Improve boat sale prospects
The pre inspection survey/inspection is one of the key hurdles to be crossed when selling a second hand vessel. We often find many minor things wrong that could easily have been fixed. Or the owner, broker and purchaser all discover unpleasant truths about the vessel that with forewarning could have been corrected.
A pre sale survey can identify the issues. With this knowledge the sale process can be planned by either repairing the faults, mitigating issues or adjusting the price at the beginning to get the maximum interest before the listing goes cold. This can save all parties time and grief. Examples of things easily fixed include:
- non ventilated boats with excessive condensation
- water in the bilge, oil in the bilge
- lockers full of personal stuff making the vessel difficult to inspect, and makes the vessel seem small
- rusty gas bottles
- rusty hose clips, especially on salt water intakes, holding tank and toilet hose clips
- Hose clips on systems connected to underwater through hull fittings that only have one hose clip instead of two on connections
- seized or semi seized salt water valves (through lack of operation)
- leaking toilets
- rusted anchor chain
- non functioning bilge pumps
- insecure bilge pumps
- loose stanchion bases
- bent stanchions
- chafed lifelines connection lashings
- stainless fasteners weeping rust from being surrounded by wet structure – potentially leading to crevice corrosion of the fasteners (to fix: remove, dry, replace and reseal)
- wet anchor lockers without ventilation leading to windlass rusty motor, and corroded electrical connections
- sliding hatches without stops (unwary new owners may pull the hatch open and find it keeps going over the side).
- expired flares
- rusted up emergency steering equipment
- plastic deck hardware that has degraded badly in the sun (i.e. aerials, plastic sheaves on blocks, plastic nav lights)
- loose/missing screws on beltings that can be replaced easily
- damaged beltings
- poor condition antifouling
- rusty or corroded mechanical parts such as engine mounts, and steering gear that has had salt water leaking on to it – best if you can find the leak and remove rust/corrosion and prime
- mouldy running rigging and canvas work, remove clean in the bath and replace
- mouldy tops of flying bridges
Addressing the above things is likely to help to achieve a clean survey report and a fast sale.