Used boat presentations

[geoleo]

It is doubly hard to sell your boat if you are living aboard it. Aside from the personal things strewn about which is a negative-- there is the psychological perception in the buyers mind that you will be driving the seller (or whom anyone else is there) out of their home. A negative to selling the boat.

[hmason]

Originally Posted by geoleo

If I see a TV on a boat I start having doubts about its care---- I'm into boating to get away from the TV world.

We have 2 TV's aboard Magic. And we can also watch TV on our iPads! I guess I don't take care of my boat---could've fooled me.

[Lou_tribal]

Originally Posted by geoleo

If I see a TV on a boat I start having doubts about its care---- I'm into boating to get away from the TV world.

+1 and maybe the $ saved on a a new super hipe tv was allowing the PO to maintain the remaining more important stuff...
It is like seeing someone that buy a 500k$ because appliances are in stainless... Some items are more of high priority than others.

L

[Cyclone]

I needed a RANT to day and this subject provides the outlet. I too am looking and my market area is the NW, BC and Washington. What I have viewed have been poorly maintained vessels and given their condition appear to have been abandoned to the Broker. The other issue is the Broker. Most of these persons do not have the knowledge of the boat they are selling that I consider necessary to sell it quickly at a fair dollar value consistent with agreements between them and the owner and the buyer. Most boats I have viewed would not be represented by a Broker who had some marine knowledge. Many would not pass a proper survey as the fault condition is apparent to those who have some marine knowledge. I have viewed boats with blown batteries still sitting in their box, oil filled bilges, water-salt and fresh, basic pumps that do not work, refrigerators that are so frosted and dirty that almost make you throw up. Stoves/ovens that one must imagine that the owner cooked or baked without pots or pans. Mould so deep that a sand blast with a pressure washer would only just remove it then the whole interior would need replacement.


The holly place. Wiring loose everywhere. One vessel had a Glendening synchronizer that was literally floating around the bilge and the throttle cable keeping track of it. Battery boxes and batteries, as I stated earlier one blown, but the norm is old, out of water and corroded terminals. Needless to say the wiring in general in a boat built in the late 80s through to 2000 wiring needs to be addressed, but as the owner you would think that securing it might make it look somewhat more tidy.


I agree that somethings you can overlook, but then again how much sweat equity do you want to invest in a $150000.00 or more purchase when you consider that within 5 years will have depreciated by 40 to 50% regardless. The electronic unless five years or newer are trash. TV's what purpose unless you are a dock queen.


Back to Brokers. All have a question list to glean information from the owner. Check out the listings and you will soon see that there is no consistency whatsoever. Engine hrs, suggested cruise speed fuel consumption, are there maintenance records available including oil sample results. Pictures: The owner must provide a complete set including the bilge area and not use original catalogue photos unless so annotated. I sent a broker in Vancouver a list of questions Dec 16 and have sent two more messages, no response.


Needless to say I needed to RANT. Selling is one issue but buying is another and it is true the two happiest days are "the day you buy and the day you sell". I feel better, regards

[BruceK]

Presentation is not everything. I know of a boat I thought was tidy and looking good, but the broker had the owner spend $2.5K on detailing. The boat you think is well cared for may just be expertly detailed.
Look below the surface. Boats with poor pics online turn some buyers off, but may be good boats with a lousy photographer,and come with less or no competition.

[dhays]

Originally Posted by smitty477

While that is true sometimes there can be many reasons why the boat has reached this situation. Please consider scrutinizing the important aspects of the boat and ignoring the rest.

This is my feeling. Consider a meticulous boat owner who suddenly "aged out" of boating. It is easy to go from a spry 78 year old who can do everything on the boat, to an infirm 79 year old that can't. They can try to use the boat for a year or two but can't keep it up. Finally it is put on the market but there isn't an owner, or family members able to clean it up, nor often the money to pay someone else to do it.

Boats like this can be very sad, but it doesn't mean they aren't great boats to buy and just might be a good bargain.

[HeadMistress]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I am in the market for a used trawler-----------5 of 6 boats I have looked at in past 6 weeks were dirty with stuff strewn about! Obviously these owners are lazy and poor boat keepers. Draw your own conclusions about their chances of a sale.

They're no different from the people who put their houses on the market without bothering to clean the bathtub, wash the dishes in the sink or even pick up their kids' toys.

[Insequent]

Even well presented boats can take a long time to sell, and during that time maintenance and cleaning are irregular if done at all. Start with a dirty or messy boat and its a lot worse. They can be great opportunities. Offer prices are reduced to reflect the situation. If you don't want to do the work just deduct the cost of pro-detailing from your offer, and afterwards hop on board something clean.

But all of that is largely cosmetic and aesthetics. Understand the state of the systems on board because they can chew up real money to get sorted. There may be no correlation between the cosmetics and stuff that really matters. If the size and layout is what you want then get a good surveyor to assess the systems and list items that need attention.

