WoodyP
Well-Known Member
How much would you do? Would you expect it to be anti fouled, polished, squeaky clean, or would you be happy to take on the work? I am talking about sub £10k boats.
Preparation of a yacht to sell
- Thread starter WoodyP
- Start date
Seastoke
Well-Known Member
Well a good yachts man looks after his boat , and that reflects to a buyer.
slawosz
Well-Known Member
I would say that each job that needs to be done is a good argument to reduce the price.
Praxinoscope
Well-Known Member
I would do everything I could to make it look presentable and ready for use.
Gixer
Well-Known Member
It depends on the boat. Crap answer, sorry.
I can see past dirt but feel this will be reflected in the price. I spend many an hour looking at boats for sale online and it staggers me how many are filthy inside and out. Even things like half used coffee jars, mugs in the sink, personal belongings all over the place. I wouldn’t expect to buy a car like that, how is a boat any different?
I can see past dirt but feel this will be reflected in the price. I spend many an hour looking at boats for sale online and it staggers me how many are filthy inside and out. Even things like half used coffee jars, mugs in the sink, personal belongings all over the place. I wouldn’t expect to buy a car like that, how is a boat any different?
KevinV
Well-Known Member
Clean and tidy, no personal belongings or anything not included in the sale
TSB240
Well-Known Member
Clean it so it is spotless. I speak from experience of just selling.
Spotless interior means ckearing out all junk. I was advised by a broker to get it proffesionally valeted. I ended up trying to do it myself.but it was substandard on a trial viewing by a team of ladies who like to clean.
You will find if a lady is involved in the purchasing decision you won't get away with any dirt or lack of shine.
Make sure boat doesn't smell damp. That is the biggest turn off for any buyer.
Spotless interior means ckearing out all junk. I was advised by a broker to get it proffesionally valeted. I ended up trying to do it myself.but it was substandard on a trial viewing by a team of ladies who like to clean.
You will find if a lady is involved in the purchasing decision you won't get away with any dirt or lack of shine.
Make sure boat doesn't smell damp. That is the biggest turn off for any buyer.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Rather depends. Price is not so important. A 10k boat can be a ready to go small boat or a project boat. If it is the former then the advice already given - spotlessly clean, no junk. only things that go with the boat on board and listed. first impressions count on this type of boat. Not so important on a project boat as potential buyers are not expecting perfection.
peter gibbs
Well-Known Member
First impressions - cosmetic but important -
Damp smell - nul points. Cigarette / cooking odour - nul points. Dirty upholstery - NP. Pet smells - NP. Dirty fenders-NP. Green growth in lines and halyards - NP. Stains on floor?
Then second level inspection points - water in bilge? Oil under engine? Fuel lines etc held in place with bits of string?
All NP.
Remove all personal gear, utensils etc.
Collect tools and service spares into clean container.
But you knew all that anyway.
A/F if on land - of course.
Good luck.
Stemar
Well-Known Member
Even a project will sell better for being decluttered and clean, but I wouldn't expect a sub £10K boat to be polished to within an inch of its life, just look cared for.
MAGTRAD
Active Member
I work as an agent for Boatshed and get to go on lots of boats and show potential buyers around and I also have my own boat.
When you go on a boat for the first time you only get one chance for a first impression. The most important thing is to declutter and present it clean, tidy, let some air in and if it’s a cold day have the heater on inside for a while.
Only leave on board those things that will be included in the sale and ensure any manuals, service history, receipts etc are all easy to hand or display.
The same goes for the outside. You can usually get a feel for whether the boat has been cared for over it’s ownership.
When you go on a boat for the first time you only get one chance for a first impression. The most important thing is to declutter and present it clean, tidy, let some air in and if it’s a cold day have the heater on inside for a while.
Only leave on board those things that will be included in the sale and ensure any manuals, service history, receipts etc are all easy to hand or display.
The same goes for the outside. You can usually get a feel for whether the boat has been cared for over it’s ownership.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
Make sure that the heads are VERY clean & sweet smelling ( Not like a public loo though) as well as the cooker & sink area. Lack of cleanliness in those areas would be a no no if a lady is looking around the boat, regardless of price
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
When I've bought boats I've usually been pleasantly surprised by the unlisted items found aboard. On my Mirage 28 there was a Raytheon tiller pilot as a bonus - I'd never seen or used one before, my Leisure 17 had a Gelert backpacking cooker complete with solid fuel tablets, the Mirror Offshore was well presented but no freebies except a toilet roll (partly used). The most important from the selling point of view is that it looks
and smells clean and tidy (first impressions count for a lot),
and smells clean and tidy (first impressions count for a lot),
ashtead
Well-Known Member
Worse thing might be a smelly heads as you say -before we bought our current boat we looked around an earlier secondhand version and could not believe the heads smell from what was over wise a well presented vessel.
