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How to Sell a Boat Online in 8 Easy Steps – 2024 Guide 

Owning or renting a boat is a great way to escape from the crowd and roam over the river in your town or the open sea. There are all sorts of boats with great differences in size and luxury. The most popular type of boats is yachts. Also, like all other industries, the boat manufacturers are constantly improving by making boats with improved performances and higher luxury.

In that matter, it is natural that the owner would like to sell its boat and buy some of the more recent models. Selling a boat is a similar process as when you are selling a vehicle, and there are many websites, such as motoryachting.com where you can see what people are selling, or to place your boat for sale. In this article, we are going to introduce you to some of the easiest steps to quickly sell your boat online.

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1. Take Pictures and Videos of Your Boat on Water

One of the best ways to attract people to check the ad with your boat on it is to take some high-quality pictures of your boat while it is on water. Also, pay attention to create photos from different angles and both interior and exterior. Additionally, you should create a video while you are driving it. On the other side, try to avoid pictures with bad lighting or background. You should know that the first picture in the add is the most important one, and you should place the most attractive one in that place.

2. Create a Sales Plan

After you have your boat prepared for sales, and you created all the necessary pictures and videos, the next step is choosing the right way to sell it. When it comes to deciding the price, the best way is to check about the prizes of the same or similar models and to see how much people are asking for a similar model. There are three main ways of selling, by the owner, by boat brokers, and regular dealers. Furthermore, placing a proper ad can be crucial. In that matter, you might need to use several methods such as placing an advertisement on some website, print a paper and place it around some marine, and the simplest one, by placing “For Sale” sign on your boat.

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3. Prepare a Valid Documentation

Like with the car, bike, or any other type of vehicle, boats also require valid documentation and drivers’ license. Also, you do not want to get stuck with the bureaucracy in time when someone is ready to buy your boat. Moreover, in case that you are missing some papers, that might lower the price. In the end, there is no chance for you to get scammed if you own all of the necessary papers related to the boat and your ownership. The most important documents related to boats and selling processes are bill of sale, proof of loan payoff, boat titles, maintenance records, registration, and warranty.

4. Prepare the Boat for Sale

When it comes to preparation for a sale, it is not only about cleaning it for pictures, but you should also inspect various elements and see if something is missing or are there some parts that are broken or need maintenance. The more by can easily lower your price in case that some functions or parts are missing or they are not in the perfect state. On the other hand, always mention if there are some failures that you are not ready to fix and put a price according to that. Pay attention to minor details, because even a small scratch can lower the price. If you have enough time and money, the best way is to bring the boat in the best possible state before selling, because that will assure you with the best value.

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5. Set a Proper Value

You should learn more about the market of boats because you do not want to sell it under its value.  The best way to avoid making a bad decision when it comes to pricing is to check various websites and see if there are similar boats on sale or to get some advice from professionals like boat brokers. On the other hand, you should not place a price that is too high. If you are not sure about the value of your boat, you should mention in your ad that you are ready to negotiate about the price. If you choose that, the best way should be to bring some professional with you during the sale.

6. Advertise Your Boat

Since most people are using smartphones today, the best method of good advertising is to place an ad on some web page that is available and frequently used on smartphones, such as various apps that you can download on your phone, that is specially made for people who are trading with boats and yachts. Moreover, you can choose a more traditional way, and place an ad in some boat magazine or you can contact websites like Premier Ship Models to place Your Ad on their website. They have huge selection of historic model ship kits, and wooden model ship kits – featured on their Catalogue.

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7. Choose a Good Boat Broker

Choosing a good broker can be crucial for the best value, especially if you are not so familiar with the boat market and fluctuation in prices. When it comes to choosing a good boat broker, you should look for a specialist who already has experience in selling similar boats like yours, and the one who can advertise it to more people. That person should know more about various methods for successful selling and advertising, and to use different platforms such as internet marketing, email marketing, social networks, listings, and more.

8. Wholesale

In case you are selling a boat because you lack the money for proper maintenance, the best way to sell it quickly is to choose a wholesale option. However, you should know that this method will bring you the lowest value, and to choose it only in the case that you need money as fast as possible. On the other hand, if you own a boat that requires a lot of investments in maintenance and marketing to sell it, sometimes wholesale can be the best option.

About Suzan Vega