Best way to sell a boat

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Simon391088

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Hi,

I've decided to sell my 2008 SC35 and have registered it with a broker.
Is that all I need to do?!

Is it best to register with multiple brokers, set up a website with lots of videos and promote on adwords etc.

Or in your experience should I just let the broker get on with it (a well known big south coast broker).

(Why are we selling? - We have been across the channel many times, explored the west coast, been everywhere in the Solent multiple times - and are selling to look for a new challenge - which might actually be a (much cheaper) sailing boat)

Any thoughts welcome,

Many Thanks
Simon
 
In my view 2 things.

1. Either supply or make sure the broker is using a set of DECENT pictures

2. Price it right and don't be greedy. People start at the cheapest price for the year and work up the list. Does not mean they will buy the cheapest ( condition, spec etc) but if you are the most expensive ti s not likely to sell any time soon.
 
Agree on the price aspect.

The boat i eventually bought was with Ancasta and on a private site. I saw it on the private site but it was too expensive for me. While passing Ancasta in Chichester i was told to make a silly offer as it was a buyers market. So i did make a silly offer and it got accepted.

The owner said that he wished i can gone through the private site..thus savings him a lot of money but the initial high price put us off.

So if you want a quick sale then sell it cheap privately...if you want a good price then be ready to have it for sale for a while.

Also actually having the boat in a location where people are will help. Boats in the Solent sell quickly compared to other parts of the UK for example.
 
Interesting you say "where the people are" I am looking at moving my boat from Bristol to Southampton to sell her
 
First things first. If you want to sell the boat then put it up,for sale. I mean properly put it up for sale.

Get it polished, antifouled serviced, the teak cleaned, all those little jobs "that just need" done and clean all your personal crap out. Imagine you're the manufacturer getting it ready to show at Southampton.

If you want to get top dollar then make someone really want your boat. Make several people want your boat. A lot of the advice on here will be based around price and I'm going to suggest you ignore anyone who uses phrases like, "it's a buyers market". It isn't. If you have a decent well presented boat then you shouldn't be giving it away. By all means be sensible and realise that dealer owned stock comes with guarantees which your boat doesn't but brokerage boats don't. The broker can guide someone through the process which you can't but they won't necessarily get any more money.

Be honest with yourself, can you sell stuff? Not very many people can particularly when they have an emotional attachment to the stuff in question. In that case get the professionals in. Otherwise you have options and those include saving 8-10%. But if you can't sell then it's potentially money well spent.

Henry :)
 
Clean it, then clean it again, and when you think it is clean, clean it.

Did I mention to clean it ?

Remove anything not included in the sale, include everything on board in the sale without question or quibble over a few quid.

Of course if you are in no hurry to sell, do not clean it, leave poo or at least some decent size skidders in the loo and the dirtiest tea towels you can find in the cutlery drawer. An old fishing rod with dried up ragworm on the hooks laying on the saloon seats helps, and for good measure dog hairs and piss stains on the carpet, and mouldy cheese in the fridge. Hair in the sink plug hole also helps not sell the boat too. Lie about the specification, and work that has been carried out, then provide receipts confirming your lies. Cram the boat with as much boot sale junk as you can afford, and hint loudly at every would be buyer how you hate 'fender kicking time wasters'.

Oh yes, and should you die during the sale process, make sure your executors leave your sailing boots in the hanging locker, with the socks you wore on the last trip out still inside, unwashed of course.

And yes I have seen all of these things when looking at boats presented for sale !
 
superheat6k said:
Clean it, then clean it again, and when you think it is clean, clean it.

Did I mention to clean it ?

Remove anything not included in the sale, include everything on board in the sale without question or quibble over a few quid.

