The Market

charlumax

New member
Joined
2 Sep 2003
Messages
80
Location
North London
Visit site
For anyone with a boat up for sale, how are you finding the market ? We all know a properly low asking price will probably get a buyer and, yes, I know we all think our boats are worth more than maybe the market dictates, but is anything actually selling?
 

paulbrown22

New member
Joined
8 Apr 2025
Messages
80
Visit site
I just bought a Saga 26 today, but admittedly ideally then really should sell my Hardy Navigator 18 then as I don't need two boats in London! So far I've only stuck it on Facebook a week ago and not really tried anything else, but will start pushing it out to the local sailing clubs on the Thames to see if there's any interest locally now I have another boat on the way.
 

oldgit

Active member
Joined
6 Nov 2001
Messages
28,817
Location
Medway
Visit site
Recently visited a major brokerage on the upper Thames.
The broker indicated up until then buyers, in his section of the market and location, were few and far between and looking at the sheer numbers on sale in the marina, would have are large number of boats to choose from.
Boats mainly priced 50 K and up and if your looking for a newish Sealine. :)
His only other comment was , get your boat into top notch shiney condition with a good preferably professional valet, his buyers are not looking for bargains but the best their money will buy.
Locally do know of a boat or two now back down to pre Covid prices, seller now keen to buy the next boat and frustrated at being unable to shift the old one.
 

henryf

Active member
Joined
31 May 2007
Messages
4,731
Location
Uxbridge
www.911virgin.com
This is a constantly reoccurring thread and it always comes to the same conclusion. Popular desirable boats always find a home fairly easily, less popular boats that are more of a liability to own are harder to sell.

Well maintained and presented boats sell quicker than poorly maintained boats that aren’t really for sale due to the way they are presented.

Oh, and over priced boats take longer to sell than under priced boats.

Henry 🙂
 

charlumax

New member
Joined
2 Sep 2003
Messages
80
Location
North London
Visit site
- Popular desirable boats always find a home fairly easily - does not appear to be the case at the moment, that’s kinda what I was asking others for their recent experiences.
Fact is, there are virtually no buyers out there is my impression. Interest rate far higher than people are used to, everything is way dearer than it used to be, markets are under pressure with unprecedented vol, and that old, over 55 cash cow, pension tax free drawdown, is not being used to buy a boat…I’m talking 75k -150k range btw…Pretty similar, to a lesser extent, to selling high end Porsches I would imagine ??
As always, price will find a buyer, it’s how low you’re prepared/need to go I guess…
 
Last edited:

henryf

Active member
Joined
31 May 2007
Messages
4,731
Location
Uxbridge
www.911virgin.com
- Popular desirable boats always find a home fairly easily - does not appear to be the case at the moment, that’s kinda what I was asking others for their recent experiences.
Fact is, there are virtually no buyers out there is my impression. Interest rate far higher than people are used to, everything is way dearer than it used to be, markets are under pressure with unprecedented vol, and that old, over 55 cash cow, pension tax free drawdown, is not being used to buy a boat…I’m talking 75k -150k range btw…Pretty similar, to a lesser extent, to selling high end Porsches I would imagine ??
As always, price will find a buyer, it’s how low you’re prepared/need to go I guess…
Popular / Desirable is in the eye of the beholder. We get people constantly telling us how desirable their Porsches are, they aren't always, in our humble opinion right.

I would buy some cars without hesitation, others I would only sell on behalf of the owner.

Yes, there are times when pretty much anything sells although those moments are few and far between. I see lots of people who are convinced they are the only buyer in the world and who never purchase. For truly desirable stuff it's a case of not usually being able to find one for sale and so when they do come on the market they find a home quite easily.

I think people's ideals vary such a lot with boats as well. You might not want what I want and visa versa.

Particularly as a boat gets older I think there are fewer buyers prepared to take on the ownership responsibilities.

I think boats are quite hard to value as they sell in relatively small volume. Sometimes asking price is the selling price, other tines the difference is massive.

