Tips on selling your boat - from a buyer

the view of to hang on to a better offer or not depend on the price bracket the boat selling is in , a boat selling for a few hundred/ thousands pound sitting in a Marina isn't worth hanging on too as quite rightly said by some,
it would cost much more to wait for a better offer, the to sell it for a much lower one.
But a boat in a much higher bracket is a very different story.

I got 15k more then the highest offer for my last boat I sold this year and 27k more then the lowest off, both offers was put to me with followed by (it was a buyers market,)
What both of them buyers lost out on is a boat that needed no money spend on.
It took me six months longer to sell my boat at a cost of a few hundred pound hard standing fees.
I ended up selling it for 2k less then I was asking for.
I brought my latest boat for the full asking price, it was a fair price for the condition of the boat and I wasn't going to upset the guy making him an insulting offer.
I might need some info about the boat at a later date.

People need to get away from this buyers market lark.
A good boat in good condition as long it is priced right will sell.
It may just take a bit longer then if seller is willing to give it away .
 
When I was buying, almost every boat I saw was full of crap. These were boat that been on the hard for a while so there was no excuse for the owner not to remove the junk. Many were unloved and maintained. It would have taken someone with some real vision to purchase any of them.

In fact, the Commanche 32 I looked at was eventually bought by a Youtube couple. They've not had the easiest time with it, but it has been interesting to watch them.

Even the boat I did eventually buy wasn't cleared out properly, and certainly wasn't cleaned. Previous owner couldn't even be bothered to clean the oven.

But, anyway the biggest thing I noticed when looking at boats online, is either a lack of images, bad images, or images that are three or more years old.

Another issue is brokers. I was seriously interested in a boat in Sardinia. I tabled a number of questions to the broker who 'passed them on' I never heard back and boat was still for sale some 6 months later. If you're interested in a boat that is some distance away, you need to ask certain questions to ascertain if it is worth the time and expense of travelling to view it. It seems some brokers/owners don't understand this.

The Ionian branch of Network Yacht Brokers however were good. There was a boat I was interested in, and they were honest enough to say don't bother travelling to view it as you'll be dissapointed. I respected that. Shame some of the British and Germans ones weren't the same.
 
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Mikedefieslife said:
...........But, anyway the biggest thing I noticed when looking at boats online, is either a lack of images, bad images, or images that are three or more years old. ......
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Mikedefieslife said:
.Another issue is brokers. ...... If you're interested in a boat that is some distance away, you need to ask certain questions to ascertain if it is worth the time and expense of travelling to view it. It seems some brokers/owners don't understand this........
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Here's a good example - http://www.ayb.co.uk/motor-boats-thames-esturary-cruiser-classic-24-maid-madeline

This cost me a round trip of over 300 miles and a tank of petrol and when I got there it was little more than a pile of floating fire wood. The pictures turned out to be several years old and the bookers just seemed to make up answers as they went along.

Here's another example - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/clasic-g...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

I sent seller a list of questions a week ago eg Boat Safety Cert? Valid until? more information about engine, length, beam, draught, recent survey? More/better photos etc. but still no reply. Needless to say I won't be taking a chance on this. It's probably a scam anyway.

I can echo the comments above about brokers. I've come to the conclusion that most of them (not all though), apart from being liars, have no real interest in selling a boat if it is moored in their marina because they are probably making more money on the mooring than they would from the commission on the sale.

I think maybe I'm just going to give up on the idea of buying a boat as it doesn't seem as if it is meant to be. In any event I still haven't been able to find an affordable mooring near where I live. This is a shame because all the owners I've met and talked to have been really nice friendly people and have been very happy to help and offer advice. This Forum is a reflection of this. Let's see what happens in the spring.

Have a good Christmas everyone.
 
I am amazed that brokers/sellers/estate agents seem to think if they can only get a viewing the job’s done. Flat for sale locally, lovely pic of the garden, which belongs to the other flat.
 
Mikedefieslife said:
When I was buying, almost every boat I saw was full of crap. These were boat that been on the hard for a while so there was no excuse for the owner not to remove the junk. Many were unloved and maintained. It would have taken someone with some real vision to purchase any of them.

In fact, the Commanche 32 I looked at was eventually bought by a Youtube couple. They've not had the easiest time with it, but it has been interesting to watch them.

Even the boat I did eventually buy wasn't cleared out properly, and certainly wasn't cleaned. Previous owner couldn't even be bothered to clean the oven.

