Are you thinking about selling a boat? Wondering what steps you need to take before you start looking for buyers?
If you’ve made the decision to sell your boat, you need to do a few things before you put it on the market. Selling a boat requires a bit of expertise and some strategy, and whether you’re selling with a broker or on your own, you need to be prepared for what to expect.
Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll tell you what you need to do before selling your boat.
- Do Some Market Research
Once you’ve made the decision to sell your boat, one of the first things you’ll need to do is to research your local market. The amount of money you get for your boat will be dependent on what the market currently allows.
It can be well worth trying to get an understanding of what’s happening in your area and whether your boat may be in high demand or not. Check out some boat listings in your area to get an idea of what other boats are being sold for in your local area.
If you need to sell your boat quickly, you may want to consider pricing it a bit below its value. On the other hand, if you want to get the best price for it, and you’re willing to be patient, you may want to list it at or slightly above its value.
However, keep in mind that boat buyers are more informed than ever. Buyers will do their research and will recognize if you’re asking too much for your boat. Be prepared to conform to your local market and price it accordingly if you want to have the best time selling your boat.
- Fix It Up
When selling your boat, you need to make sure that you clearly assess its condition and know exactly how well it’s functioning.
If your boat isn’t in working order, you may have a tough time trying to find a buyer. Because of this, it’s usually a good idea to get it fully serviced before trying to sell it. You’ll likely want to consider making some repairs. Even making a few minor fixes to your boat can have a big impact on the price it will sell for as well as how quickly it sells.
Be sure that you examine your boat thoroughly and write down anyways that it may be lacking. Then, consider addressing the items on your list one-by-one before you start looking for a buyer.
- Clean It Thoroughly
Aside from ensuring your boat functions well mechanically, you should also make sure that your boat looks great as well. Many buyers will take the appearance of a boat into heavy consideration.
Before you start trying to sell your boat you should do a full cleaning of both the interior and the exterior and get it detailed if possible. Any grime or dirt should be removed and you should do everything you can to make it look brand new. A great detailing job can make more of an impact than you may realize and can help increase the value of your boat considerably.
In addition to this, you should also depersonalize and declutter your boat as well. As with selling a home, you should stage your boat with a few decorative items and try to make it look like a clean slate.
- Decide Whether You’ll Work With a Broker
There are a variety of paths you can take to find a buyer for your boat, but you should think carefully about whether you want to work with a broker or not. While working with a broker will cost you, it can also give you the best chance of making a quick sale.
Brokers know the ins and outs of selling boats and can give you plenty of guidance on how to get it ready for listing. Brokers will also have a lot of insight into the local boating market and can make suggestions for what price you can expect to get for your boat.
While selling a boat on your own can be done, working with a broker is often a better choice and can make the process of selling your boat much easier to handle.
- Optimize the Listing
If you want to sell your boat quickly and for a great price, you also need to make sure that your listing looks amazing and that it paints your boat in the best light.
You should make sure that you’ve filled out the listing for your boat fully and that the listing does a great job of highlighting the features of your boat and its condition. You should clearly list out dimensions, specifications, and mechanical details about your boat as well as any information you have about services and upgrades that have been completed.
It’s also essential that you take quality photos for your listing that show the boat clearly from a variety of angles. For an even better listing, you may even want to add a virtual video tour or other types of media as well.
- Assemble Your Paperwork
Before you sell your boat, you’ll also need to make sure that you’ve considered all of the legal aspects of the sale that you have all of the necessary paperwork in order.
You’ll want to gather copies of your boat’s title and registration along with titles for any associated trailers or items. If you have taken out a loan to pay for your boat, you’ll also need to show proof of your loan payoff. This will verify that you’ll be able to sell it and that buyers won’t be responsible for paying off a loan after the purchase.
Creating a bill of sale that includes the price, the purchase date, and other boat details can also be helpful for selling your boat and making the sale go as smoothly as possible.
Selling a Boat Successfully With These Tips
While selling a boat isn’t a difficult process, there are a lot of things you’ll need to think about and do before and during your sale. Be sure that you follow the tips above before selling a boat if you want to get a great price for it and sell it easily and effortlessly.
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