Too many owners hurt my resale?
#1
Intermediate
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I new to this site and looking to become a new 911 turbo owner. The wife and drove a very nice 2014 911 Turbo today with just 17,000 miles, what a ride... It has 6 owners listed on the Carfax, we would be the 7th.. Several of them were short term, garage queen owners in my opinion. One was a dealer that had owned it just for a few day and the current dealer purchased it from them. As were driving home I'm starting to wonder if this will hurt us when we go to sell the car in the future. It has a good maintenance history, but I have always wanted to search for a car with the fewest owners and lowest miles. Will future purchasers of this car shy away due to this fact of many owners?
I would love to hear what other Porsche owners think. Should we pass on this one and look for another one with less owners? Thanks for your help...
I would love to hear what other Porsche owners think. Should we pass on this one and look for another one with less owners? Thanks for your help...
Last edited by E55 guy; 02-11-2023 at 10:06 PM.
#2
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I don't think so.
I just bought a car where the carfax said there was 6 owners but in actuality 3.
For some reason there were multiple entries in North Carolina for whatever reason with the same information and each entry was logged in as a new owner.
If a car is good I usually pile on the miles so this didn't concern me plus the car is CPO'ed.
I just bought a car where the carfax said there was 6 owners but in actuality 3.
For some reason there were multiple entries in North Carolina for whatever reason with the same information and each entry was logged in as a new owner.
If a car is good I usually pile on the miles so this didn't concern me plus the car is CPO'ed.
#3
RL Community Team
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I wouldn’t sweat it. If you like the car and intend to drive it, who cares?
Honestly, 7 owners over 9 years isn’t a big deal. The average McLaren has 3-4 owners per year.
Unless you’re looking at a collectible that you intend to park and not drive, extremely low miles can actually be a bad thing. Cars that aren’t driven have far more problems than cars that see regular exercise. There are some very clean looking low mileage cars where underneath that showroom-looking exterior, they are utter sh#%boxes with cascading failures thanks to dried seals/rubber and peculiar corrosion that cars get from disuse.
Good maintenance history is far more important than miles on the odometer.
Buy it. Life is too short for consternation.
Honestly, 7 owners over 9 years isn’t a big deal. The average McLaren has 3-4 owners per year.
Unless you’re looking at a collectible that you intend to park and not drive, extremely low miles can actually be a bad thing. Cars that aren’t driven have far more problems than cars that see regular exercise. There are some very clean looking low mileage cars where underneath that showroom-looking exterior, they are utter sh#%boxes with cascading failures thanks to dried seals/rubber and peculiar corrosion that cars get from disuse.
Good maintenance history is far more important than miles on the odometer.
Buy it. Life is too short for consternation.
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detansinn (02-12-2023)
#5
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I prefer to buy one-owners cars where someone has owned it for a long time. They usually look after their cars far better than those that flip them (sort of like rental cars; people don't care). Plus it is easier to get the facts from one person than six others for times they didn't actually own the car. I guess some Porsche owners have a very short attention span. LOL
#6
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Agree with above, at this age vehicle most buyers are concerned about maintenance history and overall condition. The number of owners may become a thing for you if the vehicle shows more wear than you're comfortable with. Then you start to ask yourself why at this mileage is this example not awesome. Not assuming it isn't, just perspective on # of owners. I suspect at that mileage it looks great, at least it should. Cars get passed around all the time. I would get a pre purchase inspection done at a reputable shop for peace of mind.
So, how did you feel about the car, it appearance, the color, full leather, etc. The turbo is very stout, I'm confident it won't disappoint in the performance category.
Good luck
So, how did you feel about the car, it appearance, the color, full leather, etc. The turbo is very stout, I'm confident it won't disappoint in the performance category.
Good luck
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#8
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Reminds me of this post. https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...e-first-o.html
![](http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/kashinski/BMW%20AD.jpg)
Get a PPI from a Porsche specialist and don’t sweat the resale. Life is too short
![](http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/kashinski/BMW%20AD.jpg)
Get a PPI from a Porsche specialist and don’t sweat the resale. Life is too short
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#10
Racer
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I purchased a 2012.5 about 2.5 years ago. Was looking for about a year when I found this 13K mile GQ that had 3 well documented owners, I would be the fourth owner which I was not interested in. After talking to the 3rd owner and getting the story of the prior owners I bought it against my "rules" of a one owner....looking back, for these cars it's not about how many have owned it buy how it was taken care of, etc. (in my opinion).
