1 - Giving added value to your advertisement
Sell well comes down to finding a buyer quickly and at a good price. This requires presenting your boat in its best light in order to attract to it all potential buyers who will find it more enticing than other offers of the same type or at the same price.
In this regard, the photographs that will accompany the advertisement cannot be neglected. It is better to delay the publication of the latter by a few days than to put it online with disappointing visuals. A good photo shoot should be taken at a favourable time, under the sun and in a setting that makes you want to. A bit of greyness would be enough to reduce the effect of persuasion.
Also, the upholstery must be in place, and the whole thing must be perfectly clean. The person looking at your pictures should be able to look forward to it immediately. Always remember that the first impression is decisive in any purchasing process. The potential buyer should already feel eager to sail on the waves with ce boat, and not another one! To do this, different parts of the boat should be photographed, rather than repeating the same overview five or ten times. This photo gallery should in fact take the form of a virtual tour! Conversely, prospectors are very reluctant to travel to see a boat whose seller would have been stingy with photographs.
While most people look at the photos first, if they find them worthy of interest they go on to look at the description of an ad. A detailed, complete and accurate description has the advantage of inspiring more confidence: the potential buyer has the impression of already knowing everything about the vessel. A presentation in a table will allow the creation of a detailed and advantageous technical data sheet, including the characteristics of the boat, the engine, the on-board equipment... The combined presence of successful photographs and an attractive text has the effect of reassuring the readers, encouraging them to move on to the next stage: the visit .
The advertisement thus conceived will still have to be made available to a public interested in the nautical world. Fortunately, there are portals specialising in this field, such as those for cars or real estate, which are all more common. The Youboat site is specifically concerned with the publication of classified advertisements concerning boats, classified and presented in a clear, simple and effective manner. Search filters allow enthusiasts to find what they are looking for.
2 - Determining the right selling price for your boat
Setting the price of your boat is not the easiest thing to do. Too high, the ad will eventually disappear in the web archives, without having managed to capture anyone's attention. Too low, the keen interest aroused at first sight will quickly lead to the fear of a hidden defect, an unpleasant surprise, a snag. Or the ad will attract those "jokers" who allow themselves to make outrageously low offers. However, all boats can be sold (regardless of their age or condition), on the sole condition that they are displayed at the right price, in complete transparency.
It is useless to overestimate your boat when you really want to sell it. It would be a waste of time and even, in the end, most likely, a waste of money if you end up with a disappointing sale. Giving yourself room to negotiate is one thing, but defying common sense is another. Determining a sale price requires taking into account the reality of the second-hand market as well as the prices of new boats (which are on a rather downward trend). Be confident, however, that the actual price of a sale is almost always lower than the price posted on an ad. Here, you will have to be patient and look at many other ads to find out where you stand in relation to the competition .
The use of a marine surveyor - which by definition is in this environment - gives additional assurances, while proving to be comfortable for the seller. Indeed, the professional will be in a position to guarantee the good condition of the boat, while attesting to the seriousness of the envisaged transaction. His action can be decisive in triggering a purchase decision, as his intervention contributes to creating a relationship of trust with the buyer. In fact, the expert is a kind of arbitrator with no direct interest in the conclusion of the sale, since he is there to audit the condition of the vessel, engine and on-board equipment at the time of the sale. Engaging his name at each of his expert appraisals, this independent observer has a reputation to uphold and, if only for ethical reasons, he must be exemplary.
3 - Find out about the buyer
The "honest people" of the old days have finally given way to the "good people" of Anton Chekhov and Georges Brassens. And their circle has no doubt shrunk even further since then, as if it had been a sad day... Today, with the dematerialization and thus universality of advertising, no one is safe from a swindle or a fraudster. Beware of e-mails or phone calls too good to be true! Don't think you can sell your boat to a person who has never seen it before... The process seems big, but unfortunately it works, so much so that a seller can get so exhilarated by the illusion of a good deal.
In order to avoid such shipwrecks at the seller's, anticipation is an important quality for the smooth running of a transaction. It is important to know and respect the laws and official rules. Any deviation from them opens the door to all abuses, and some buyers know how to take advantage of these weaknesses without the slightest remorse. Every deed of sale must be perfectly in order. Transparency is also essential in payment, even if you have to lose a few days: categorically refuse all unsecured means of payment, such as cash or Western Union money orders, which are usually from fake buyers. Instead, go through intermediaries (fintech has produced a lot of them!), bank transfers or bank checks. Don't be afraid of nitpick it could save you from serious setbacks!
