At Harbour Yachts we are committed to doing things properly, right from the start. We've made sure that everything is in place to ensure boat purchases proceed smoothly and we are passionate about honesty at all times. This applies to how we present boats for sale (both in the written descriptions and the videos and photos), how we act from day to day, and how we pass information to you as either a seller or a buyer.
We are members of the British Marine Federation, a professional organisation whose members specialise in the sale of second-hand boats of all sizes. We hold Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance and we work to the British Marine Federation Code of Practice. We have a special account with our bank to hold your money separately from our company funds. We use industry standard documents for the sale & purchase of boats, protecting all parties with a tried and tested legal agreement.
Once you've seen the boat of your dreams, we negotiate with the vendor on your behalf. When an agreement on price is reached, we hold a 10% deposit in our client account while the purchase proceeds. We help you through the due diligence process of evaluating the boat, recommending the extent of the survey and putting you in contact with a selection of qualified marine surveyors. We help with any further negotiations that may be appropriate following the surveyor's findings. We make sure that the title to the boat is clear (unlike with the motor trade, boats are generally not on a central register, so establishing clear title is not always straightforward). We guide you through the closing process and make sure everything flows together smoothly such that you take ownership of the boat without problems.
Let's be honest: it costs you money to sell your boat through a broker in the form of commission. Some sellers wonder whether they would clear a better price by selling privately and avoiding the broker's commission fee. But it doesn't work like that in practice: most boat buyers are wary of private sellers for a number of reasons. From the very start, viewing a boat with the owner present can be uncomfortable. Negotiating directly with the vendor is difficult. Once a figure is agreed, there's nobody independent to hold the deposit - how can the buyer be sure that the seller will return his deposit if the boat proves unsatisfactory at survey? As the sale proceeds, there's nobody with an objective viewpoint to ensure title to the boat is passed cleanly from seller to buyer. All these factors mean buyers prefer to buy through brokers, which means your boat reaches a bigger share of the market and is more likely to achieve a higher price. This can more than compensate for the broker's commission fee.
During the selling process, we can give you up-to-date information on what is happening in the marketplace. Often, we can recommend repairs or cosmetic work that will significantly enhance the salability of your boat. These are key factors in getting your boat sold at the best price, quickly and with minimum hassle.
If you are interested in buying or selling a boat then please call Harbour Yachts on 01202 660 150.