Readying Your Boat For Selling

When you're selling your boat you'll more than likely want to achieve a quick sale and get the highest price you can. It is, therefore, worthwhile taking some time to make your boat as marketable as possible.

Fully Detail The Boat

Many buyers will understandably ask a lot of questions about the boat such as what type of engine it has, what sails are included, what navigation equipment is installed and so on. Wouldn't it make the selling process easier to have all the answers to these questions at hand? Walking through and around the boat noting down as much detail as possible to start with will save you time and effort answering queries later especially if your boat is moored up some distance away from your home.

If you're advertising your boat for sale online or in a magazine, a good, detailed description will make a quick sale more likely. If a piece of information is missing, from a boat's description, buyers will often not bother to contact the owner to ask especially if another similar vessel's description includes it. Taking some photographs of your boat is really useful; quite often magazine and internet classified adverts without pictures hardly get noticed at all.

A detailed description will also save you time answering unnecessary questions. For example if your boat has a diesel engine and you state that in your advert, you'll avoid being bothered by calls from buyers who are interested only in petrol powered boats.

Repair Any Damage

Any dents or chips in the hull should certainly be mended prior to selling. Apart from looking unsightly, further damage tends to ensue. A damaged gel coat can let in water leading to de-lamination of the fibreglass. Any scratches and chips in the protective coatings of wooden and metal hulls can lead to water-logging or corrosion and will put your buyer off the sale.

If there are any problems that you cannot fix yourself or have fixed by a professional, be honest and up-front about them. Indeed, you may not have the time or money to have a certain problem repaired which may be the very reason you are selling the boat.

If you try to hide a problem, the truth is likely to come out eventually, especially if the buyer arranges a survey of the vessel. Once the cat is out of the bag, they'll be wondering what else you're hiding. Buyers will respect your honesty and be confident that what they are seeing is what they are getting if you're truthful about any defects from the start. Again, it could save you considerable time and effort showing people around the boat if it is not suitable for them.

Clean And Shiny Boats Sell Better

Appearance is everything and can make or break the sale in the first few moments of the viewing. First impressions last and you don't get a second chance to make a good one.

Give the boat a really good clean outside and in, giving particular care to any unpleasant smells coming from the interior. Giving upholstery a good clean will help with the interior look and eliminate some smells, but if there are any damp problems caused by leaks, these should be located and fixed at the source.

A shiny, clean boat gives a buyer confidence that it has been looked after well and makes them more likely to pay the full asking price.

Take out anything that is not part of the boat. This does not include safety equipment, fenders, navigational equipment and the like. Rather, remove anything that is personal, for example, photographs and ornaments. These tend to create a cluttered feel and make it less easy for the buyer to imagine the boat becoming their property instead of yours.

Depending on the condition of your boat and your own expertise, you may be able to undertake some of the work yourself. Other tasks may require the skills of a professional. In deciding who will do what, consider that getting the top selling price for your boat is your goal so getting the job done correctly is paramount. If this entails spending a little more money upfront, it may be worth it in the end.

Useful tips on cleaning and repairing your boat so that it sells quickly and for a good price. Advice on writing a detailed description of your boat for use in magazine and online classifieds boats for sale adverts.

More guides to buying and selling boats are available from TheYachtMarket.com along with thousands of boats for sale from brokers and private sellers. You can also place an advert to sell your boat privately or find a yacht broker.

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