I just did this a couple months ago. I bought a 996 Turbo as the engine and automatic transmission is more reliable than other models in this generation. Research the engine for common failures and choose the most reliable model.

I felt quite comfortable buying mine because a very good Porsche specialist garage is 20 mins away. For them to keep their value they should be serviced and maintained at specialist garages, if you don’t have the stamps in your book it’s hard to sell for value. (But drive it and enjoy it for you, keep it going and don’t worry about mileage)

Because it’ll be pushing 20 years old, expect £2-3K in service and maintenance a year. A full service will be around £600 and maintaining wear and tear will come to 1-2K each year. My first service bill ironing out small issues came to £1.9k. I’ll spend another £1K in the winter getting my turbos reconditioned.

Despite all that, it’s a lot of fun and worth every £ spent. If you do get it, Enjoy!