Of course if you are in no hurry to sell, do not clean it, leave poo or at least some decent size skidders in the loo and the dirtiest tea towels you can find in the cutlery drawer. An old fishing rod with dried up ragworm on the hooks laying on the saloon seats helps, and for good measure dog hairs and piss stains on the carpet, and mouldy cheese in the fridge. Hair in the sink plug hole also helps not sell the boat too. Lie about the specification, and work that has been carried out, then provide receipts confirming your lies. Cram the boat with as much boot sale junk as you can afford, and hint loudly at every would be buyer how you hate 'fender kicking time wasters'.

Oh yes, and should you die during the sale process, make sure your executors leave your sailing boots in the hanging locker, with the socks you wore on the last trip out still inside, unwashed of course.

And yes I have seen all of these things when looking at boats presented for sale !
Click to expand...
HaHa , thanks for making me laugh Trevor .
 
Sailorsam101 said:
Agree on the price aspect.

The boat i eventually bought was with Ancasta and on a private site. I saw it on the private site but it was too expensive for me. While passing Ancasta in Chichester i was told to make a silly offer as it was a buyers market. So i did make a silly offer and it got accepted.

The owner said that he wished i can gone through the private site..thus savings him a lot of money but the initial high price put us off.

So if you want a quick sale then sell it cheap privately...if you want a good price then be ready to have it for sale for a while.

Also actually having the boat in a location where people are will help. Boats in the Solent sell quickly compared to other parts of the UK for example.
Click to expand...

Not a fantastic advert for Ancasta. Telling a potential buyer to make a silly offer is a very low effort way of getting sales. Of course it depends when the sale took place. 2009, 2010 and 2011 were very different times to 2016. But even so...

I agree with your location comments although we've just seen a similar boat sell at Burton Waters, Lincoln. Some way from the epicentre of the Solent.

Henry :)
 
I've always sold privately and as people have said - it's all about boat presentation. There will always be timewasters so you can either pay a broker to filter them out or do this yourself. WHY Boats would be my first choice if I was to use a broker as they charge a flat fee.
 
I sold my boat the start of this year, advertised it on boxing day & sold her within 6 weeks.

As everyone has said get the boat immaculately clean including the engine room & remove personnel effects. All I left on mine was towels/cutlery/tea/coffee etc. Leave a air freshener on board ( not loads of them, just in case the buyers think you're trying to mask something)

I washed & dusted the boat EVERY week ( not much fun in the middle of winter)

Every time I had a viewing I went down an hour early, put on the heating, fired up the hot water etc so everything was running and ready to test. The kettle was hot so buyers could have a hot drink when they arrived
 
Hi,

Thanks for the great comments!
Out of interest - for those that have sold their boats privately, where did you advertise the boat?

Many Thanks
Simon
 
steve930 said:
Also ebay provided you're prepared for time wasters. The site does indeed have a huge audience
Click to expand...

+1

In 3 Months, my boat on boats & outboards had had 2500 views, after 3 weeks on ebay it was 4500. And it would have sold last week if it hadn't broken down on sea trial at the weekend.
As above, be prepared for timewasters, but it does get a lot of exposure, and you only need one buyer...

I sold a boat for a friend last Summer on ebay, that was sold within a week.
Plus, it's cheap!
 
If using the Ebay Classified Ad you pay an up front fee then no further transaction fees for a 28 day listing, and when you sell it is a private transaction outside Ebay rules, BUT be aware if you tick the 'Best Offer' box, and receive an offer and then conclude a sale that way Ebay will want their fee. Best offer is what you want to get anyway, so do not give Ebay your cash unnecessarily.

You will get time wasters via Ebay so set out some ground rules to filter out the idiots, e.g. (perhaps politer wording, but these are the messages you must get across) ...

No trial sail prior to meeting and viewing of the boat, followed by agreed price and payment of deposit i.a.w. RYA standard contract terms i.e. 10% (I have the standard terms available - PM me if you want these and the MCA standard contract of sale).

No offer will be considered without a viewing having taken place

No you won't take it anywhere to show it to them

When asked :- What is your best price ? --- My price is shown on the advert - are you making an offer Sir ?

And no you won't accept their overpayment via Western Union then refund the difference as you deliver the boat

Good luck.
 
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