How do I sell my 2008 1850 FS
- Thread starter cobra427
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- selling boat
BulldogsCadillac
Just some guy
Check Nada guides for value.
BulldogsCadillac
Just some guy
Go to Google and type in NADA guides.
http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats
It will help you figure out a price, then I guess Craigslist it.
http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats
It will help you figure out a price, then I guess Craigslist it.
Longer answer for you. Research is going to be your very best friend. And a well written ad with competitive pricing will be your second best friend.
Nadaguides is a great place to start. But depending on how your boat is optioned, it can fall apart pretty quick. There are standard boating options and there are Benningtont boat options. Nada only knows about standard boating options. If you only have standard options, Nada will be great. If you have a long list of Bennington-specific options (like special flooring choices, lighting packages, upholstery upgrades...nada won't offer them as available options, yet they can add significant value to your boat.
There are a couple of 1850FS boats for sale when I did a quick search for Bennington 1850 FS on Google. Look at the listings, compare them to your boat. Look at their prices, add and subtract for more options or less options...better condition, worse condition. Also, the year won't make as big a difference as if this were a car. 2008 give or take a year or two will be very similar in price. Whether it's a 2007 or a 2009...values will be largely similar if condition, use and hours are held constant.
With boats, like lots of other things, a massive chunk of value lies in condition and maintenance. So pretty it up. Polish the heck out of it. Have any damage fixed. Get your maintenance records in order. Replace wear items (including batteries and trailer tires if needed).And fix any feature of the boat that is broken.
You're asking about selling end-of-season. That's a tough putt. Just managing expectations. The folks that are looking to buy a boat at this time of year, are doing so because they have the upper hand in the negotiation and will likely get a much, much better price than if they wait until spring. Supply and demand are not in your favor right now. The boat selling season is from about March 1st through the 4th of July. Just something to consider.
Once everything is tip top and polished, and you've researched your asking price by checking out similar boats available on all of the different boating sites (found by searching Bennington 1850 FS on Google), write a great ad and include at least 10 great pictures of the boat from every angle.
Stuff to include in the ad.
Never used in salt water is a very, very good thing. If yours is a freshwater boat, say so.
Age and condition of the batteries.
How big is the motor and how many hours.
List out your maintenance records.
List all upgrades from the original bill of sale. Point out how much the upgrade cost new.
Trailer - list the trailer specs, brand,axles, brakes etc.
Condition of the interior - any rips or tears in the upholstery or carpet?
Condition of the cover.
How was it used, where was it stored.
If you fish...is the boat lucky?
Put in some personality. People buy a boat...and the ad can be for the boat. In my experience though, people also buy a previous owner. If the previous owner is passionate about the boat, knows it inside and out, was over-the-top-anal about the boat's care and maintenance...that's worth money. That's often worth a LOT of money.
Write the ad in MS Word or similar. Then you can decide later where you'll post it...just cut and paste to put the ad on various selling sites. Some cost money. Some are free. Some are local, some are national. You get to decide how far and wide you want to advertise.
Lastly...be careful!!!! Don't negotiate with anyone without being face to face. In person. Not on the phone. Not by email. Not by text. No matter how delicious an offer seems...if it sounds too good to be true, it most certainly is. Lots of people lose lots of money and property to scammers who have figured out how to steal from people who are newbies at selling their big-ticket items online.
Good luck!
-Jeff
Nadaguides is a great place to start. But depending on how your boat is optioned, it can fall apart pretty quick. There are standard boating options and there are Benningtont boat options. Nada only knows about standard boating options. If you only have standard options, Nada will be great. If you have a long list of Bennington-specific options (like special flooring choices, lighting packages, upholstery upgrades...nada won't offer them as available options, yet they can add significant value to your boat.
There are a couple of 1850FS boats for sale when I did a quick search for Bennington 1850 FS on Google. Look at the listings, compare them to your boat. Look at their prices, add and subtract for more options or less options...better condition, worse condition. Also, the year won't make as big a difference as if this were a car. 2008 give or take a year or two will be very similar in price. Whether it's a 2007 or a 2009...values will be largely similar if condition, use and hours are held constant.
With boats, like lots of other things, a massive chunk of value lies in condition and maintenance. So pretty it up. Polish the heck out of it. Have any damage fixed. Get your maintenance records in order. Replace wear items (including batteries and trailer tires if needed).And fix any feature of the boat that is broken.
You're asking about selling end-of-season. That's a tough putt. Just managing expectations. The folks that are looking to buy a boat at this time of year, are doing so because they have the upper hand in the negotiation and will likely get a much, much better price than if they wait until spring. Supply and demand are not in your favor right now. The boat selling season is from about March 1st through the 4th of July. Just something to consider.
Once everything is tip top and polished, and you've researched your asking price by checking out similar boats available on all of the different boating sites (found by searching Bennington 1850 FS on Google), write a great ad and include at least 10 great pictures of the boat from every angle.
Stuff to include in the ad.
Never used in salt water is a very, very good thing. If yours is a freshwater boat, say so.
Age and condition of the batteries.
How big is the motor and how many hours.
List out your maintenance records.
List all upgrades from the original bill of sale. Point out how much the upgrade cost new.
Trailer - list the trailer specs, brand,axles, brakes etc.
Condition of the interior - any rips or tears in the upholstery or carpet?
Condition of the cover.
How was it used, where was it stored.
If you fish...is the boat lucky?
Put in some personality. People buy a boat...and the ad can be for the boat. In my experience though, people also buy a previous owner. If the previous owner is passionate about the boat, knows it inside and out, was over-the-top-anal about the boat's care and maintenance...that's worth money. That's often worth a LOT of money.
Write the ad in MS Word or similar. Then you can decide later where you'll post it...just cut and paste to put the ad on various selling sites. Some cost money. Some are free. Some are local, some are national. You get to decide how far and wide you want to advertise.
Lastly...be careful!!!! Don't negotiate with anyone without being face to face. In person. Not on the phone. Not by email. Not by text. No matter how delicious an offer seems...if it sounds too good to be true, it most certainly is. Lots of people lose lots of money and property to scammers who have figured out how to steal from people who are newbies at selling their big-ticket items online.
Good luck!
-Jeff
kaydano
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Nicely said. The only thing I would add is.... Nothing. Follow Jeff's advice!