Hot tips when buying personalised number plates

Personalised number plates have become the rage these days. With over 374,968 individual private registrations made in 2017, personalised plates are no longer consider status symbol reserved for the super wealthy. Instead, they are viewed as another way to express one’s individuality. If you are contemplating on getting a private plate on your own, we have compiled five tips below that will help you make more informed buying decision.

1. Allocate a budget

The price of a private reg plate ranges from £250 to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Without a budget, you will be like a rabbit in a carrot farm – you will be overwhelmed by the choices available and end up making an impulse purchase that you would end up regretting. As such, spend some thinking about how much you can afford to spend – not how much you WANT to spend. With a budget in place, you will be able quickly ignore permutations that will leave you massively in debt.

2. Filter your choices

Even with a budget, it will still be challenging to choose the perfect plate for yourself. So to make your decision easier, start to narrow down your options. What are you trying to tell the world? Are you looking for a name, a memorable catchphrase, or a numeric sequence? Are you looking for long permutations or short cherished plates? Answer the questions honestly, and your mind will become clearer.

3. Number plate Format

Do you think the current format will be easier to accommodate your preferred permutations? Are age identifiers, or the lack of, important to you? Do you prefer letters in front or at the back? Choosing your preferred format will instantly reduce your options to a manageable level.

4. Where should you buy the private plate?

DVLA’s online auction site offers the biggest range of permutations to choose from, and prices start at a very reasonable £250. However, finding the right one could take days, even weeks, and still you might think there’s something better out there. There might be, but the prices will also be higher, and an element of risk is introduced into the deal – not to mention the dreaded broker’s fee.

5. Documentation

Before making a purchase or transfer, prepare your documentation well in advance. Your log book, identification papers, V750 or V778 certificates, tax disc and MOT are just some of the documents you should have close by to ensure your purchase, and transfer or reassignment goes smoothly.