Things that make your boat worth more?

[deniseO30]

Dumb I know.

What things would actually make a boat worth more?

In my own case my boat is very basic and not full of high tech electronics. The Force 10 stove and oven, the pss seal, and Garhauer traveler are the in my mind the best things going for my boat. (not much actually) Oh, and the Barrier coated bottom. new counter top, ash tops for the saloon and nav tables.

I'm not selling yet but it seems Oday 30s aren't fetching much in the way of selling price.

[night0wl]

Probably the thing that will help you retain the most value out of your boat is cosmetic stuff. Does everything *shine*? Is the exterior teak freshly varnished and glossy? Have you compounded/waxed the hull/topsides lately? Do the winches work flawlessly? No surface rust on any metal components? Lifeline plastic coatings aren't dinghy but shiny white. People want a boat that looks sufficiently "yachty".

Basically, your boat should look and feel like "pride of ownership" was present. Steam clean the engine and bilges and take care of any rust spots. Make sure there are no gel-coat dings/voids visible. Refinish the sole...etc.

Everything else, just upgrade as the time comes due for it. Replacing electronics, engines, rigging will *NEVER* add value to the boat when you factor in their cost...but they'll certainly prevent you from being a bargain basement boat come sell-time.

Old boats are what they are. With the difficulty insuring and financing old boats, you just wont get the money that boats coming from the factory can demand. Thats why its important to buy right when you buy an old boat. Hope you didn't over-pay when buying it initially.

[Maine Sail]

Clean sells!

[night0wl]

Also - my suggestion is to look at Maine Sail's *EXCELLENT* site an perform all the projects on Compass Marine "How To" Articles Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com


Also - *NO ODORS*!!! That includes head odors, diesel fuel odors, musty/mildew odors, etc, etc, etc. When I was a newb boat buyer, you cant believe how many boats I simply walked away from because of an odor issue. Regret it not, because they're easy to cure and could have gained me some serious leverage in purchase price.


Having a maintenance log with detailed before/after pictures in a binder will also help your cause to increase boat value. Clean, well maintained, *BRISTOL* boats sell fast and closer to asking price. I guess that counts as maintaining value rather than increasing value.

[deniseO30]

OK.. other then clean LOL btw, I still have not found a way to remove rust stains from gelcoat.

[treilley]

Must pass the drive up test - clean and shiny
Must pass the sniff test - clean head and bilges
Must pass the maintenance test - no signs of neglect anywhere

Sails, instruments and electronics I consider personal preferences and I usually replace anyway.

If you follow these rules, your boat will command a higher than YW price as mine did last year.

Also consider things that make your boat stand apart from others.

Here are some things that came with my current boat that I find very nice but did not increase the value. Just made this boat more desirable to me which will make for a quicker sale.

- Full cockpit enclosure with glass and screens
- AC(a must for LA at the dock)
- 12v refrigerator/freezer
- Enough solar to run the 12v refrigeration
- Electric macerating head
- Spares for spares(I will not need to buy zincs, impellers, filters, hoses, gaskets, most engine parts, etc for many years)

[treilley]

Originally Posted by deniseO30

OK.. other then clean LOL btw, I still have not found a way to remove rust stains from gelcoat.

Marykate On & Off gel.

[BubbleheadMd]

I agree with this. People don't care if the rig has been serviced, that the winches have been upgraded or that the sails are new. All they care about is if the boat is clean, and the cabin clean, bright and cozy. It's all about cosmetics. Especially if it's a husband/wife team looking at the boat.

[SVAuspicious]

Maine Sail's two word answer is right. Clean look and smell is critical.

A long distance behind that is an engine that starts easily. An autopilot that works. Running rigging that has a good hand and does not show chafe or wear.

Just about everything else starts to be dependent on the individual priorities of the potential buyer.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Maine Sail

Clean sells!

Absolutely - those first impressions are the most important. Clean shiny topsides and deck, clean fresh smelling interior. Everything else helps, but that first impression counts the most.