Broker on Internet Website

[60F]

After 13 years I have decided to sell my Gosport based 1989 Princess 435, potentially together with the mooring paid up to the end of next March, as she is too high to get up to the mooring at my house on the upper Thames where I would get more use out of a boat . Never having previously sold a boat, I am looking for advice as to whether to list it with a broker or use one or both of the larger boat sales websites - which are obviously very much cheaper. I would very much appreciate comments as to whether to just engage a broker, and if so which ones are more likely to be successful with a sub £100k boat - presumably having one local to the boat could be an advantage - or whether, given the relatively low value, it would be as effective to just list with the websites having taken lots of photo's and video's and giving a good description of the boat as I think most people looking for a boat of this age and value will just do a google search. Although based in Oxford, it would not be a particular hardship to do the viewings myself and of course nobody knows the boat better than I do and she has a whole bundle of documentation with her from new and I can ensure that funds are cleared before exchanging documents or keys. Also, although broker rates generally quoted are of the order of 10% plus vat, I assume these are negotiable and, if so, what should the target rate be? Comments from people more used to selling boats would be much appreciated.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Lots of pics, vids, good description, put an ad' on places like Apolloduck.

Sold my last three boats like that, as well as some for friends.

 

[Dino]

I agree with Paul, I’ve sold my last few boats privately through Apolloduck and another local site. Lots of good photos inside and out and a detailed description of all the systems. Things like service history, any major engine work, upgrades to batteries, chargers, etc.
When taking interior photos with your phone, if it’s an iPhone zoom out to 0.5X to get great side angle shots.

 

[Moonbeam]

We used a broker to sell our Konsort. Their sole broker fees were 6% plus VAT which I do not believe were unusual and some might go as low as 4%. If you have been quoted 10%, that sounds very steep.

As the chaps above have said. Selling yourself is not too difficult. We sold our previous two yachts that way on Appolloduck. All depends on how much time you have to invest on listing and then showing your boat to potential buyers, some of which might of the dreamer variety.

I agree with Paul and Dino that lots of good pics and a very detailed description/inventory are essential for a potential buyer when considering buying from a private seller.

 

[philipdawsonladds]

I was quoted 8% but after an initial "how much" it came down to 6% but then 4% when I said I would go elsewhere. I too would prefer to sell privately but getting the right market price seems the initial challenge with no Autotrader to go to.

 

[Gumpy]

It all depends on how much you relish dealing with idiots.
I hate it with a vengeance so my boat will be on its way to the same broker that sold my last boat.
I have agreed to do a handover as some of the systems are a bit esoteric as I designed and fitted them.
Hope the buyer has a brain

 

[60F]

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated. I've gone with the website recommended and will try that for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Will probably do another couple of websites as well. It will be an interesting trial and ill let you know how it turns out to help others who may have a similar dilemma.

 

[henryf]

Regardless of which route you go a few pointers.

Present the boat to the best of its ability. Have it professionally cleaned, have the teak cleaned properly. Take our all your personal possessions and have the interior cleaned.

It doesn’t matter the age but you’re selling the dream of a new boat. I don’t want to be reminded of the fact others have used it by photos of family, pets, your old underpants and toilet cleaning products.

The phrase “you / they will be able to see through that” is a lie. People buying houses are actually judging your furniture unless you’re selling a project to be knocked down in which case it’s cheap.

Price it fairly. This is when a good broker helps, they know the market, they might also be able to deal with a p/x.

A bad broker just gets in the way of a sale.

If you’re selling privately then you need the skills, if you don’t have them your boat won’t sell.

By all means post your advert up on here and I’ll let you know what I think but I’m not going to be polite or nice. A buyer won’t be.

Finally a picture paints a thousand words. You know your boat we don’t.



Henry

 

[Moonbeam]

I'm guessing it's this one? Ad went up yesterday. Princess 435 for sale UK, Princess boats for sale, Princess used boat sales, Princess Motor Boats For Sale 1989 Princess 435 Aft Cabin Flybridge, Mooring by separate negotiation - Apollo Duck

Standby for brutal, but well intentioned feedback, if it is yours... I'll kick off and say I feel I just wasted 4 seconds of my life looking at 4 shots of Gosport... none of them with your boat in! I know you are selling the mooring angle, but that's secondary to the boat.

The first photo of the interior of your boat is showing no cushions, a bare floor and cleaning products... I'd delete that one.

I could go on.... but I'll let others chip in

 

[ari]

That's a great looking boat.

 

[Greg2]

We have sold all but one of our previous five boats privately. In each case the boats were well prepared and we had a good set of details with plenty of photos that I could send to interested parties.

An important element is knowing how you are going to handle the financial transaction and legalities of the sale. It isn’t difficult - MCA and RYA Bills of Sale are available online and we used the RYA contract of sale which I adapted to suit the circumstances in each case.

