Selling

[Csail]

As you can see 'Bonny' is for sale BUT should i sell through a broker that wants 8% +VAT selling through them and 3% even if i sell it myself???? Seems extreme seeing as the boat is on MY pontoon & I wrote the advert & supplied all the pictures.Surely if they have so many potential customers they don't need to charge the 3% if i sell her on my own? In fact iv'e just talked myself out of it. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[graham]

I dont know the going rate these days but 8% seems a bit steep .cant you negotiate a bit on that considering you are keeping her on your own pontoon?On the other hand if a broker can quickly find a buyer for you it could save you money on moorings maintenance etc and allow you to move on.

How long does the brokers contract run for?

What about getting a big flag made up with "for sale" on it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Csail]

Like the one i have on F pontoon? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[graham]

[ QUOTE ]
Like the one i have on F pontoon?

[/ QUOTE ]
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wotayottie]

I've always had success selling myself but recognising the saving in not using a broker with a sharp price.

 

[Sneds]

Surely someone looking to buy a boat will search all available web sites, not just brokers?
But a lot of people like the idea of visiting a "dealer" and he will sort the wheat from the chaff.
I guess the 3% deal is for you introducing the buyer and the broker will still handle the sale?
I would try going it alone and see how you get on, there are loads of free web advert sites, boatsandoutboards.co.uk seems to be a favourite!
You could also try a part-ex, worked for us at Essex Boatyards.

 

[DAVIDO]

Why do you have to pay if you sell it yourself?

 

[bluedragon]

Same thoughts when we get around to trading-up to larger. I plan to sell privately for a number of reasons, but expect to get brokers knocking on the door wanting to do it for me. My response will be that if they are responsible for introducing the subsequent buyer, I will give them an appropriate finders-fee...but I'll handle the sale. That will probably be treated with derision, but why...it's a perfectly sound proposition. I know our boat better than any broker. I believe I know how to market it and attract interest better than they do. I'll end up doing the selling job anyway (history, details, etc, etc), so why should they get 8%? For modern AWBs and people who have "better" things to do with their time, brokers fulfil a need. For older or more obscure designs, and if it's on the doorstep anyway, I still think the the owner is the best salesperson...and I 'd rather buy this way as well!

 

[Csail]

Totally with you on that. How on earth can a broker know how the systems work? Even little quirky things which all boats have. Its not like selling a 2007 Mondeo. Also if i do sell it myself how would the broker know and get their 3%?

 

[LizzyD]

Hmmm, I know the feeling. I sold my old boat (Leisure 20) privately. However, I dropped a huge gonad.

I stupidly, but uncontrolably, found and fell in love with my present boat Lizzy D. (Sorry, but just as an aside, Bev is watching Trinny and Suzannah. Are these two a bit Lez? They've used the word "Tit" more than a pre-teenager and keep feeling up all of the other women on the programme. What I'd like to know is - do they need a hand?) Sorry, back to the boat story.

I bought Lizzy D from Dickies in Swansea. To their credit, they were helpful and honest and Kay in the office was brilliant. However, once I'd bought Lizzy D, I found myself with two boats. Dickies were keen for me to move the boat off their pontoon, which is only fair. They've got a business to run and they needed the pontoon space I was on.

As soon as we got a weather window, we moved the boat by sea to Cardiff and put it into Penarth Marina whilst I sold my first boat. The reason I didn't just take Lizzy to her home berth at Cardiff Yacht Club, was because we have a club rule that no member may have more than one boat in the club. (A daft rule on the face of it, but I've no doubt that it evolved from some other member taking advantage in some way or other.)

In desperation, I eventually sold Bearcub at a giveaway price to a bloke who clearly wasn't going to look after my first ever boat that I had inexplicably become remarkably attached to emotionally. But I had the cash in hand so off I go to Penarth Marina to take Lizzy to her new home.

Lizzy had been in Penarth for seven weeks. When I told them I was there to settle up, one of the berthiing masters winced as he printed out the receipt. The cost? Seven hundred of the Queen's finest! Seven hundred f*&^%$g quid! Bev refused to sell one of her kidneys so I lost half of the equity rasied from the sale of Bearcub.

So lessons learned? Next time I decide to upgrade, I'll sell Lizzy first before looking for a new boat, although I maintain to everone who asks that I'll keep Lizzy until well after I retire. Spotting the boat of your dreams is one thing, but forward planning is essential.

The broker (well Dickies at least) charge 10% of the sale price of the boat which is how they make their money. You get to leave your craft and its details at their yard so that potential buyers can come and look at it. Is it better to sell privately? Not sure to be honest. I've only done it once.

Anyway, I'm going to have to go. Trinny and Suzannah have just recruited another viewer. They've got these women in leotards and are discussing their body shapes with emphasis on two of my favoutire topics!!

Lizzy D

 

[bluedragon]

LizzyD, I think we can all relate to this situation. Like you, we've got an emotional attachment to our boat, and have spent zillions of hours and God knows how much money in keeping her in tip-top condition and up-to-date. We would like a larger boat as we now spend a lot of time on her during the summer, almost to the point of live-aboards...but leaving aside the fact we'll never get our time, effort and money spent back, it'll be hard, and we don't want to be without a boat for a year whilst we find another. So, the plan (whenever we implement it) is to a) identify what in principle we want as a replacement b) put our current boat actively up-for-sale early in the cruising season, but without a fixed location. So, if we're in M.Haven, then that's where people come..or if N.Wales, then there...and so on. In this age of mobile phones it shouldn't really matter where we are, and we can tell interested parties where we'll be the following weekend, for example. In fact we might even attract a larger group of potential buyers this way...it's a thought anyway.