Just like a house, a catamaran needs some “sprucing up” before putting her on the market to get the best possible price. As we all know, first impressions are crucial and you should make every effort to make sure that the catamaran looks and smells clean. Make sure that all electronics and engines are working well for seatrial. It should be easily accessible and all paperwork should be in order.
Don’t do unnecessary “upgrades” before selling the boat because not all upgrades will be a good return on investment. Find yourself a qualified and vetted yacht broker and most importantly, price your boat realisticly if you are looking for a quick sale. Follow these valuable tips below and you may be surprised at the outcome!
Go to our Buying Guide & Tips for more tips like pre- survey checklist, sales and use tax etc.
Make Cost-Effective Improvements Before You Sell Your Catamaran
Catamaran Exterior Improvements
- First impressions are critical! Repair exterior elements that are seen first. Make sure that the boat is cleaned before the showing.
- Varnish wood, clean/polish bright work and clean teak as needed.
- Make sure that scuff marks are cleaned and all nicks and dings in the gelcoat is fixed.
- Paint the bottom and keep clean with a professional bottom cleaning service which in Florida, once a month is adequate. If your bottom is fouled, the boat will look awful and will perform even worse on seatrial. Black paint shows best.
- Tidy up dock lines, sheets, halyards and all deck gear whether a power cat or sailing catamaran.
- If your dinghy is stored on board the cat, position it so it drains properly and does not inhibit looking into lockers etc. Make sure it is properly inflated and clean.
- Cockpit cushions should be clean.
Catamaran Interior Updates
- Clean up the bilges. They should be dry, clean and odor-free. Nothing is worse than a bad smelling boat and the bilges are more often than not, to blame.
- Make sure the engine compartments are clean. Service the engines.
- Make sure the bilge pumps, waterpump, toilets, stove, lights etc, all works.
- Make sure the heads are spotless with no mildew or mold.
- Give the catamaran a thorough cleaning throughout and try to stage it like you would your house.
- Hide personal items that make it difficult for potential buyers to imagine their own stuff in your catamaran.
- Clean out the clutter! Stuff stored on shelves like books, spices, baskets, trinkets etc. should be removed. An open airy feel in the boat is imperitive.
- Clear out cluttered lockers and especially any inventory not intended to be sold with the boat. Once something goes into inventory, its hard to have the buyer let go and a deal can go south over something as inexpensive as a portable fridge!
- Cover up any holes in the bulkheads remaining after pictures were removed.
- Check for leaks and consider repairing it. That is often a big deal breaker.
Catamaran Equipment
- 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 equipment if it is an inexpensive repair like an electric toilet or a chartplotter. Don’t overwhelm the buyer with too many things to fix, especially electronics. These things are cheap today and can easily be replaced but buyers put a lot of stock into electronics onboard, so make sure it works!
- If it is an expensive repair related to mechanical issues, like rebuilding an engine or generator, then consider reducing the price and fully disclosing the defect in advance.
- In fact, 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.
Improve Your Chances For A Sale With These Tips
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
- Price: Ask your broker for a report with comparable catamaran prices in the market and price it accordingly. If your cat is not priced competitively in the market it will sell last. This is the most important reason why boats don’t sell! Don’t price yourself out of the market!
- Accessibility: Have your catmaran docked as close as possible to your listing broker’s office. This will net you more showings and statistically give you 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. So, if it’s close and easy to show, your boat may be the first to get a buyer.
- Location: Make sure your boat is near an active yacht marketplace like Fort Lauderdale or Annapolis if possible. If you have made the boat easy to show, other brokers will show it more often and you will have a better chance for a sale.
- Access: 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!.
- Broker: Only work with a broker whose firm is a specialist in the type of yacht you have for sale. Your broker should advise you and be knowledgeable, so choose wisely! Learn Why You Should List Your Catamaran With A Professional Broker.
