What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yacht?

[SailJonah]

Im thinking of trading up my yacht and have found the new one, but I need to sell the old one.

Do any of you have any advise on where to Advertise/ Market my First 35 without paying vast Brokers fees?.

 

[Chris_Robb]

1. Advertise in Yachting Monthly - short advert with on line ad as well. In the online ad have a link to another web site such a myboatdetails.com.here

It is in this website that you put the highly detailed info and pictures, incluing history

In the YBW site which is the one that the search will be done in, you keep the info to the minimum - a decent photo, and in the narative - draw them towards clicking on your site - thats where you will make or break the sale.

So many sites - brokers included are absolutley crap in layout and content.

I did this when I sold my boat - I think myboatdetails left it on the site as an example - search for victory 40.

 

[Koeketiene]

Re: What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yac

We did the same - on-line @ myboatdetails and 3-month ad in YM.

Ended up turning people away.

 

[Cloven]

At the risk of mentioning a non YBW magazine, Sailing Today does free adverts. Problem with all magazine adverts is lead time from placing ad to it getting in print. Quite often find boast are actually sold before the advert is published.

Another free alternative for an immediate placing of an advert is Boats & Outboards:

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/PlaceAnAd/

My experience of brokers are that they only work well if your boat is actually at their premises so prospective buyers can visit and see the boat at the same time.

Hope this helps

 

[Will33]

Hi

Clearly the main challenge is getting exposure for the boat, so often people rule out brokers because of the commission. The reality is the amount of commission is almost irrelevant until you get an offer on the boat. Most brokers are no sale no fee and you can get non exclusive deals so putting a boat with a broker is just another potential route to selling the boat, ultimately you accept or reject any offers and you can factor in commission and make your decision based on a firm offer.

Just a thought, and on a non exclusive basis you really have nothing to loose, it does not cost you anything up front.

Will

 

[stevebirch2002]

Owners Associations

In The Vega Club most are sold through the Owners Association Website whish is free to members but a donation is never refused. If you have a popular marque then this is a good route to follow.....

Cheers Steve B

 

[MoodySabre]

Re: What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yac

Free adverts in Sailing Today.

 

[Sinbad2222]

Try Boatsand Outboards, it is free.
Have just sold my yacht after only a couple of weeks with them.

 

[rwakeham]

Re: What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yac

I have just hopefully (in the final few days) sold my boat. Hope this does not jinx it....

The first key thing is to be really realistic about what price you want. What you paid and how much work you did on the boat is not relevant I am afraid - unfortunately what is left to do is relevant..... Remember without a broker you already have 6-8% + VAT more in the bank to play with. The boat is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it.

I made my own web site using some free software I downloaded - most software is easy to use and if you have an email account then the chances are you also have a web server somewhere.

The second key to it is get huge numbers of good photos - take as many as you can from as many angles, think about waiting for a good bright day. This takes time but means that people who contact you have a really really good idea of what state everything is in. Be honest about what needs doing, again sets the right expectation. You can put as many photos as you want on your own site, but you are limited on others - use them to drive traffic.

As I put my own site together I could monitor where leads come from eg google, boatsandoutboards and ybw (I took one month in pbo) and how people move through it. By far the greatest traffic came from boatsandoutboards - refresh your advert weekly and it stays at the top. After that it was the owners association and then google - oddly very few from the ybw site, but I think they hide the private sale search giving preference to the broker search. B&Outboards quickly get the advert listed in google - the ybm advert never got listed in google at all.

The site I made is at www.wcal.co.uk\discovery - within the site it is the pictures that people look at first - then they read the text.

I first tried to sell it using a broker but gave up - they just want an easy life for a quick sale with minimal effort for a very large cut of your efforts - you don't need them so do it yourself. I could not find a non exclusive deal on the south coast and if your documentation is not perfect (which is unlikely to be the case if your boat is third or fourth hand) then they rapidly loose interest.