Henry
 

Steruth1

New member
Joined
1 Sep 2013
Messages
215
Location
Southampton
Visit site
I think the fact the big 3 have many stock boats available is a telling sign the market is at a standstill, it’s a shame, but as said before we are in a continuous cycle as boat owners of peeks and troughs… sit tight and hopefully we will start to see some improvement in the next 18months 🙏
 

Portofino

Active member
Joined
10 Apr 2011
Messages
12,368
Location
Boat- Western Med
Visit site
Its the uncertainty from the business owner re the gov returning for another tax nibble .
Uncertainty for 40-50 somethings re there pension situation ( related to above ) .
Uncertainty re the markets , Trump effect etc for those with a bit of something exposed to the markets .
So nobody wants to commit to being lumbered with a piece of depreciating floating plastic make shift floating caravan .

Plus the general change of demographics of boaters .These days folks live complicated lives and those with the where with all who previously bought a boat ……don’t want the hassle and anchor drain of time and ££ .Also via social media and peer pressure want an adventure holiday …..something a bit different. Don’t want the same old rinse and repeat boat hol again and again !

They might end up spending more or less the same annually ( than if they had a boat ) but enjoy the freedom to pick and choose how ever many increments of hotels , mimi breaks , adventure hols .ie zero commitment unlike buying a boat .
They prefer the zero commitment angle going Fwds with everything else going on around domestically and internationally.

Not saying buyers have evaporated….just accounting for the shrinking pool of players. There will always be some but each year the trend is less than last yr .


I don’t think you can bring in Porsches or or other high end cars to this . Different kettle of fish .That mkt has a pipeline of aspiring folks and the money borrowed is easy ( via lease deals etc ) for players to hop in and out .Swapping cars frequently ( and having very little technical knowledge of the thing ) is the norm with a “ monthly “ culture , which is prolific in the U.K. Has nothing to see with the flat boat mkt today .
 

stelican

Active member
Joined
25 Nov 2004
Messages
3,432
Location
fareham hampshire
Visit site
Its the uncertainty from the business owner re the gov returning for another tax nibble .
Uncertainty for 40-50 somethings re there pension situation ( related to above ) .
Uncertainty re the markets , Trump effect etc for those with a bit of something exposed to the markets .
So nobody wants to commit to being lumbered with a piece of depreciating floating plastic make shift floating caravan .

Plus the general change of demographics of boaters .These days folks live complicated lives and those with the where with all who previously bought a boat ……don’t want the hassle and anchor drain of time and ££ .Also via social media and peer pressure want an adventure holiday …..something a bit different. Don’t want the same old rinse and repeat boat hol again and again !

They might end up spending more or less the same annually ( than if they had a boat ) but enjoy the freedom to pick and choose how ever many increments of hotels , mimi breaks , adventure hols .ie zero commitment unlike buying a boat .
They prefer the zero commitment angle going Fwds with everything else going on around domestically and internationally.

Not saying buyers have evaporated….just accounting for the shrinking pool of players. There will always be some but each year the trend is less than last yr .


I don’t think you can bring in Porsches or or other high end cars to this . Different kettle of fish .That mkt has a pipeline of aspiring folks and the money borrowed is easy ( via lease deals etc ) for players to hop in and out .Swapping cars frequently ( and having very little technical knowledge of the thing ) is the norm with a “ monthly “ culture , which is prolific in the U.K. Has nothing to see with the flat boat mkt today .
So tell us Portofino have you seen the light and decided to invest your time in other liesure pursuits.
Or is it SWMBO .
 

potentillaCO32

Active member
Joined
24 May 2023
Messages
340
Visit site
Selling a boat at the moment and it is taking a while. The well known broker told me that the market has been very very slow. His view was that lots of people bought during covid, including lots of boats that had been on the market for a while, and have found the costs and reality mean the boat has to go. He felt that there are just more boats on the market than buyers and that the situation has just been made worse by our murican friends and the geopolitical nonsense
 

Sticky Fingers

Active member
Joined
21 Feb 2004
Messages
6,936
Location
Home Saffron Walden, boat Swanwick.
Visit site
Selling a boat at the moment and it is taking a while. The well known broker told me that the market has been very very slow. His view was that lots of people bought during covid, including lots of boats that had been on the market for a while, and have found the costs and reality mean the boat has to go. He felt that there are just more boats on the market than buyers and that the situation has just been made worse by our murican friends and the geopolitical nonsense
Yup I think that’s right and the market needs a correction. I bought a used boat last year, I was happy with the price paid, but could I have gotten it cheaper? Maybe, by waiting, but it was in most respects ideal and the numbers were acceptable. I’ve no plans to sell but if I did, now, I’d not expect much chance of getting my money back.
 
Top