New boats are put up for sale every day. They are traded on online marketplaces, through advertisements, through a broker or simply by putting a note on the boat. But how do you ensure that your boat stands out among the sea of providers and that it is sold quickly? We share our ten tips for a quick sale.
Tips to quickly sell your boat
If you want to sell your boat , there is a bit more to it than just taking a photo, writing a text and mentioning your price. As an experienced yacht broker, we know that better than anyone!
However, with the practical tips below you will go a long way.
- Make sure your boat is in good condition
- Investigate what a realistic asking price is
- Provide a perfect presentation
- Take professional photos
- Put the boat up for sale at the right time
- Describe the main features
- Answer frequently asked questions in advance
- Enable a yacht broker (or not)
- Make the viewing a party
- Play the negotiation game with a smile
Below we explain each tip further and we share even more small practical tips per part.
1. Make sure your boat is in good condition
A well-maintained boat, without defects or additional instructions, is worth more than a ‘fixer-upper’. Also, more people are looking for a ready-to-go boat, than one that they have to do all kinds of things first.
Therefore, make sure you perform maintenance and any repairs do (or have) before moving on to sales.
Are there certain things that you really cannot solve for whatever reason? Then keep a list of any flaws and include them in your ad text and conversations with potential buyers.
2. Investigate what a good asking price is
Similar boats are put online for very different prices. While as a buyer you can now easily compare various advertisements online. And which one will be sold first? Right, the boat with the lowest asking price!
A good price is a competitive price that is slightly below the price of similar providers . Because of its competitive price, your boat will stand out among the other providers, which will make it sell faster.
A frequently heard counter-argument is that the boat was bought at a higher price at the time, or that a lot of costs were incurred for maintenance and repairs. However, a buyer has no point in this. He simply wants the best boat for the best price. Therefore do not linger in the past, but accept what the market now says that your boat is worth.
Putting your boat up for sale at too high a price entails a lot of extra costs. You spend money on advertising costs, berth, insurance, maintenance, cleaning, and so on. A boat with a competitive price sells faster, so you end up with more under the line.
3. Provide a perfect presentation
A flawless presentation is crucial for both the (online) advertisement and the actual viewing . Buying a boat is not something you do carelessly. Everything has to be right.
Some practical tips:
- Scrub the boat cleaner than it has ever been, inside and out
- Thorough vacuuming, even in the smallest corners and holes
- Clean any sails and fold them neatly dry
- Make sure the upholstery is flawless and the metal and glassware is shiny
- Beat pillows and place them neatly straight in their proper place
- Ventilate well and make sure the boat smells nice and fresh during the viewing
- Completely empty the boat and make sure there are no things lying around
- Spray the boat with insect repellent
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but turn it around: would you buy a used boat that is full of junk, has dirty spots and does not smell fresh? If the owner is so careless with the presentation of his property, how will the condition of the engine be, for example ..?
4. Take professional photos
A picture is worth a thousand words. Especially when purchasing a boat, where the appearance is an important part of the value. Therefore, do not just shoot a few photos with your smartphone, but arrange a good camera with a wide-angle lens or consider investing in professional photos .
Take multiple photos of the interior and exterior, of all areas, equipment and equipment. Don’t leave anything out and rather show too many photos than too few . After all, an unrealistic image will yield viewings that turn out to be nothing. A waste of time and effort from both parties.
Ad overviews often highlight one photo with each ad. This overview photo serves as a lure to lead potential buyers to your ad and therefore deserves extra attention.
Finally, take photos of the boat in action , preferably on a beautiful summer day in an attractive environment. Try to give viewers of your ad the wonderful feeling of what it can be like to own this boat .
5. Put the boat up for sale at the right time
In general, the best times to sell a boat are just before peak season and just after . In the spring, when temperatures rise again, people feel like sailing again and more boats are bought. Just after peak season, many people want to get off their boats again and we see the supply grow. Smart buyers take advantage of this and buy a boat for a lower asking price.
However, yacht broker sells silverton boats for sale. This is mainly because we purposefully search for buyers and the perfect boat can come into our possession all year round.
6. Describe the main features
Just like taking as many photos as possible, it is also important to describe the boat as completely as possible . Provide the advertisement with a short and provocative description and complete with a list of properties.
Think about:
- Construction year
- Dimensions
- Air draft, creep height and headroom
- Color of the hull and deck
- Material
- Rudder and steering system
- Detailed description of the engine and electrics
- Available navigation and electronics
- Detailed equipment description – such as anchor, cushions, bathing ladder, etc.
- Maintenance history
- Number of cabins and other spaces
- Unique Selling Points: what makes this boat unique?
7. Answer frequently asked questions in advance
When the boat is for sale for a while, you will notice that you often get the same questions by mail, telephone or during viewings. Enrich your current ads by adding the answers to frequently asked questions. In the long term, this will save a lot of time for everyone involved.
8. Engage a yacht broker (or not)
Selling a boat is a big job. You have to take photos or have them written, write texts, lay out advertisements and plan viewings, prepare and carry them out. Very educational to do everything yourself, but it takes a lot of time . For example, just think about always having to clean up and clean the boat for a viewing.
As you hire a specialist for so many things in life, you can also choose to have your boat sold by a yacht broker. Most brokers charge a percentage of the profit, which is often negligible in terms of the cost of marketing, disability and the time it takes to sell a boat yourself.
9. Make the viewing a party
Buying a boat can be compared to viewing a new rental or owner-occupied home or selecting a new car. Not a small investment, but an adventurous where (if it is good) a lot of fun times will be experienced.
Just as the mood of car salesman or home broker can make or break a deal, your enthusiasm about the boat to sell will be infectious to the potential buyer. Talk about your boat with love and emphasize the things that make this boat so unique. Owning a boat is a party, so make sure that this party starts with the viewing!
In addition, always be honest. Answer all questions, keep silent, make sure you have complete and clear documentation and notes and give people the space to discover the boat for themselves. Take every viewer seriously and always be polite. Go sailing and let your potential buyers experience what it is like to own this beautiful boat.
10. Play the bargaining game with a smile
It is rare that a boat is actually sold at the asking price. With large amounts, there is almost always negotiation and there are many buyers who really enjoy this game. So prepare for it and approach the game positively .
For example, do not immediately say that you do not have to sell the boat . This leaves little room for negotiation and is very discouraging. But do not drop in price too quickly, that gives the potential buyer the feeling that your boat is actually worth less than what you are trying to sell it for. That does not inspire confidence in the condition of the boat.
Rather give reasons why this boat is worth the price you ask for it, but also accept the reasons for reduction offered by the counterparty. This way you slowly arrive at a fair price with which both parties can conclude the deal with a good feeling.
