What to Leave on the Boat in Preparation For Sale?

[waterdog]

My guess is Blackdragon is one of the better equipped Catalina 34s for cruising.    As I think about getting it ready to go to market, I am not sure what will give it the most market appeal.    The right buyer might want it exactly as I have it.   To many though it might seem cluttered and overloaded.    I am not sure if the following items add value for the new buyer:

400 Watts of solar?
Weather cloths?
Lee cloths?
Outboard hoist?
Oversize 20kg Rocna?
Flatscreen TV?
Spare anchors?
Rod holders?
Lifesling?
Dingy and 10hp outboard?
Microwave over nav?
Netting over shelves?
Overhead wine glass holders?

A clean boat with a fresh Beta engine, newish rig, bimini, dodger, radar, plotter, autopilot, swim platform, newer rudder, new shaft should have appeal.    My inclination is to take pictures of everything and strip away most of the stuff to present a less cluttered boat.   

Is that direction to go or do people like their C34s "loaded" as it were?

 

[KWKloeber]

My guess is Blackdragon is one of the better equipped Catalina 34s for cruising.    As I think about getting it ready to go to market, I am not sure what will give it the most market appeal.    The right buyer might want it exactly as I have it.   To many though it might seem cluttered and overloaded.    I am not sure if the following items add value for the new buyer:

400 Watts of solar?
Weather cloths?
Lee cloths?
Outboard hoist?
Oversize 20kg Rocna?
Flatscreen TV?
Spare anchors?
Rod holders?
Lifesling?
Dingy and 10hp outboard?
Microwave over nav?
Netting over shelves?
Overhead wine glass holders?

A clean boat with a fresh Beta engine, newish rig, bimini, dodger, radar, plotter, autopilot, swim platform, newer rudder, new shaft should have appeal.    My inclination is to take pictures of everything and strip away most of the stuff to present a less cluttered boat.   

Is that direction to go or do people like their C34s "loaded" as it were?

When I tell owners to give me photos to list their vessel -- I tell them, "what sells best/quickest is when the buyer can 'see' themselves using the boat." 

A set of stark photos with noone aboard doesn't sell well.  What sells is people at the table, sunning on the deck, in the cockpit, etc.   they can envision themselves doing the same.  Same as a house with simple furniture (not cluttered) sells better than an empty shell.  Use that as your guide -- if you can't move around due to clutter, lose what you can.  KISS.

If anchors are stowed and not clutter, then leave them.  But a FULL list of what's available is a must accompanied with pix of whatever in action/use (lee cloths, solar, hoists, etc ) that's a must to go with the listing.  For instance, I listed a CS-36 with wind generator, davits, whatnot.   That was all stored in the barn, but the owner's widow had pix of all that aboard/sailing and that worked very well in the sales booklet I put together.

Ken

[Craig Illman]

Steve - Take off what wouldn't likely add to the sales price and shop them separately. I think you'll net out more. Your boat with a newer engine and well cared for appearance should go quickly with how few C34's are listed out here.

Craig

[Gary Brockman]

I have a friend who spent nearly $100K preparing his First 42 for cruising in Mexico. When he returned to San Diego after three years of cruising, he put his boat on the market at what he and his broker thought was a fair price for a fully equipped boat ready to go on a long voyage, though well below what he had put into the boat. After a year on the market with no offers, the broker suggested he strip the boat of nearly everything except for what was necessary for day sailing and a weekend at Catalina and adjust the price accordingly. Two week after doing this, he had two offers and accepted the full price one. After closing the sale, he contacted the buyer and gave him a list of all the extra cruising stuff he had in his garage along with a price list. After about six months, the buyer ended up buying about 75% of the stuff he took off of the boat. After selling the remaining gear on ebay and Craigs list, my friend ended up pretty close to what the boat was originally priced at.

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Waterdog,
if it were me, I would want all those things but a new sailor may be overwhelmed with all the extras. I think the main thing is for the boat to look clean and uncluttered and I think Ken has a good idea about the buyer being able to see himself sailing and enjoying your boat. Good luck with your sale. I just wish I was in the market for a boat again.

Mike

[Ken Juul]

When we bought our boat it was loaded, pots, pans,dishes, scuba gear, fishing gear, etc.  There was a caveat in the sale that said the scuba gear and some of the other personal stuff did not convey.  When we picked the boat up it was stripped.  Delayed our delivery 2 days shopping for cookware and the bare essentials to get home.  Happy with the boat, but took a while to get over being wripped off by the seller.

[waterdog]

Thanks guys.    I was aboard yesterday doing green slime removal after the dock water has been turned on again at the conclusion of our brutally cold winter.   Nobody wants to buy green slime.  I think I'll keep it clean and basic and if the new owner wants the custom mattress toppers, lee cloths etc, they get a nice bonus with their new boat.   Much better than stealing the dishes after the transaction!     

[Jim Hardesty]

I was aboard yesterday doing green slime removal after the dock water has been turned on again at the conclusion of our brutally cold winter.

It will be 6 weeks till we can turn on the dock water after our mild winter.
Jim

[Ted Pounds]

What Ken Kloeber said is the way my broker presented my C34.  It worked well. Closed the sale of my boat in the dead of winter for only $1000 less than I paid for her 12 years earlier.      Good luck.

[waterdog]

So we should load the boat with scuba gear, dishes and other enticing stuff and then take it away when we have the contract signed?   

Oh no, wait.   The other Ken.   Got it.

[Stu Jackson]

Don't forget the DVD in the jewel case with all of your posts, your blog and links to this 'site.  We wouldn't want the new owner having to ask all those "how to reinvent the wheel questions" now, would we?    Shouldn't take up too much space...

[waterdog]

Stu, the new owner's questions will be my legacy to the C34 group.    New Owner: "I can't seem to fit tall bottles on the three most outboard slots of the wine storage rack behind the microwave.   Does anyone have a solution?"     C34: "Wine storage rack?"   New Owner:  "Where can I get a replacement for the trapezoidal snap in black out blind for the forward hatch?"    C34: "What?"   New Owner:  "Two of the float switches on the little blocks are for the big bilge pumps, and the deep one is for the small pump, but what does the fourth switch do?" C34:  "Ah there should be one switch and the handle for the other pump should be in the aft lazarette..."

[sail4dale]

sold my boat and it was loaded .... the extras helped sell it I believe.  Of course all the extras were listed.

The real sneaker was when the deal was finally concluded there was an insertion at the end of a long agreement that I
overlooked (my bad) that also gave the buyer my $400 boarding steps that were on the dock. The broker from Heritage
Yachts in Long Beach said "we always include the steps" in our deals.  I was NEVER told about that.

So seller beware ..... last minute inserts in the final contract can be costly.

BTW   I miss my CAt 34 True Luff.

[Susan Ray]

Aloha Waterdog,
Where is she moored?
How much will you be asking for her?
Do you have a spec sheet listing all aboard and specifications?
Please let me now.
Thanks,
Susan, Rainbow Yachts

[waterdog]

Hi Susan!

Too early for that quite yet.   We are looking at making an offer on a (gasp) cat next week.   If we don't end up buying this cat, we may still be cruising Blackdragon to Alaska next summer.   If we do close on the cat, then I will put together a listing with pricing etc.   It's a good time to buy Canadian boats - it is moored in Vancouver.   Everything is on sale here.