How much to offer

Carling

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20 Jul 2007
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What is an acceptable percentage to offer a broker for a boat. I understand that it is not expected to offer 100% of the asking price and does it vary in places like France.
Rich
 
I would not work on a percentage basis at all. I would offer what the boat is worth to me. I would consider how much I could buy an identical boat for and then how much a similar boat would cost.

The market is getting more depressed, more new boats are being manufactured, hardly any get scrapped and people who have borrowed money to buy a boat will be hit with higher interest rates.

If you do want a percentage figure , not knowing the circumstances, I would volunteer 60%.
 
A boat is only worth what someone is prepared to offer so even if you can't afford what you think she is worth try offering what you can afford, sometimes to owner might take what they can get not what the expect. On the other hand if you can afford it and she is just what you want are you prepared to loose her for mere money?
 
We accepted 90% of the sensible asking price (or 75% of the original, less sensible opening price the brokers advised us to ask)

Depends whether you think the asking price is sensible; how much you want the boat &, of course, what the vendor will accept

Start low you can always come up.
 
easy to get fixated by percentages;guage the boats value compared to others, and decide what its worth to you. Maybe thats 75,85,95 or even 100pct. Work towards your maximum price, but the percentage is a bit meaningless. If you reach a point he agrees to sell, great, but if the boat is only worth X to you and he wants Y.. well, again, the number is irrelevant!
Good luck btw;
 
What's the boat worth to you - what seems a fair price to you - how desperate do you want the boat?
Consider these 3 factors - then put an offer in.

I've always done this - and made it clear to the owner/broker that it was a take it or leave it offer, not the start of negotiations.
 
hello, despite being a newcomer to sailing, this is one area i have some experience, having only just bought my boat after a year of searching. The one thing i can tell you is that boats are usually on the market for a long time. The boat i finally bought was on the market a year ago for nearly twice the price i eventually paid. Try your luck with a wild offer, you could get lucky!
 
Start with 50% and raise it paifully by 2%, and then get in touch with the owner if you can; you will find that the owner will be more eager to settle than the broker.
 
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