But, anyway the biggest thing I noticed when looking at boats online, is either a lack of images, bad images, or images that are three or more years old.

Another issue is brokers. I was seriously interested in a boat in Sardinia. I tabled a number of questions to the broker who 'passed them on' I never heard back and boat was still for sale some 6 months later. If you're interested in a boat that is some distance away, you need to ask certain questions to ascertain if it is worth the time and expense of travelling to view it. It seems some brokers/owners don't understand this.

The Ionian branch of Network Yacht Brokers however were good. There was a boat I was interested in, and they were honest enough to say don't bother travelling to view it as you'll be dissapointed. I respected that. Shame some of the British and Germans ones weren't the same.
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We went to Kiel to check out a boat last January. After a host of e-mail correspondence prior to the trip , we found the boat to be as good as described. Almost all those we looked at in the UK fell well short of expectations. We bought the boat and sailed back to the Clyde during the summer.
 
As someone who currently has their boat (reluctantly) on the market, this thread makes interesting reading. Cleaning the boat inside and out is a no brainer, with personal clutter removed. She is in a sales yard space, and I intend to get there around once a month to keep decks and cockpit clean, check all is OK.

When I winterise a boat, I strip out almost everything and take home, cushions, sails, all galley stuff, spray hood etc. This includes all ropes, replacing halyards etc with winter mouse lines. These are all stored in a warm workshop, with ropes washed and coiled ready for next season. My conundrum is if I should put back the running rigging for viewers to see, but would rather they stay in winter storage if the boat is not being used. Would you be put off seeing a boat with polypropylene mouse lines?

On the recommendation of the broker, cushions are on board, so i have a dehumidifier and small oil heater running.
 
West Coast said:
As someone who currently has their boat (reluctantly) on the market, this thread makes interesting reading. Cleaning the boat inside and out is a no brainer, with personal clutter removed. She is in a sales yard space, and I intend to get there around once a month to keep decks and cockpit clean, check all is OK.

When I winterise a boat, I strip out almost everything and take home, cushions, sails, all galley stuff, spray hood etc. This includes all ropes, replacing halyards etc with winter mouse lines. These are all stored in a warm workshop, with ropes washed and coiled ready for next season. My conundrum is if I should put back the running rigging for viewers to see, but would rather they stay in winter storage if the boat is not being used. Would you be put off seeing a boat with polypropylene mouse lines?

On the recommendation of the broker, cushions are on board, so i have a dehumidifier and small oil heater running.
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One suggestion is to take photo of all the stuff you taken off the boat and leave them on the chart table to show viewer that you taken the trouble to wash and clean everything read for next season .
An dehumidifier is a good step forward to keeping the boat dry .
 
These were boat that been on the hard for a while so there was no excuse for the owner not to remove the junk.
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Its not always bad though, when I bought mine, we found some behind the backrest lockers we hadn't noticed, and in one of them was a full bar, glasses, optics, sveral bottles of wine, bacardi, gin, whiskky (cheap shit) and two excellent bottles of rum! Happy days :)
 
Also make a full inventory in excel or similar and have PDF versions to email to potential buyers or for brokers to pass on.

Most boat inventories I've seen were basic to say the list.

I've started a spreadsheet for mine that includes absolutely everything i can think of (within reason) from the age and length of the lines (when I buy new ones I add them), to the quantity, make and model of fans etc..

It's not something that's going to make or break a deal, but buyers will look favourably on it.
 
West Coast said:
......When I winterise a boat, I strip out almost everything and take home, cushions, sails, all galley stuff, spray hood etc. This includes all ropes, replacing halyards etc with winter mouse lines. These are all stored in a warm workshop, with ropes washed and coiled ready for next season. My conundrum is if I should put back the running rigging for viewers to see, but would rather they stay in winter storage if the boat is not being used. Would you be put off seeing a boat with polypropylene mouse lines?.......
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Definitely not. This wouldn’t worry me at all so long as there was evidence (as outlined above) that everything which should be fitted was in safe storage. An owner who had gone to this much trouble has obviously looked after his boat properly and is worth dealing with.

One of the boats I went to see was a 30’ timber built cruiser. On the face of it the boat had been restored to a good DIY standard but the owner did not have a single receipt, invoice or other piece of evidence to back up his claims. Had he agreed to let me have the boat surveyed, and had everything stacked up, I’d have paid him what he said he was prepared to accept (ie significantly less than his original asking price). But I wasn’t prepared to be bounced into a decision and he took the boat off the market. He now still has the boat and is still paying the monthly mooring fee.
 
