Do surveyors value your boat?

[Courageous]

Hi guys, I have a question relating to valuation of a secondhand boat. The father in law passed away recently and has left behind a Pioneer 30 originating from circa 1968 I believe. I also believe this was one of the early fibreglass boats. Unfortunately, since he suffered from a long term illness, the boat condition has deteriorated somewhat and is looking rather neglected now. We have been in touch with a broker for advice on value and they have told us that they don't value boats and that we should get a surveyor to make that assessment. Is this a normal situation as my experience of surveyors is that they only define areas of the boat which require attention and that the valuation should be performed by the organisation responsible for the selling of the boat. Your thoughts and advice please.....

 

[bluedragon]

I received a surveyor's valuation on my boat as part of the pre-purchase survey report. But a survey will cost a few hundred pounds. I'd have thought a good broker would have given you a figure? They know the market. Sounds to me like he's not really interested...try another.

 

[Courageous]

that was my thoughts too......

 

[Mirelle]

This sounds like Class 1 buck-passing.

Every broker of my acquantance pooh-pooh's surveyors valuations - espescially if they are about to be called as expert witnesses and get paid loadsdosh for valuing a boat.

Some surveyors will put a value on a boat as guide for insurance. Others won't.

I suspect the brokers don't want the boat on their books, fearing that she may be in poor nick, and this is their way of saying so.

A quick look through the adverts should enable you to put a price on her.

 

[Medskipper]

Yes most boat owners will know the approx value of their own vessel and try and sell it for that figure, most people wishing to purchase the boat will hire a surveyor to check if the boat is worth the asking price. A surveyor is well worth hiring as they will spot defects and list them for you to use as a lever to reduce the asking price!
In your case I would say look for boats of the same age and manufacterer and then come to an average price. If you can be bothered, have the boat cleaned and polished. Any surveyor hired by a possible buyer will try and reduce your price!

Good Luck

Barry

 

[alienzdive]

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F92439/

Found that one on boats and outboards, there is another one also for the same price. If the condition is not so good it may be worth less than that. Check the condition of the sails and the engine too, as they would be an important factor. If it is very much a project boat it may well be worth less than half of what other boats in the market are going for.

 

[Norman_E]

Surveyors can give you a value when they do the survey. In the case of my boat the surveyor valued it at about 5% more than I paid for it. That is however not the point. A broker should be able to suggest a selling price. Not to do so is a bit like an estate agent not valuing the house you want to sell. As others have said, it is probable that the particular broker did not want your boat on his books. Look for a broker that deals with older and lower value boats in your size range. Some brokers seem to specialize in different areas of the market. If you look at the brokers adverts in PBO you will find some that are advertising boats below £10,000. A neglected boat will generally be hard to sell and some time and a little money spent on a thorough clean and tidy up may pay dividends. It may be easier to sell the boat if it can be seen on land rather than in the water, though that can be a double edged sword with an older GRP hull as any osmosis will be visible.

 

[colvic]

We had a boat surveyed for insurance purposes and then asked for a valuation. That was going to cost even more than the survey for the Insurance company.

Hopefully I just chose a greedy b....r!

Phil