#11
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I really don't understand the owner thing. Now, keep in mind this is coming from someone that is the seventh owner of their 997 GT3. But here's the thing, the majority of us, if we had the financial resources, would flip in and out of cars every year. Try new things and eventually when looking back, we could buy the cars that we liked the most over the years that we tried. I've seen one owner cars that have been trashed (I owned one of these as the second owner) and I've also seen seven owner cars (like my 997 GT3) that are in excellent condition.
Now, you absolutely can make the argument that the car that has a new owner every year may not be maintained properly, because I've seen this firsthand. Some guys will buy a car in the spring, keep it for a season, sell it to someone else having never even changed the oil let alone done a brake flush, plugs, coils etc., and then the next guy that gets it only keeps it for a year and does nothing or does basic maintenance only. But this very reason is why every car should be looked at on a case by case basis. Value should be judged based on condition/maintenance first. Things like spec and mileage can probably be next in line and then number of owners would be pretty low on my list.
You also don't know truly how many people have driven a car. When it's been in for a service appt, did someone redline it on cold oil? Did they let all of their friends drive it? These are things you're probably never going to know.
So to answer the question, I think a one owner car will bring a premium over a ten owner car. Is this justified? If using those extremes and the two cars being identical, maybe, although every item when comparing won't be the same. Would I not buy a six owner car and instead look for a two owner car? No. I see no difference there. A used car is a used car to me. Judge based on other factors first and if you couldn't make a decision as two cars are literally at the same dealer in the same spec with the same mileage in the same condition for the same price, then you can pick the lower owner car if you'd like.
Now, you absolutely can make the argument that the car that has a new owner every year may not be maintained properly, because I've seen this firsthand. Some guys will buy a car in the spring, keep it for a season, sell it to someone else having never even changed the oil let alone done a brake flush, plugs, coils etc., and then the next guy that gets it only keeps it for a year and does nothing or does basic maintenance only. But this very reason is why every car should be looked at on a case by case basis. Value should be judged based on condition/maintenance first. Things like spec and mileage can probably be next in line and then number of owners would be pretty low on my list.
You also don't know truly how many people have driven a car. When it's been in for a service appt, did someone redline it on cold oil? Did they let all of their friends drive it? These are things you're probably never going to know.
So to answer the question, I think a one owner car will bring a premium over a ten owner car. Is this justified? If using those extremes and the two cars being identical, maybe, although every item when comparing won't be the same. Would I not buy a six owner car and instead look for a two owner car? No. I see no difference there. A used car is a used car to me. Judge based on other factors first and if you couldn't make a decision as two cars are literally at the same dealer in the same spec with the same mileage in the same condition for the same price, then you can pick the lower owner car if you'd like.
#12
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so you have 2 *identical cars*. one with 1 or 2 previous owners, the other with 4 or 5. which one would you be willing to pay more for? the obvious answer for most folks is the one with fewer owners. the way less obvious part is how much more you'd be willing to pay. so yes, it does in fact effect resale but how much depends on the potential buyer. agree with others saying no big deal. wouldn't let this stop me from buying a car i liked and knew was properly maintained and taken care of. i do keep resale on the list of things to consider when buying. but lots of things are higher up on said list then potential resale value.
#13
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Personally, I just want to see pictures! Forget the owner thing.
#14
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Some people do look at owner counts. Prior to my 991 I was selling my Panamera. Had a guy specifically ask this question first and he became disinterested after. I don’t particularly look at this, but other do. I’m more interested in the car and condition/care/maintenance. By the time I sell my 991, it may not be worth much since it’s my daily and intend to drive the crap out of it. Enjoy the car and ride, don’t let the resale value ruin that.
#15
Nordschleife Master
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Less owners, you pay more and on resale you may get a little more.
More owners, you pay less and on resale you may get a little less.
I don't think you are talking about a killing on resale either way. So buy the car that you want and can afford.
More owners, you pay less and on resale you may get a little less.
I don't think you are talking about a killing on resale either way. So buy the car that you want and can afford.
Last edited by Porsche_nuts; 02-12-2023 at 02:40 PM.