How To Price Boat To Sell

Getting the right price for your boat is super important. You don't want to undervalue or overvalue your vessel.

So how do you figure out how much your boat is worth?

Well, you've come to the right place. We'll go through the different options you have in getting the right valuation for your boat so you don't end up selling for too little a price.

Things you'll want to consider when pricing a boat include:

The condition
Size of boat
The year of the boat
Engine hours
Features like electronics, interior/exterior etc.
Time of year you wish to sell
Market value
Location
Extra Accessories

These are some of the most important things to consider when valuing your boat. It doesn't have to be hard to figure out the ideal price so we'll show you some simple and easy ways to work out a guide price.

As a general note, the time of year can actual have a big impact on how fast you are to sell as boats tend to sell in the summer months more frequently as people want to get out onto the water and enjoy the sun.

This article is part of our how to sell your boat series and applies to all boat types whether it be a:

sailboat
small motorboat
speed boat
jet ski
PWC
dinghy
yacht
large boat
pontoon boat
power boat
outboard or inboard motorboat

So don't be concerned, the majority of boat owners will be able to figure out a price to sell their vessel at.

If you aren't happy with the price of your boat, you can check out our how to increase boat value guide for ideas on getting more money for your boat.

Check Prices On Boat Selling Sites

The easiest and fastest way to price your boat is to go onto websites selling similar boats to yours and see what prices they are selling for.

Simple examples include websites like Boattrader.com, Yachtworld.com or Boats.com

Check out the image below. It's from boats.com. You can simply go to the website and type in your exactly model of boat and see what price they are selling for.

This will give you a base valuation to start with.

The image shows the Catalina boat as an example (where red arrow is). You can simply put your own model and make in there and see exactly how much similar boats to your own are selling for.

Another similar option is to check out Boattrader.com and do the exact same thing as above. Just put in your own make and model and see what price they are selling for.

You can do this on their homepage (see image below)

These three websites will give you a good idea of what price to sell your boat at. This will help ensure you aren't way outside any price range.

In the example below, we can get an idea as to the price of different Catalina boats so you can see at a glance what they are selling for.

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If you don't see your boat for sale on any of these sites, you can simply do a google search for "your boat for sale" and it should bring up local websites selling your unique boat.

Example google search: "Hanse 388 for sale"

Most likely, the websites mentioned above will have the make and model similar to your own for sale so doing a broad google search won't be necessary.

Don't forget, We all want the maximum price for our beloved boats but the market will dictate the price.

As a side note, if you plan on selling your boat on those websites mentioned above, it'll cost you between $60 - $200 to place an ad ( which is expensive on the face of it but not too bad when you consider over a million people a month will see your advertisement)

Contact The Boat Manufacturer For Valuation

The next option in determining the value of your boat is to contact or visit the boat manufactures. Generally, these people will have first hand knowledge of what price your boat will be worth as they specialize in exactly what you want to sell.

Sometimes, these manufacturers will offer to sell your boat through them and they will take a cut. If your boat is in particularly good condition, they may even buy the boat themselves and sell it.

Again, google is your friend with this option. Simply type in your specific boat manufacturer and find their website and get in contact with them directly.

Using the example above of Hanse 388, we can find the Hanse website. through a google search. As you can see in image below, the manufacturer have a section titled "used boats" (see arrow) and this is where you could place your boat for sale.

This is a great option only if you kept the boat in good condition as the manufacturers will be reluctant to take a bad condition one.

Also, it's worth mentioning that some boat brands will not offer this option but a simple google search will assist in finding out.

Another benefit to contacting the manufacturer directly is they will have the best idea of what your boat is worth. This will be particularly useful if your vessel is a rarer and more custom option with lots of extras.

In some instances, they can even put you in contact with buyers so it's worth considering especially for specialist boats.A lot of times, no one boat is exactly the same so this option may be best for you.

Check Prices With Boat Brokers

Another option to get a good idea of the price you should sell your boat is by contacting a boat broker. Again, a simply google search will help you find boat brokers in your area.

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As they are specialists in all things boating, they'll more than likely have an idea of what price you can sell your boat for.

Just be aware that these brokers may want to sell it for you which can be a great option but make sure you are fully aware of the commission they are receiving.

It tends to be a lot (10%+ in some cases) which may not be worth it for most boat owners but it can be useful for boat owners looking to sell quickly.

Just please be very smart when speaking with brokers and if you do end up selling through them, be fully aware of every little fee as you don't want a nasty surprise.

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Contact Local Marina For Pricing

You can contact a local marina to get an idea for the value of your boat. Now, this will not always work as people working at the marina may not have the slightest clue about the prices of boats.

But there is no harm in trying. You might get lucky and have someone able to give you a value for your boat. In some instances, you might even stumble upon an interested buyer too.

Boat Appraisal Services

Another great option especially if your boat is more unique is hiring a professional boat appraisal service. You'll find plenty offering this with a simple google search.

They'll charge you to value your boat but it will give you a good idea of the price of your boat. Just keep in mind that sometimes these services tend to value your boat on the optimistic side.

Not always the case, but something to keep in mind nonetheless. Generally, it'll cost between $20 - $40 per feet to get a professional boat appraiser

Conduct Market Research Yourself

We debated whether this would simply fall within all the other options but decided it was worth putting this into it's own option.

If you are a DIY type person, you can simply go through every detail of your boat to ensure you get a perfect price for it when selling.

Before ever selling your boat, you'll want to make sure you have the boat clean and spotless. You can check out our boat cleaning guide for how to clean every part of your boat.

Once the boat is spotless, there are a lot of other factors that can have a significant impact on the price of your boat. These include:

Exterior Condition

You'll want to assess the exterior of your boat to ensure there is no damage or rust. You can simply have a look at the condition of the outside to ensure things like the hull, the deck, the boat seats, etc are all in good condition.

Interior Condition

As similar to the exterior, you'll also want to check the interior to ensure it's in good condition. Damage to the furniture or appliances can severely effect the price you'll get when selling.

Another tip here is to ensure your fire safety equipment is in full working order, otherwise potential buyers will want to know exactly what the fire equipment was used on.

Mechanical Condition

Another incredibly important part to consider is the mechanical condition of the boat. What are the engine hours and is everything working as it should be ?

These are very important things you'll need to consider before pricing your boat.

The Electronic Conditions

Are all the electronics working as they should be? Granted, you'll get the usual problems that comes with lots of use over time but do the important electronics work as they should? Things like lighting, autopilot, GPS etc. as some to name a few.

Extra Features

Does your boat come with extra features that aren't found on standard versions? If so, it's important to take this into consideration when pricing your boat.

Things like special entertainment packages, performance packages or cruising packages being added to your boat will bring up the value of your boat.

Location

Where you are selling the boat will make a difference on price. Things like tax are varied from state to state and country to country and this is something to consider when selling your boat.

Boat Year

Obviously, this will play a big impact in how you will price your boat as older ones tend to depreciate the boat value.

Time Of Year You Sell

This can play a big impact on how fast you sell. If you sell in the summer months, boat's will generally be sold faster than the winter months as people want to enjoy a boating trip in the hot summer months.

Summary

There's obviously a number of ways to price your boat as we've mentioned above. Ideally, the easiest option we prefer is simply checking the websites selling boats to get an idea for their price and selling within that range.

This will work just fine for the majority of people reading this article. But there are still plenty of other options to ensure you get the best value for your boat.

|Just choose one and figure out the right price to sell your boat. Depending on time of year and where you sell, you should have your boat sold in a couple of weeks.

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