I am selling my Woods Strider Catamaran,

It will cost me £40 to go to it to clean it. It's not costing me a lot to have it where it is, and being an unusual boat it may hang around for some time.

I will be sailing it sometimes so my personal items will be on the boat.

So no point in going to spruce it up etc for perhaps no viewings for the next 6 months, so I can understand why some boats for sale are scruffy with a lived in look
 
Bottom line is, if you want to sell a boat, do as the OP suggests.

Very clean, no junk, food containers or old useless parts around or in view.

Presented properly and offered at the right price, it should attract interest.

Jonic sold our last boat. He inspected, pronounced we were presenting it well, took his photos and got it in the marketplace.

5 weeks later, hundreds of hits on line, no viewings. He suggested that his experience told him it was too dear.

Taking his advice, we dropped the price 10%. Sold it within two weeks very close to the reduced asking price.

Pro advice can be invaluable.

It is well to be aware the true value of anything is only as much as you can get for it.....................................
 
I am trying to buy a boat. I know what I'm looking for. I have the money. Normally this would be enough to succeed.

Unfortunatey the brokers who are 'selling' the boats seems to have little interest in selling them e.g. perhaps they could respond to e-mails and telephone calls, perhaps they could answer obvious questions, perhaps they could show some enthusiam.

So if anyone out there has a Sadler 29 BK on the east coast they are selling through a broker, please pm me.
 
Here's another good example.

https://www.apolloduck.com/boat.phtml?id=485910

Just one photo taken at least 3 years ago if not more. Next to no information, based in Cumbria. The boat has been on the market for at least a year. There must be a very limited market for a boat like that in such a remote location so does he really want to sell it, or is he just trying to get hi wife off his back? :)
 
Sarubuta said:
Hi there,
As a first-time second-hand boat buyer, I've gained some insights in what makes a boat saleable. These tips from purely from the buyer's point of view, so take them with a pinch of salt if you wish.

1 It’s a buyer’s market and buyers know it. No matter how lovely your boat is, it won’t sell itself. You have to make an effort to make it stand out from the fleets of other boats on the market. And this may mean coming to terms with the fact that your pride and joy won’t sell for anything like what you think it should.

2 Be honest with defects. You may be lucky enough to get that rich fool who buys your boat with no questions asked, but otherwise, everyone else is looking hard for things to justify undercutting your asking price. If something is wrong, the buyer will find it, so it’s better that it’s on the table from the start.

3 Tidy up a bit. Spookily enough, buyers can be put off by old food or rusty tools spilling out of the lockers. All the mess obscures the details buyers need to look at. If you can’t be bothered to police up the saloon, what else are you slap-dash with? Do this before the agent takes their photos.

4 Consider leaving your boat in the water for longer. It may be cheaper to store your boat ashore, but the buyer can’t see the engine, water system, electrics, gas and navigation instruments demonstrated as easily when it’s on a cradle, or even that the boat actually floats. If you want to sell your boat quickly, you have to prove things like the engine are in good working order. Assuming that every potential buyer is an old salt who can tell a good diesel engine from a bad one just by sight is a mistake.

5 Have every little piece of documentation collected and sorted. This goes double if the boat is out of the water. It’s worth including every little receipt for anything you bought because just the weight of paper indicates that you’ve been diligent about keeping your boat up to scratch. Poor documentation just leaves the buyer with no option but to assume the worst about the maintenance of the boat and gives them a bargaining lever to lower your asking price.

6 Give your agent as much detail as you can about the specifications and history of the boat. Collecting and sorting the documentation will help you do this. No buyer was ever put off by too much information about a boat they are interested in. Bringing to buyers’ attention the strong points of your boat will help you get a quick sale. Vague details will mean buyers pass your boat by, in favour of one which they know has that killer feature they were looking for. Meanwhile your boat remains unsold and continuing to cost you money.

I hope this helps all you owners with boats on the market.
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rotrax said:
<name of broker deleted> sold our last boat. He inspected, pronounced we were presenting it well, took his photos and got it in the marketplace.

5 weeks later, hundreds of hits on line, no viewings. He suggested that his experience told him it was too dear.
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Leaving aside the fact that "it's not selling, let's drop the price, ooh it's sold" is not perhaps the greatest market insight of all time, why didn't his experience tell him it was too dear five weeks earlier?
 
S0 you expect a 20 year old second hand boat to be in as full working condition as a brand new boat out of the yard do you? ha ha dream on sucker
 
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