[mramoo]

Looks are not everything, The second boat we put an offer on was as clean as if it had just came from the builder, BUT it failed survey, every thing was corroded badly.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by hmason

We have 2 TV's aboard Magic. And we can also watch TV on our iPads! I guess I don't take care of my boat---could've fooled me.

TV is a disease and you have it. Sorry

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Insequent

Even well presented boats can take a long time to sell, and during that time maintenance and cleaning are irregular if done at all. Start with a dirty or messy boat and its a lot worse. They can be great opportunities. Offer prices are reduced to reflect the situation. If you don't want to do the work just deduct the cost of pro-detailing from your offer, and afterwards hop on board something clean.

But all of that is largely cosmetic and aesthetics. Understand the state of the systems on board because they can chew up real money to get sorted. There may be no correlation between the cosmetics and stuff that really matters. If the size and layout is what you want then get a good surveyor to assess the systems and list items that need attention.

When I come to see a boat and it has green mold on the shady side of hull and in the niches and bird poop all over the decks and cabins I'm turned off----

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by hmason

We have 2 TV's aboard Magic. And we can also watch TV on our iPads! I guess I don't take care of my boat---could've fooled me.

Would you take your Ipads hiking in beautiful mountain tracks and watch TV ?

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Insequent

Even well presented boats can take a long time to sell, and during that time maintenance and cleaning are irregular if done at all. Start with a dirty or messy boat and its a lot worse. They can be great opportunities. Offer prices are reduced to reflect the situation. If you don't want to do the work just deduct the cost of pro-detailing from your offer, and afterwards hop on board something clean.

But all of that is largely cosmetic and aesthetics. Understand the state of the systems on board because they can chew up real money to get sorted. There may be no correlation between the cosmetics and stuff that really matters. If the size and layout is what you want then get a good surveyor to assess the systems and list items that need attention.

There may be no correlations--but usually are!

[FlyWright]

Originally Posted by geoleo

TV is a disease and you have it. Sorry

That seems pretty narrow minded to me. I have a 12V HDTV that doubles as an ER monitor while underway. I'd say 75% of it's use is to monitor the ER, but when I want a TV onboard, it's available.

I'll never forget election night at anchor. Priceless.

[caltexflanc]

Originally Posted by geoleo

Would you take your Ipads hiking in beautiful mountain tracks and watch TV ?

For a week, no. For living on full time sure. I take it you are a weekender. And you'd never buy a full time cruiser's boat.

[Peter B]

It also depends on which areas of a boat may look a bit grimey. In the case of our boat, when purchased the engine room had 30 odd years of discolouration build-up, and was such an early model, the inside of the ER was never gel-coated, so to clean it to the looks of newer boats would have been impossible, discouraging, and contributed nothing to the reliability, safety or seaworthiness of the vessel. So, I recognising this, I did not bother. It looks no different today, except I renewed what mattered, the rotted floor boards, rusty HWS, buss board, etc. But the engine is well maintained, as are the batteries and anything else that matters, and the parts of the boat inhabited or where belongings are stored, are all spotlessly maintained. Those are the things that matter. After all, how clean does the engine bay of your car remain after some years of use?

[dhays]

Originally Posted by geoleo

When I come to see a boat and it has green mold on the shady side of hull and in the niches and bird poop all over the decks and cabins I'm turned off----

I understand. Sounds like you need to purchase a new boat, freshly freed from its shrink wrap.

In the PNW this time of year, the north side of a boat will turn green in two weeks. Most sellers, if they could still wash their boat weekly, wouldn’t be selling it.

[FF]

"Most of these persons do not have the knowledge of the boat they are selling that I consider necessary to sell it.

Impossible dream, broker are there to sell anything and everything , few are specialists in any one area , there are probably thousands of variations on boats.

" how much sweat equity do you want to invest in a $150000.00 or more purchase when you consider that within 5 years will have depreciated by 40 to 50% regardless."

Newer boats, like everything else depreciates at rapid pace

Once there 20+ years old condition is the key , not age.

A number of folks have purchased older boats in fair condition and have a ZERO round trip after a decade.
(sold it for as much or more than initial purchase price)

Of course their labor was free and most electronic toys create almost no value.

Boats require labor , sometimes grunt labor , sanding and painting an overhead is no fun , although paint is cheap, value has been added to the vessel.

[Donsan]

Originally Posted by dhays

Sounds like you need to purchase a new boat, freshly freed from its shrink wrap.

I suspect a new boat is out of his price range. It sounds like he is looking at boats under $30K. But still, there is no excuse for the lack of cleaning up to sell.

[Bacchus]

I have seen some good advice on selling a motorhome that applies to boats (and S&B homes)
Obviously declutter & clean it...but also stage it for photos.
Think about the mfg brochures... they have an attractive table setting, nice towels and pillows on beds, etc.
Why do you think they come w those accessories? So they look pretty when buyers are viewing at dealers...why not do the same when selling used?