Jim@sea
Well-Known Member
Over a 50 year period I have sold13 boats, Shetland 535, Burland 26. Nauticus 27, Conway 26. Moody 30, Princess 33. Nauticat 33. Drascomeb Lugger. Bayliner Speedboat, Guy Couch 660. Benet au Antares .Skibsplast. Colvic Watson 24.
And realise that the most important thing when selling a boat is not condition, its location. (and price)
I believe that the most important thing when selling a yacht is to have it in an area where the buyers are.
The first 5 boats I sold were done in Part Exchange against new ones and the boat dealers were in the North of England and prices were rising. ,
One boat I sold which was up in Cumbria did not attract any buyers so I moved it to Conway. where it sold.
After that another boat I had in Cumbria although attracted a lot of interest, all the enquiries were from down south and in desperation I put that if somebody bought it I would deliver it anywhere in the UK free, and one buyer came up the 392 miles from Southampton to my marina in Cumbria. (having a daughter in Manchester he could stop with) And I had to deliver it to Southampton.
I then came across a power boat I and to sell it I took it to Pwllheli where it sold straight away.
I found then if you have a boat in the North of England buyers from down South wont travel if it would ned an overnight stay with boats costing under £15.000
Perhaps a boat which needs work would be more easy to sell if it was on the South Coast as there are more repairers to do the work.
Sometimes with selling you have to advertise "everywhere" When I we selling our house in France it was with 3 French Estate agents for 4 years, but I found a buyer within a month afre I put it on eBay.
Good Luck.
And realise that the most important thing when selling a boat is not condition, its location. (and price)
I believe that the most important thing when selling a yacht is to have it in an area where the buyers are.
The first 5 boats I sold were done in Part Exchange against new ones and the boat dealers were in the North of England and prices were rising. ,
One boat I sold which was up in Cumbria did not attract any buyers so I moved it to Conway. where it sold.
After that another boat I had in Cumbria although attracted a lot of interest, all the enquiries were from down south and in desperation I put that if somebody bought it I would deliver it anywhere in the UK free, and one buyer came up the 392 miles from Southampton to my marina in Cumbria. (having a daughter in Manchester he could stop with) And I had to deliver it to Southampton.
I then came across a power boat I and to sell it I took it to Pwllheli where it sold straight away.
I found then if you have a boat in the North of England buyers from down South wont travel if it would ned an overnight stay with boats costing under £15.000
Perhaps a boat which needs work would be more easy to sell if it was on the South Coast as there are more repairers to do the work.
Sometimes with selling you have to advertise "everywhere" When I we selling our house in France it was with 3 French Estate agents for 4 years, but I found a buyer within a month afre I put it on eBay.
Good Luck.
jwilson
Well-Known Member
If the heads does not look and smell like new and unused put in a new one. It will probably benefit the sale, and if the common Jabsco not expensive. Clean everything else to within an inch of it's life.
fredrussell
Well-Known Member
Honestly, I can’t believe what a bunch of namby-pampies sailors are! I couldn’t give a monkey’s if boat is clean or not, or whether there are cups in the sink. These things are minor details to me. Its a days work or two to clean a boat, I’d be far more interested in the big ticket items, for which I’d pay a surveyor to check.
WoodyP
Well-Known Member
I hope that the toilet roll was the unused portion
johnalison
Well-Known Member
Although cleanliness general appearance may not matter in theory, they can make a great difference to the buyer’s first impression. We lived on our last boat for two months before we put her up for sale and every day I would cast my eyes around to see what a buyer might notice, even if subconsciously. I removed as many fixing screws as possible and cleaned around them before replacing them and scrubbed of all the little scuff marks, as well as general repairs such as they were. It was not hard work because I only did one thing at a time. I think this was part of the reason that we got four offers in the first half hour at a local boat show, even though the price was the market price.
WoodyP
Well-Known Member
My view is that everything is removed . If the boat is on land you can have a bit of polish and anti foul, but a MAB is never going to be changed by a bit of glitter. The most important thing is that engine, rigging and sails are good, and it's ready to go back in the water, otherwise its a project, and won't appeal to many, and only someone local given the costs of transportation to a place nearer home. Travel time and costs kill enthusiasm, as I know, if you have other responsibilities.
