Very few boat related upgrades or repairs have a 100% or more rate of return when selling a catamaran. In most cases, it makes more sense to save your upgrade money to put into your next catamaran.
If you intend to sell with the maximum number of dollars in your pocket, limit repairs and upgrades to cosmetic improvements and any mechanical work required to hold a successful sea trial. Certain cosmetic improvements can pay big dividends. The most-cost-effective matters that should be addressed are:
1. Repair exterior elements that are seen first. Clean, varnish or clean bright work as needed. Paint the bottom and keep clean with a professional bottom cleaning service. In Florida once a month is adequate. Black paint shows best. "First impressions are everything".The likelihood of receiving favorable offers increases when your yacht is exposed to more of the marketplace. The following items are essential to quickly selling your catamaran for the best price.
2. Tidy up dock lines, sheets, halyards and all deck gear whether a power cat or sailing catamaran..
3. Clean up the bilges. They should be dry, clean and odor-free. Make sure the heads are spotless with no mildew or mold. Give the catamaran a thorough cleaning from stem to stern.
4. Hide personal items that make it difficult for potential buyers to imagine theirs in your catamaran. "Kill the clutter"…. Clean out cluttered lockers and especially any inventory not intended to be sold with the boat. Cover up any holes in the bulkheads remaining after pictures were removed. Check for leaks and consider repairing.
5. There is no greater disappointment to a buyer and seller than to find that some onboard-equipment is not in working order. Check and repair inoperative equipment. If it is an expensive repair related to mechanical issues (rebuild engines or generator) then consider reducing price and fully disclosing the defect in advance. Actually it's best to fully disclose all defects in advance and explain that the asking price has been lowered to cover the remedy of the defects.
6. If dinghy is stored on board the cat, position it so it drains properly and does not inhibit looking into lockers etc.
7. Have your catmaran docked as close as possible to your listing broker's office. This will net you more showings and statistically a better chance to find a buyer. 70% of the time, the typical buyer does NOT buy the catamaran he initially called the broker about. Many buyers are indecisive and open to be influenced by an experienced broker they trust. If you have made the boat easy-to-show then brokers will show it more-often. So, make sure it is near an active yacht –marketplace (like Fort Lauderdale).Your broker should exhibit at boat shows and have a prominent position in print media to your target market.
Put a combination lock on it instead of a keyed-lock. Keys are a nightmare for brokers and when an outside broker is determining which cats to show, if he can avoid driving in heavy traffic to the listing brokers office to stand in a line to sign out a key (that has to be returned after a long day), he will always avoid the boat with the keyed-lock. Boats that are easy-to-show get shown 4 times as much. So, make it easy!
8. Make sure your broker has keys and easy access any time to show your catamaran. Many showings are "last-minute" affairs and it's not under his total control because of "prima donna" buyers.
9. Ask your broker for a report showing what comparable catamaran prices in the market and price it accordingly. If your cat is not priced competitively in the market it will sell last.
10. Only work with a broker whose firm is a specialist in the type of yacht you have for sale.
Check the brokers web presence and MLS listings.
Call today for a comprehensive marketing plan!
Contact Gary Fretz for more tips or information by calling call 001.954.609.6282 or at BigYachts@gmail.com.
LargeCatamaransForSale.com
Catamaran Collection
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33316, USA 001.954.609.6282 BigYachts@gmail.com Fax 954.337.0544 Skype: Boataholic |