Selling a boat can be very complicated, and it can be stressful if this is your first time. Selling a boat isn’t dissimilar to selling a car, however, so it is not as difficult as it appears, especially if you make sure these five boxes are ticked.
#1 Transportation
First on the list is the one that might be playing on your mind – getting your boat to the new owner. There are a number of ways that you can do this, depending on the distance involved. However, you want to make sure that they are getting the boat in one piece, and if they can’t come and pick it up and you can’t drop it off, you might feel that you are stuck in a rut. However, by looking into boat transport specialists on sites like Shiply, you can find the right movers to help your boat get to its new owner safe and sound, no matter the distance.
#2 Listing your boat
You are going to need to list your boat locally and online. Social media can help you out with this, as well as using a certain well-known auction site. This can be a great way to bring in people who might be very interested in your boat, and as you have transport sorted out, you reach people all over the country.
#3 Make sure all the paperwork is in order
The next box to tick is to make sure that you have all the appropriate paperwork and that it is to hand should someone asks a question. This can be important if the boat was not new when you bought it, as it can impact someone’s interest significantly – and they will want all the details about the usage and any repairs.
#4 Maintenance
You will also want to make sure that you are keeping a close eye on the condition of your boat, as you don’t want to sell it with any faults. Maintenance is not the most popular of jobs, but you can get an expert to take care of this, and a well-maintained boat is likely to get a much higher price than a neglected one.
#5 Fees and research
It would be best if you also researched how much it will cost to sell your boat. Some places charge a fixed fee, and others a certain percentage, and these are key things to consider when pricing your boat – as you don’t want to be left scratching your head wondering why you don’t have as much of the sale price left as you thought.
Final thoughts
There are a lot of things to think about when it comes to selling your boat, but by paying attention to some key areas, the whole process can go a lot more smoothly. You will need to think about boat transport, how you list it for sale and that all the relevant paperwork is present. You also need to consider fees and any costs associated with pre-sale maintenance, so you end up with the right amount of cash in your hand.
