How do you determine the right
price to sell your
boat?
“Surely you need an expert for that”! Not really. You can determine the asking
price by comparing with other boats. Most boats are production boats and can be compared with many others of the same make to determine the asking price. One-offs are different, but they can be compared to other boats as well, so it is not impossible to determine a reasonable asking price yourself. The market will correct too high prices sooner or later. It is the same as with cars. Example; a Chrysler Grand Voyager from 2007 with a 3 liter
engine, with 175.000 miles on her will have a comparable asking price to any other Chrysler Grand Voyager with that
engine, year and mileage. Sure there are options that influence the price, but you can compare with the other cars offered online and position your car exactly right. The same goes for boats. A Bénéteau First 36.7 from 2003 is comparable to many of her sister ships. Again the options influence the price, engine hours, amount and quality of the
sails, etc. You will have to position your
boat compared to the other offerings on the market.
I have seen it proven over and over again. Just check any big used-boat website and look for the same models, built year and specifications and you will see there is a small variance. Very likely the cheapest one will sell first depending on its state. Boats that are too expensive will be
for sale too long and eventually have to drop their price. It is true people ask too much for their boat at first, but when they are serious about selling they have to drop their price to a point on which the market accepts it. Especially with the
current oversupply this is important to understand for sellers.
The best for both buyer and seller is to have an independent
surveyor value the boat and do a techincal
survey as well, so you have a fair starting point for negotiations. When both parties have the surveyor's report and are reasonable they will come to a deal that is satisfying to both parties. When you don't have to pay a
broker you will have more room for negotiations and the more likely it will be you will sell your boat quickly.
See Bouwe Bekking's video tips below.