car insurance predicament for UK car

legomanx51v

Im planning on buying an Alfa 159 from Northern Ireland. 'Tis a beautiful car

Now I'm looking to buy it in the next 1-2 weeks and will keep it registered as a UK car as I will be moving over to N.Ireland for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately I'm not actually moving until next month. This leaves me with a 2/3 week "limbo period" of owning a UK registered car and not having a UK address.

How can I drive it anywhere after buying it? I don't actually need to use the car until I move over, but I would like to have it purchased as I won't have time to do that later.
Any ideas for what im supposed to do?

CiniO

If you have an insurance on any other car at the moment, just switch it onto new car.
Most Irish insurers won't have any problem insuring UK reg car temporarily.

Also book an appointment for VRT.
You obviously are not going to make it for appointment, but this will cover you to drive for these few weeks

166man

legomanx51v wrote: »

Im planning on buying an Alfa 159 from Northern Ireland. 'Tis a beautiful car

Now I'm looking to buy it in the next 1-2 weeks and will keep it registered as a UK car as I will be moving over to N.Ireland for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately I'm not actually moving until next month. This leaves me with a 2/3 week "limbo period" of owning a UK registered car and not having a UK address.

How can I drive it anywhere after buying it? I don't actually need to use the car until I move over, but I would like to have it purchased as I won't have time to do that later.
Any ideas for what im supposed to do?

They really are beautiful....:D


No idea about an answer to your question though...:o

corktina

Just arrange your insurance in the normal way. Most companies will cover you on a UK reg, but will inform Revenue after (i think) 30 days that you have it in the Country and insured with them, then in 2/3 weeks just cancel, telling them there's a change of plan if you have to and it's gone out of the country again (which will be true )

Henry Ford III

Temp. insurance transfer should be straightforward.

There's still a chance the customs could pull you over though. Technically an Irish driver isn't allowed drive a foreign registered car here.

whomitconcerns

unfortunately not technically....afaik an Irish resident is not legally allowed drive a foreign registered car here.

corktina

ah but you have a VRT procedure to follow which makes it OK to drive fttb. Just book a VRT appt at the NCTS as suggested

legomanx51v

I have insurance as a named driver at the moment. I'm guessing that's no use in this situation as I wouldn't be able to transfer that, and have to get a quote in my own name, right?

So do I pay my insurance in full when I get a quote? Or do I just ask them to let me pay a twelfth of it?
I would have thought that there'd be some insurance company that specialised in temp cover or something.

And yes it's a gorgeous car…

Marcusm

legomanx51v wrote: »

Im planning on buying an Alfa 159 from Northern Ireland. 'Tis a beautiful car

Now I'm looking to buy it in the next 1-2 weeks and will keep it registered as a UK car as I will be moving over to N.Ireland for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately I'm not actually moving until next month. This leaves me with a 2/3 week "limbo period" of owning a UK registered car and not having a UK address.

How can I drive it anywhere after buying it? I don't actually need to use the car until I move over, but I would like to have it purchased as I won't have time to do that later.
Any ideas for what im supposed to do?

This is the key but for me; Summer's not the busiest time for car sales anyway so why not go up north, suss out what you want and either buy it and get them to hold on to it or put down a deposit against a sale later int he month. If you're not going to use it anyway, it's just a bit of hassle as the dealer will have to inform DVANI that it's been permanently exported (as you won't have a UK address to register the sale to) and then a few weeks later you'll be seeking to have the sale registered to you at a UK address. Much easier to jsut sort the sale and pick up when you arrive (if you don't need it in the interim as you've said). Also saves additional cost of organising interim insurance. The last two UK second hand cars I've bought have needed minor preparation works which in one case took 3 weeks.

legomanx51v

Marcusm wrote: »

This is the key but for me; Summer's not the busiest time for car sales anyway so why not go up north, suss out what you want and either buy it and get them to hold on to it or put down a deposit against a sale later int he month.

The car is actually being sold privately so the option of a deposit isn't as likely.

Can I ask my employer in NI to allow me to use his address (which would be my workplace) for registering the car in my name? I could then insure it with that as my address.

Marcusm

legomanx51v wrote: »

The car is actually being sold privately so the option of a deposit isn't as likely.

Can I ask my employer in NI to allow me to use his address (which would be my workplace) for registering the car in my name? I could then insure it with that as my address.

I wouldn't but it's your choice; both for registration and applying for insurance in the UK, you'd need to use your usual residential address - failure to do so is an offence which, depending on your job, may not concern you at all as the likelihood of getting caught is low. The isnurers will also ask how long you've been resident in the UK which brings this point up again. Don't want to seem like a Jonah or anything but better to make informed choices. Is the car that unique?

legomanx51v

Marcusm wrote: »

Is the car that unique?

It's unique in the sense that there are only 2/3 159s in northern ireland that are a 1.9 diesel. This is the only one in a decent spec as well.
Also its being sold by a member of the alfaowners forum and seems to have been well looked after, and additionally has had a few "fixes" applied to it (DPF and EGR removed).

Im going to view it in person on wednesday, and see what the owner and the car are like. I'd be in a better bargaining position if I knew I didnt have to worry about delaying the sale for registration/insurance purposes.

Marcusm

If you're moving up next month, do you ave accommodation sorted or could you not sort it out early and leave the car there. I imagine the extra rent woud e less than faffing around with insurance etc.

legomanx51v

So what I ended up doing over the last week is that I asked my employer if its ok with him to provide my work address for my bank account and car registration. He was totally fine with it.
So now I've a proof of address in NI (bank statement) and can sort out an apartment in a week or two.
I'm gong to buy the car next week and will be registering it and insuring it to my work address.

Thanks for the replies. I'm off to create another thread