Selling your boat

Tips and tricks

Serious about selling your boat? Follow our quick guide and attract more people serious about buying your boat.

Clean your boat

Seems obvious, but often overlooked. Scrub your boat inside out, clean the upholstery, take out all the junk that has been acumulating leaving only what is included in the sale.  Varnish the woodwork, touch up the paint. Make sure it is gleaming, so you are able to show it in the best possible light.

Fix anything that needs fixing

Get anything small that needs doing fixed.  Major jobs may cost more, and you may decide to leave them, inform potential buyers and lower the asking price to reflect this. But carrying out small and cheap repairs will show that you have maintained your boat well, and it will be much more attractive to potential buyers.  Make a list of all the work that has been carried out to show to prospects.

Get Professional Photos taken

It is common knowledge that the first place people look when buying a  boat is the internet, so it is worth investing in getting a professional photographer to take photos, as many as possible, of the exterior and interior. People want to see and gather as much information as possible before investing time and effort in a viewing, so the more good quality photos the better. You want your boat to jump out at potential buyers from the thousands of other listings out there. It is not as expensive as you may think, and your boat deserves it now it is shiny and clean.

Compile a spec list of your boat 

The more detail when placing an ad the better, buyers want to know as much as possible about your boat before contacting you, and it makes your life a lot easier if you have all details on hand if someone asks a question. Include dimensions of your boat, details of engines, berths, heads, and all equipment included with the sale, from the sails down to a first aid kit, electronics and so on.  

Get your paperwork in order

Get all of the documentation you will need for the sale of your boat together and put it in a folder. You want this to be always available, so should a serious buyer contact to you no time is wasted and nothing is left to chance. If you have everything prepared, you will come accross as a serious seller.

Set a realistic asking price

Research similar boat listings to ascertain the current market value of your boat. Take into account the condition of the boat. Setting your price too high will result in very few enquiries, setting it too low can result in a very quick sale but a financial loss. Factor in room for a little bargaining. Also, you can use equipment as a bargaining factor, such as throwing in your laptop you use for navigating into the deal instead of lowering the price.

Publicize your boat everywhere you can

Place ads on all the large internet sites - it is often worth investing in featured  ads. Not only does it increase the chances of your boat being seen, it will demonstrate you are serious about selling your boat.  Also put adverts up in your local marina, local classified freeads, and national boating magazines listing section.  You should set a marketing budget and factor this into the cost of the sales price.

Be available and reply promptly to enquiries

If a serious buyer sees your listing, there is nothing more frustrating than emails going weeks unanswered. Reply promply, even if it is just a short message thanking them for their enquiry and provide a more detailed response later. If you have followed all the tips here, you should have anything you need to answer any questions to hand.  When it comes to viewing the boat, try to discover beforehand if they are in a position to buy or not to avoid wasting time on tirekickers. If you do not have time to deal with viewings, consider contracting someone else to do it for you.