am sure they will rip your hand off for your business.

straighttalker

Hire for 28 days and then just go back and re sign a new contract.

bigjl

Must admit that for that period of time I would head up the auction with a grand or so in my hand.

Buy a car and then sell after 2 months with a small profit.

Moto2

bigjl wrote: »

Must admit that for that period of time I would head up the auction with a grand or so in my hand.

Buy a car and then sell after 2 months with a small profit.

By the time you've sorted insurance/tax and then sell it, SORN it and cancel the tax and insurance and get refunds .... I'm not sure it makes much sense for 8 or 9 weeks

blackshirtuk

no idea if any good but there does seem to be companies out there

https://www.carsondemand.co.uk/1-3-6-month-short-term-leasing/

WellKnownSid

straighttalker wrote: »

Hire for 28 days and then just go back and re sign a new contract.

If you extend it before you hand it back - you can usually pay the same rate rather than be quoted a new one. I've personally hired short term for 3 months that way, but that was a few years ago.

The big advantage is if you don't have UK NCB / a UK driving history because you'll save on insurance costs. Some insurance companies will accept non-UK NCB but it's more hoops to jump through if you don't have a UK car to begin with. Simple car hire is a more straightforward transaction.

glentoran99

Moto2 wrote: »

By the time you've sorted insurance/tax and then sell it, SORN it and cancel the tax and insurance and get refunds .... I'm not sure it makes much sense for 8 or 9 weeks

still cheaper than hiring a car

WellKnownSid

glentoran99 wrote: »

still cheaper than hiring a car

Just tried some from Stansted airport. Ryanair's website quotes £333 for a car for 28 days - they're usually pretty good on price.

If it's only for work, the cheapest way is actually to pick up at 7am on a Monday and drop off at 7pm on a Friday. Ford Ka £42 / week - £378 over 9 weeks. £54 for a Golf - £486 over 9 weeks.

YMMV

AdrianC

glentoran99 wrote: »

still cheaper than hiring a car

I doubt it is, by the time you figure in what you'll get back from a grand's-worth of banger when you have to shift it tomorrow before flying back, the cost of insurance with no recent UK driving record or NCB, the risk of the car having a sulk during those two months, etc etc.

If t'were me, I'd be looking for medium-term hire, no question.

fixx

Thanks all for the thoughts and advice!

I do appreciate that buying and selling later could save me some money - but I've very little spare time at the moment, so it's just not a route I can go down right now. Time is money and all that, and I need my time more!

I've started talking to a few local companies - 28days followed by 28days seems to be the cheapest route as it gives companies reassurance that the car hasn't been destroyed if they can check it every so often I'll get a few more quotes from the local places before I make a decision.

blackshirtuk - great link, thanks! Will check that out too.

WellKnownSid - hadn't thought about that, will ask the various companies about that as an option too, though it might be nice to have a car for the odd weekend too...