Garage car maintenance and repairs has become extremely expensive over recent years. Typically a standard annual service will cost £300 to £400 even if there is nothing wrong with the car. The amount of work that is carried out during a service is not enormous, and it should be within the capabilities of most practical minded people with a fairly basic tool kit.
It is quite possible to obtain online all the car parts you need to service your car, in fact there are several online suppliers who will sell a complete package of parts for servicing specific cars. These kits often come with a service manual that will guide you through every step of the service. For instance, if you buy a minor service kit for a small car under 2000cc, you will get the oil, an oil filter, a new washer for the sump, screen was, maintenance spray, full instructions and even a pair of gloves. A typical price would be around £45. If you upgraded this to a major service then a few additional items such as spark plugs and air filters would be required which would increase the cost to around £80. An advantage of buying everything from one supplier is reduced shipping costs and convenience. You can save hundreds of pounds doing it yourself.
There are a few things to bear in mind before you embark on this. When you change the oil you will collect the old oil in a container as you drain the pump. Knowing what to do with the old oil can be a problem. For instance, you can't pour it down the drain. Fortunately the Environmental Agency operate an oil bank system where you can dispose of you old oil easily and there are very many centres throughout the UK. You can locate your local centres on the web.
The other thing to consider is the service record for your car. Car service history is important to most purchasers of used cars and getting the service garage to stamp your service book is the best way of maintaining the value of your vehicle. However, if you keep the receipts of all the parts you have purchased you will still be able to show that the car was properly maintained.