We used Boats and outboards and Yachtmarket last time round but actually sold to someone who had seen it listed for sale on the Sealine Forum and knew from the Forum what we had done in terms of upgrades.
.

 

[volvopaul]

After 13 years I have decided to sell my Gosport based 1989 Princess 435, potentially together with the mooring paid up to the end of next March, as she is too high to get up to the mooring at my house on the upper Thames where I would get more use out of a boat . Never having previously sold a boat, I am looking for advice as to whether to list it with a broker or use one or both of the larger boat sales websites - which are obviously very much cheaper. I would very much appreciate comments as to whether to just engage a broker, and if so which ones are more likely to be successful with a sub £100k boat - presumably having one local to the boat could be an advantage - or whether, given the relatively low value, it would be as effective to just list with the websites having taken lots of photo's and video's and giving a good description of the boat as I think most people looking for a boat of this age and value will just do a google search. Although based in Oxford, it would not be a particular hardship to do the viewings myself and of course nobody knows the boat better than I do and she has a whole bundle of documentation with her from new and I can ensure that funds are cleared before exchanging documents or keys. Also, although broker rates generally quoted are of the order of 10% plus vat, I assume these are negotiable and, if so, what should the target rate be? Comments from people more used to selling boats would be much appreciated.

Sorry to hear your selling her she’s a lovely boat , I really enjoyed working on her last summer , good luck with the sale she will make a great boat for someone , a real classic and as I said they dont build them like that anymore.

 

[Mr Googler]

Great boat advert

 

[superheat6k]

In my experience a decent broker will get the deal done effectively and with minimum effort on your part (you just have to present the boat properly ready for sale (as very well suggested by Henry F)). So for a say £75k boat their ~5% + vat (6%) fee will cost you ~ £4,500. But if they price it right and get you a buyer without too much knock down, the hassle you are saved is iMHO worth it every time.

I would certainly recommend what was 'Why Boats' and is now 'Boatpoint', part of the Dean & Reddyhoff empire I believe. I think they run Haslar Marina, so are possibly represented in Gosport. They sold my last two boats very effectively (Bursledon office).

 

[Bigplumbs]

I'm guessing it's this one? Ad went up yesterday. Princess 435 for sale UK, Princess boats for sale, Princess used boat sales, Princess Motor Boats For Sale 1989 Princess 435 Aft Cabin Flybridge, Mooring by separate negotiation - Apollo Duck

Standby for brutal, but well intentioned feedback, if it is yours... I'll kick off and say I feel I just wasted 4 seconds of my life looking at 4 shots of Gosport... none of them with your boat in! I know you are selling the mooring angle, but that's secondary to the boat.

The first photo of the interior of your boat is showing no cushions, a bare floor and cleaning products... I'd delete that one.

I could go on.... but I'll let others chip in

Nothing wrong with that advert at all. The pics of gosport were informative particularly as the mooring is part of the sale. Post the add on Facebook market place. In this modern world lots of stuff is sold there.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Sorry to hear your selling her she’s a lovely boat , I really enjoyed working on her last summer , good luck with the sale she will make a great boat for someone , a real classic and as I said they dont build them like that anymore.

That comment should certainly help the sale

 

[henryf]

One of my pet hates with boat adverts is lack of good wide angle shots which allow me to see the general layout inside. Trying to piece together lots of detail images is really difficult. In your defence many brokers who should know better do the same.

Nice to see the boat is stripped out ready, no old underpants lying around. I wonder if it might be an idea to say when various images were taken. Are they recent, is the boat in /out of the water currently?

Henry

 

[60F]

Sorry to hear your selling her she’s a lovely boat , I really enjoyed working on her last summer , good luck with the sale she will make a great boat for someone , a real classic and as I said they dont build them like that anymore.

Thanks for your comments and help last Autumn Paul, I really enjoyed meeting you too and am delighted to have lost the hunting on the port engine at tickover. After 13 years there was a great deal of heart searching over the winter but, realistically, this is going to be a very busy year with work and family commitments and other projects and, as she is too high to get to my mooring on the Upper Thames (I was amazed to see a 435 at Abingdon Marina last year, but they had actually had to completely remove the mast), I fear that I am not going to get the use that I would like out of her before retiring in a couple of years.

Thanks to others for comments too. I've been travelling for a bit, but have just got back and taken on board many of the comments which I am grateful for. I'll try and improve on some of the photo's as I should be able to get down to the boat later in the week - but I fear my camera is smarter than I am. I did do some voice over video on my iphone which probably provided better context than stills (which I agree are hard to follow if you don't know the boat), but discovered the file was far too large to upload! I assume the answer is probably to do something on You tube and link it to the advert - or do other sites allow larger uploads?

She has been in the water since August last year. I've dated the external photo's as suggested to make this clear - the older ones are within the last 18 months (I took advantage of COVID to get some underwater works done) but just give different views. All the internal shots are this month.

 

[Moderator]

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