I bought a boat around 12 months ago which has similar features to what you are seeking. She is/was by no means a
project boat. I went into the purchase with my eyes open as much as I could and had the usual surveys. I allowed $50k for
repairs and upgrades on top of the $53k purchase price. With things I’ve subsequently discovered (and hopefully nothing more major to come) I’ll be spending around $65k instead of $53 which will put the total investment at around $115k. I
live aboard and do most of the
work myself (apart from more skilled stuff like welding a new
fuel tank). Whatever boat you buy will need some work for
repairs or for your desired upgrades. But don’t underestimate the time and costs for a $50k boat which I think was your original budget. Also if an ageing steel yacht, fit-out and
insulation can often hide rust which is very tricky to get to to see and
repair.
When you get round to
buying, I very much recommend you find a highly recommended
surveyor who is experienced in your
hull material of choice and a
member of AMSA. In my haste to buy my boat I used a local
surveyor who claimed extensive experience in aluminium yachts and was not an AMSA
member. I’m paying the price for that poor choice of mine as he missed many obvious and costly defects.
There isn’t a deep market for yachts in Australia and choice is pretty limited, hence prices have been creeping up over the last year or so. Which means if you find one you like you’d need to jump quickly or consider other markets (COVID aside) such as NZ or Langkawi.
Good luck in your searches. She’s waiting somewhere for you!