Needing some tips for boat buyers? There’s lots of benefits to boat ownership. The main ones are stress reduction, exercise, connecting with your family and nature more intimately, keeping a sharp mind by learning new skills, and of course, plain old fun. And a minor one – it’s just so cool to own a boat!
What’s keeping you from owning or moving to a bigger, more comfortable boat?
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A million questions? Confusion? Overwhelm? Here are some tips for boat buyers.
Well, the fact that you’re still reading this post is a strong indication that you have a desire to make a dream boat happen in your life, and you’re most likely doing research to get educated and make the right buying choice for you. So to help you along your journey here’s some of my most important tips for boat buyers I can give you – specifically if you’re considering buying a used boat:
1. Sign up for our FREE webinars
Anatomy Of A Survey – What you need to know about marine surveys
Cruise The San Francisco Bay Webinar – Every 4th Wednesday Of The Month
The Savvy Buyer’s Guide Webinar: Reduce boat ownership costs by 50%!
2. Soul search how you’ll really use your boat…
How are you planning to use your boat? Will it be just a weekend retreat for family and friends? Overnights? Do you dream of world cruising? Does your family share this dream with you? Maybe you need a remote office as well as a bit of fun? Or maybe you’re considering charter placement for income and tax benefits.
There are so many boating lifestyle options. It’s vital to get clear on what your goal is first. Once you have clarity the the decision processes for other factors get so much easier!
3. Don’t let a low price tag seduce you!
It’s very tempting to think that you’re getting a steal when you see a boat listing at a lower price than the same ones on the market. Because a boat costs less it doesn’t mean you’re actually saving any money. In fact, you could be losing way more!
If a boat is listed noticeably below others of the same kind, there is a reason. You now the saying, there is no free lunch? Well, in the boating world you may end up buying lots of lunches if you’re not careful. There’s an inverse relationship between price and condition – low price usually means high repair/maintenance costs. Older boats are priced less and can be a great bargain as long as you keep in mind that with lower price tags you need more vigilance in the buying process so you’re not inheriting lots of deferred maintenance, unreported damage or chronic, unresolved problems. If you accept this one fact your search will be less stressful.
If you want some horror stories about “deal” boats, just ask! We have plenty of them. Want to know how to solve the problem of making a big buying mistake? Then read on…
4. Enlist the help of experienced, successful professionals
There are a lot of moving parts to a boat sale, and each step may involve an expert of some sort. Your first step is to choose a broker who is professional, who has resources for you, a diverse knowledge of the market and up to date referrals.
The San Francisco Bay Area is filled with many one or two-man shops with a few listings. Very nice people who usually retired into the industry because they love boats. That’s a start, but what real experience do they have to offer and after market services? You want a company that is dedicated and offers full service, whose business is to further your knowledge, safety and offer you a full roster of professional surveyors, repair services, brand vendors and current market data and analysis.
You need someone who offers objective analysis and experienced guidance along with the ability to take your needs and wants and translate them into the best boats for you and scour the market to find them. So how are we different?
We have been in business for over 30 years selling new and used boats, we have a fully staffed service department (the only in Northern California and most of Southern California), a training school for power and sail lessons with certified instructors, a charter fleet locally and associations with fleet placement in the Bay Area and around the world, international expertise for shipping boats to and from anywhere, and a roster of top notch professionals to help you have the best boat ownership experience ever!
Take a moment and check out our new favorite brokerage listings. Remember that if nothing catches your eye, we have listings coming in every day and partner with brokers all over the world to sell their listings as well.
If you have any questions please reach out to us. We’re here to assist you in making your boating dream a reality sooner rather than later. It’s never too soon to start living your dream of any size!
