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Hi Martin! Welcome! I'm no expert either, but I bought a plane once, and it wasn't a disaster. When I bought my plane I had a few qualities in mind that were high priority to me, and non-negotiable, my needs. Then I had some wishes that I'd liked have had, but could do without, my likes. Then there were those things I'd have loved but didn't need or expect to find, my wishes. I wrote out a long list and prioritized each item.

For me, an example of a need was a low time engine. A like was a panel-mounted GPS. A wish was new paint and interior. Your priorities will be your own, of course.

It took a long time, but I finally found a plane that had all my needs, a few of my likes and none of my wishes. Anyway that's what I did. I'm happy with the purchase. A few times I was tempted to make an offer on a plane, but stopped myself because it lacked one or more of my needs.

I tried to keep in mind, the plane is not an investment. I'm investing in myself, using a plane. This mindset made it easier for me to stay away from shiny planes with emotional appeal, but that did not fit my intended mission. My plane with a low time engine (25 hours on an overhaul) in 2014, a panel mounted gps, good maintenance and a few other nice aspects cost 25K delivered, just below my upper price limit (a need). It only had a few problems, the cowl paint being one I've yet to fix. So, for the price, I got a plane to get me into daily flying and improving my skills. When I upgrade someday, I'll go through the process again, with the updated mission.

Just my humble 2 cents.
Geoff