How Important is Location When Selling a Boat?

[Chotu]

We are now in a position where it is time to put the Gulfstar back on the market and get going on the catamaran.

We pulled it from the market days after listing in the spring to use it to stay away from Covid.

We are currently in Maine.

We have to get all our stuff off the boat and stay ashore so people can see the boat and we can move through the process.


The question is: How much does location matter when selling a boat?

It’s better for everyone involved to do this in Portland, Maine in my opinion because there is an airport, it’s not going to be 100 degrees, etc. However, I’m wondering if we should bring it closer to larger population centers.

We are looking to get a slip for a month to clean the boat out and be able to show her and complete the transaction.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by Chotu

We are now in a position where it is time to put the Gulfstar back on the market and get going on the catamaran.

We pulled it from the market days after listing in the spring to use it to stay away from Covid.

We are currently in Maine.

We have to get all our stuff off the boat and stay ashore so people can see the boat and we can move through the process.


The question is: How much does location matter when selling a boat?

It’s better for everyone involved to do this in Portland, Maine in my opinion because there is an airport, it’s not going to be 100 degrees, etc. However, I’m wondering if we should bring it closer to larger population centers.

We are looking to get a slip for a month to clean the boat out and be able to show her and complete the transaction.

I'm thinking you've already answered your own question and would bring it to a more populated area to sell it. The east coast of the US is a good place to sell a sailboat, especially a large one. Large boats are shuttled between Annapolis and Miami by yacht brokers who know the hot spots to list/show boats.

You will eliminate a lot of people who don't want spend time/$ to hop on a plane just to look at a boat (geographically undesirable). With that said, people looking for that particular Gulfstar may, but that will be a select few.

[Chotu]

Thanks, Bill. That’s what I was afraid of. LOL.

I guess we had better bring it down.

[daletournier]

Personally I believe location is very important, sale's is a numbers game.

[Bill O]

I was pleasantly surprised at the large interest you had on the CF posting previously. Your boat appeared to be in very good condition and you have set the the price point appropriately to sell it quickly. Think someone will get a good boat/deal if they buy your Gulfstar.
Larger boats on YW usually take a little bit longer to sell. Much of this IMO is a 25-30% higher asking price by a broker than realistic, then the owners must eat the cost of slip rental while they reduce price over the next several years.

I am surprised that you are getting ready to head back to the heat in FL so soon. I guess Maine wasn't so warm this summer.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Bill O

I was pleasantly surprised at the large interest you had on the CF posting previously. Your boat appeared to be in very good condition and you have set the the price point appropriately to sell it quickly. Think someone will get a good boat/deal if they buy your Gulfstar.
Larger boats on YW usually take a little bit longer to sell. Much of this IMO is a 25-30% higher asking price by a broker than realistic, then the owners must eat the cost of slip rental while they reduce price over the next several years.

I am surprised that you are getting ready to head back to the heat in FL so soon. I guess Maine wasn't so warm this summer.

Believe me, I’d love to just forget everything and continue up here. It’s beautiful!
Also, people are friendly, communities are small and it’s just generally very nice here.

However, work is starting back up and that requires a cell phone signal. Those are about as hard to come by as mean people in Maine. Ha ha.

Also, (and I don’t care if the prospective buyers know this) I don’t want to lose them. If I wait until fall to sell, I’ve lost a window, I think. Would everyone agree?

A good half of the people I just asked where they would prefer this boat to be located when she’s ready to show have already bought their new boats. So, I have about half the original buyers left.

It would certainly be much easier (better dock rates, could spend the rest of summer in Maine, not 100 degrees transferring everything off the boat) to sell in September. But I am fearful I’m going to lose everyone by then.

What does anyone think about that?

Is waiting until August 31st viable? Or will I not be able to sell her this season if I do?

[Chotu]

In any case, Bill, we are not anxious to get down to the heat. Ha ha. We would remain in the northeast for a couple months doing some seasonal work I do each fall, then head down to Florida when more appropriate. Maybe Covid will slow down in Florida by then too.

[GRIT]

I always find: The longer you leave a fish on the hook, the more likely he is to let it go. No matter how tasty the bait.

I'd also agree that Annapolis is one of the better places to sell a boat on the East coast of the USA.

Cheers, and good luck.
Paul.

[LittleWing77]

And at least boats are selling in Annapolis! Apparently, the boats in Florida are just languishing...

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

And at least boats are selling in Annapolis! Apparently, the boats in Florida are just languishing...

I’d expect that’s the seasonality. Or possibly the Covid explosion in Florida keeping people away.

Come Halloween, northern boats should start to languish.

It's a moving target for buyers ans sellers. Lol

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

And at least boats are selling in Annapolis! Apparently, the boats in Florida are just languishing...

Why do you say that?
Frankly I’m surprised any boats are selling, Car sales are way down, don’t know about house sales.
Seems vast majority of data is supplied by those who have a strong desire to indicate sales are strong, so one wonders how accurate it is, but I believe they are down too.

But just as house selling “season” is the Summer, I think the boat selling season in Fl is early fall, because that’s when the arrivals from up North occur and they buy a boat when they come down. So July would I assume be a very bad month to sell in Fl, especially if the boat doesn’t have ice cold air conditioning, many if not most wont be a impressed with a boat that the interior temp is over 100 when looking and hot often means smells too.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Why do you say that?
Frankly I’m surprised any boats are selling, Car sales are way down, don’t know about house sales.
Seems vast majority of data is supplied by those who have a strong desire to indicate sales are strong, so one wonders how accurate it is, but I believe they are down too.

But just as house selling “season” is the Summer, I think the boat selling season in Fl is early fall, because that’s when the arrivals from up North occur and they buy a boat when they come down. So July would I assume be a very bad month to sell in Fl, especially if the boat doesn’t have ice cold air conditioning, many if not most wont be a impressed with a boat that the interior temp is over 100 when looking and hot often means smells too.

Agreed about Florida. It's not the season there.

But I've never seen such a turnout as when I first listed (then decided to keep) this boat. And I’ve sold a lot of boats.

It was the most robust sales environment in decades. Again, the person who got laid off from a low end job wasn’t the buyer anyway. So the economic impacts didn’t hit qualified buyers too hard. Plus, people realized they should “just go now” as we often say on this forum. People understand life is too short. Lastly, what better way to spend a social distancing summer? It’s the same thing that made for record RV sales.

Boat sales are VERY robust due to Covid.

I lost half the buyers by pulling it and using it. But there are still about a dozen. And one brand new Nigerian scammer I’m toying with. Ha ha.

[OloteleMtn]

For a sailboat today, I will gladly pay you a hamburger on Tuesday......Tui O Doggiau
PS good luck with the sale

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by OloteleMtn

For a sailboat today, I will gladly pay you a hamburger on Tuesday......Tui O Doggiau
PS good luck with the sale

Ha ha ha!!

I’d consider your hamburger offer. Been out here in extended quarantine since god knows when. My girlfriend is crying over not having a cheeseburger a couple times a day. Lol

[PirateGuy]

If your girlfriend ate 2 or 3 chezbugas a day, wouldn’t you soon need a bigga boat?😁