HOW TO BUY A BOAT
5 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO TAKE WHEN DECIDING TO BUY YOUR BOAT.
Just like buying a house or a car, buying a boat is an important decision and there are many considerations to take into account.
To help you through the process, here are a few steps to guide prospective buyers who have decided to buy their first boat or upgrade to a larger boat.
To start the buying process we recommend 5 points to follow to help you get there and make the best decision for you.
Buying a boat is an important decision. Following criteria and steps will help us make the best decision for us.
1. DEFINE YOUR BUDGET
Before deciding exactly what boat you want to buy, define how much you are willing to invest in it.
2. MAKE A LIST OF YOUR PRIORITIES
Making a list will help you clarify what essential features your ideal boat should have. Add other features that are desirable, but not essential. This process will guide you in discarding options.
The goal is to make the list as concrete and narrow as possible to focus on the boats that most closely match the features you want.
3. THINK ABOUT WHICH BOAT IS FOR YOU, AND WHICH ISN’T
Just as important as the available budget is choosing which type of boat best suits your needs and the sailing styles you enjoy. Each boat has its own peculiarities and the best boat for some may not suit the tastes of others, so make sure that the boat you choose suits you and meets your expectations, both in terms of navigation, length, capacity, habitability, manoeuvrability and maintenance, among others.
To help you in this process of selecting the boat, you can visit boat shows, forums of owners of the model or brand of boat you like, consult boat sales portals or dealers to learn more in detail about technical aspects and become familiar with your preferred models, but without losing sight of your budget and priorities.
4. VISIT THE SELECTED BOAT(S) AND TRY IT OUT.
Make an appointment and visit the boat, but do not get carried away by the emotions when visiting a boat, it is as important how you feel on it, as it is not to lose sight of the previous points on budget and tastes in order to be as methodical and objective as possible.
Once you have visited the boat, one of the most exciting moments comes, and that is to do a sea trial, that is, to sail on it. The sea trial will allow you to see first-hand what your new sailing adventure will be like with the boat you have chosen. Take the opportunity to make all the necessary checks in situ and ask any questions you may have.
If you are inexperienced or lead a busy life, you can rely on a broker or skipper to ensure that no important aspect is left out of scrutiny. In some cases, such as larger yachts, it is useful to ask for a pre-purchase inspection, where a surveyor will make all the necessary checks to know exactly the state and condition of the boat.
5. PURCHASE, CONTRACT AND DOCUMENTATION
A decisive moment arrives; the purchase. This is also the moment to fix the payment methods and/or possible financing. This step will be followed by the drawing up of the contract. In these cases it is very convenient to rely on a nautical agency to take care of the whole process of the transaction.
If you have contracted a broker, such as Nautic Center Mallorca, we will take care of the contract, documentation, taxes and insurance: find out about all the services we can offer you.
Finally, keep in mind that you can turn to a Yacht Broker to advise you throughout the process, as it is an important decision and investment in your life. A good broker can save you both time and money, giving you ultimate satisfaction and peace of mind.
Sources
Leave a Reply