Also get yourself a copy of the RYA book about buying a second hand yacht so you know what to expect. All documentation you need for the sale is on the RYA site, but some is in the members only area.

I enjoyed the viewing process - you meet interesting people who share your hobby, but always gave them time on the boat when I was somewhere else.

I am thinking about typing up my experiences - it brought a healthy level of practicality to me for something I thought was going to be a very difficult process.

 

[jonic]

Re: What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yac

[ QUOTE ]

if your documentation is not perfect (which is unlikely to be the case if your boat is third or fourth hand) then they rapidly loose interest.


[/ QUOTE ]


Why do you think that might be then? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


VAT

Current law demands that EU residents should only use a boat
within the EU if it is VAT paid or ‘deemed’ paid. Customs state that
documentary evidence in support of the boat’s VAT status should be
carried with you at all times
The potential VAT liability is something that all intending purchasers
must be aware of. If the seller of the boat cannot produce full
documentary evidence of non-VAT liability, then arguably the boat
is worth only 100/117½ of the asking price.

RCD

For an offence under the RCD, the person responsible for first placing the craft on the market or taking it into service the maximum penalty for breaching the RCD is 3 months imprisonment or a £5000 fine. This applies equally to private individuals and those in business. Although a prosecution must be brought with one year from the date of the offence there are other processes which can be invoked on the discovery of a non-compliant or falsely CE marked craft. For some offences under the GPSD the penalties can be up to a £20,000 fine and up to 12 months imprisonment.

MORTGAGES/LIENS

A maritime lien arises from services rendered to, such as unpaid bills from a boatyard or injuries caused by maritime property. Generally a maritime lien attaches to the vessel and is valid whether or not recorded. It travels with the vessel and from owner to owner until it is extinguished or discharged

8) Title and Registration

(i) At the time of listing the Lead Broker should obtain evidence of title and VAT status, a properly executed Bill of Sale showing the boat to be free from encumbrances, and other title documentation, which shall be exchanged for the cleared purchase monies for the boat. (ii) At the time of sale the Lead Broker should forward said evidence of title and VAT Status, and details of compliance with or exemption from (as appropriate) the Recreational Craft Directive (CE marking).

When an allegation of professional negligence is made against a member, the Court is likely to take account of the contents of any relevant guidance notes published by the Association in deciding whether or not the member has acted with reasonable competence.

 

[Sixpence]

Re: What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yac

I take it that wasn't actually intended to be a helpful post

 

[jonic]

Re: What is the most effective method of Advertising and Selling a yac

[ QUOTE ]
I take it that wasn't actually intended to be a helpful post

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it was. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif rwakeham gave some good tips on selling privately but also some misinformation. There are nowadays very important legal reasons why the boats documentation has to be correct. A professional broker has a legal obligation to exercise due diligence with regard to VAT, RCD, title, mortgages and outstanding debts/liens on the vessel. Not just to protect himself but also the prospective purchaser. If you buy a boat with incorrect documentation you then inherit any legal problems and become responsible for any debts, fines or VAT.

“I could not find a non exclusive deal on the south coast”

I am on the south coast and all the boats I have currently listed are non exclusive with a clause in the contract allowing the seller to sell privately too.

“they just want an easy life for a quick sale with minimal effort for a very large cut of your efforts” /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

That apart from being an incorrect generalisation is an insult to professionally qualified brokers who have a full working knowledge of the above legal issues and contract law and who put in hundreds of hours marketing the boats and negotiating pre and after survey on behalf of their clients.

"you don't need them so do it yourself."

Sure, but if you do, make sure the link to the boat you paste into the forum actually takes you to the boat and not to an IT consultancy, and when you do get to the boat page you list the AGE of the vessel. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

“oddly very few from the ybw site, but I think they hide the private sale search giving preference to the broker search.”

Perhaps we can ask Keith if that is also incorrect?

 

[Seapepper]

Sold mine on Boats and Outboards. I think they are great.