With just a couple of months before the season, for one reason or another some of you boat owners may be considering selling your boat.
When it comes to selling your boat the outcome shouldn’t be left to chance.
A considered approach is required to ensure a quick sale with an outcome that makes all parties happy.
Swanley Brokerage feel the following points are crucial for a successful sale.

Paperwork

Part of selling a boat means having your paperwork in order.If you are selling a second hand vessel which has had several owners, this can prove to be a challenge.
In an ideal world you will have all the manuals for the items on board such as RCD,engine, heating equipment, safety equipment, electronic equipment and cooker to name a few.
Also your Builders Certificate or Bill of Sale are crucial to be able to prove ownership. On an older boat previous owner Bill of Sale copies are great too as this helps with the history.
So we come to the VAT invoice. This paperwork is crucial as any discerning buyer will want this as a matter of course. How important this is does depend on the age of the vessel, but in any case having it makes the selling process so much easier.
Invoices for any maintenance undertaken is also a benefit as it can help prove what a conscientious owner you have been. Engine service invoices and records are of benefit too where you have instructed a marine engineer to regularly service your engine. Where you the owner has serviced the engine, receipts and invoices for parts and consumables assist to help prove that you have regularly tended to the engine.
In essence, the more paperwork the better!

Preparing your boat for sale

Now we come to the “elbow grease” element of selling your boat.
Getting your boat ready to sell may entail a thorough clean.
Take all of your personal effects away and declutter as much as possible.
An in depth wash, clean and polish of the interior will help to bring your boat up to looking as good as she can be. Tidy all lockers and cupboards.
Cleaning through the bilges, engine bay, the Trolling batteries, and other hidden places will go a long way to give not only a good impression of your boat, but also of you too!
All of this will help to make your boat look bigger, lighter and more airy than she would have done with all personal effects on board. This may sound quite daunting but it will reap rewards. If you don’t feel up to it there are plenty of boat cleaning companies around. Products from Merritt Supply will help to give your boat a fresher, newer look.

The exterior of the boat also requires an equal amount of attention.
A good wash off before a polish and wax of the gelcoat, blacking the hull and polishing benefits all round.
Check for any defects that can be rectified so that they are eliminated for inspection.

Setting a realistic market price.

This is obviously a very sensitive issue and we all want the best possible price for our pride and joy. Market research on the internet can be a guide but it is just a guide. Prices of similar vessels can vary quite considerably especially where private adverts are concerned. Talking with a broker such as Swanley Brokerage,
will give you a fairer idea of your boat’s market value. The Internet does not give actual “sold” prices where as a broker is advising you from a “sold” price stand point.
Swanley Brokerage’s knowledge and experience will give you a “realtime” valuation.
Overpricing a boat for sale can have a real detrimental effect on the marketing
of a boat. It can seriously reduce interest and it can deter buyers from viewing.
Buyers may like the look of a boat but will not offer on it as they may feel the offer would be insulting to the owner. That is why pricing as accurately as possible to the market that we are working in at any given time is so important.

Instructing a broker

Here at Swanley Brokerage we offer the complete service.
Professional advice and a friendly professional service. We market boats extensively, so much so that your boat will be seen all over the world.We take lots of photos and video’s
to present to potential buyers. We conduct viewings on your behalf and report back to you regularly with feedback.
We ensure that when a potential buyer views your boat he arrives and sees what he was expecting to see.That is why we produce realistic photos and video’s. There is nothing worse than a buyer arriving to view a boat and it isn’t in the condition that he was expecting. He could have travelled a very long way, even from overseas, so this is essential.

To find out how Swanley Brokerage can help sell your boat please contact us at:
Email: sales@swanleybrokerage.co.uk
Tel: 01270 524855