Hmmmm... Should I sell it and start over or keep it??

paulswagelock

paulswagelock

Well-Known Member
Oct 25, 2010
2,204
pa
Boat Info
2018 SDX 270 OB 300 Verado
Engines
Verado 300
I purchased my 270 SLX used and spent a season fixing all the maintenance items, updating some things, adding some personal touches, etc. The boat is now truly a 9 out of 10 boat. Just the way I like them.
It is the perfect size and layout for this stage of my family life.

So here is the dilemma: while sitting in storage at the marina, several folks asked the marina owner if the boat was for sale (visual presentation is very strong). He joked and said knowing me, sure. Someone bit, and emailed me. I threw out a fair price, but one that recoups all my investment (new cool fuel, new water pump, outdrive service, new batteries, charger, led lights, bottom paint/barrier coat, new props, sea dek, etc. It does not cover the hundreds of hours of my time doing everything and detailing every inch of the boat, but I sort of enjoy that work anyhow.
The person wants to come view it in detail and consider purchasing.

Not sure it is really for sale, but maybe. If I replaced it, I would get the same boat again, maybe a few years newer, or a 2015 270 sundeck.
I am very happy with the boat as is, and get complements on it every weekend. We are close to the start of the season, so not much time to find a boat, travel to sea trial, drag it home, and start the process again.

Thoughts?
 
Sounds to me you get just as much enjoyment out of working/customizing it as you do using it. So getting a different boat would be a clean slate to do what you like to do or enjoy your hard work and keep what you got see what fall brings you might change your mind.
 
I think you're in the best possible position to sell -- you don't have to.

Everything I own is always for sale, but the price ranges depending on my need to offload.

I'm in a similar scenario as you -- I have my 300 SLX tweaked out with everything I really need/want at the moment. If somebody came along and offered an amount where I could cover my costs and probably make a few bucks, I'd do it (even if it meant getting the same/identical thing).

What would be appealing to me is getting a slightly newer boat that still has some warranty. Even though getting warranty work done on boats is about as easy as staying dry while p*ssing into the wind, it's worth the headache instead of the surprise $3k bills. As well, the hour meter doesn't go backwards, so if a time comes when I'd have to sell, it's best to have low hours.
 
+1 on above - but if you are not 100% sure you are willing to sell it for the price you told him (or at all) cancel the appointment - no sense in wasting their time (or yours)
 
Agreed. Won't have him come out unless I am willing to let it go.
 
almostenuff said:
And like SFerg said, tell them the price is firm-not a penny less. That will save both of you time and money.
Click to expand...
+1

As a buyer, I drove 3 hours, found mechanical problems and other issues but still was willing to consider purchase, and that's when the seller told me the price was firm....because he had just done ABC/XYZ jobs, the season was about to begin, and and he wasn't willing to start his own buying process unless he got asking price. Considering your candidate is local, it may not bother him as much if the viewing turns into shooting the breeze instead of cutting a deal, but still! (And if you treat him right this time, maybe he'll be a fall prospect if he's doing a leisurely search rather than on a mission for this season.)
 
Enjoying what you do is half the battle in starting your own business. I would put a price on your time. The results you achieved are a result of the only asset you can never recover.
 
Sounds like you have created the perfect boat for you and your family. If this was a business decision and the sale price covered all the sweat equity you put into the boat, than sell it. But it is the beginning of boating season and if you are willing to risk losing the 2016 season and you believe you will end up with a better boat, then sell it. If not, enjoy it and see if this guy would be willing to but it at end of season.

It is always nice to get back what we put into our boats, although this rarely happens, especially with newer boats, due to the speed of depreciation.

Maybe I have set my boating financial expectaions too low, but a lifetime of great memories is all I am expecting from the sale of my boat. How do you put a price on this?
 
Lot's of not serious buyers out there looking at boats hoping for the deal of a lifetime. I would let the prospective buyer know the price is firm before the inspection and not to bother if he is bargain hunting. That may be a deal killer but at least you will not have wasted your time.
 
I think a good way to ponder this is by asking yourself "what would a new(er) boat do for me that my current boat does not". If you can see advantages to having a newer boat, then go to the next step. Estimate what a new boat will cost, taking into account what you would reasonably expect to get from yours. Now you have your "out" money. Compare that cost vs the advantages of the new one. Is it worthwhile? Only you can make that call. For example, let's say a newer boat will be $15K out of pocket. Person A might say "Well, I'm going to pass since I don't see enough 'rewards' for that amount of money". Person B might say the opposite as they perceive more reward from having a newer boat vs the cost. In other words, "cost vs benefits".
 
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Dennis - that is my dilemma exactly. Last time I went from a cruiser to a large open bow day boat because my kids were older, and we have a place to stay so we didn't sleep on the boat. That was an easier decision.
This time, the current boat is near ideal. There are a few minor design issues I think SR overlooked, but I am satisfied. I would be 75% towards getting the same model again, 25% going to something else, but another 30 ish foot open bow.
So the question is, do I spend $10k+ to move up a few years. My boat is very nice, most mistake it for new, and only 150 hours on the clock.
As I type this, I am talking myself out of it.....
 
You know, I can only go off what you write and, of course, filtered through my own "logic"... or lack there of. But if I were in your shoes, I think I would keep the boat, too. Who's to say that the next boat won't need some attention just like your current one originally did? Right now, you have a "known"... getting a new boat can be an "unknown". Granted, it's fun to work on boats, but it's also fun to get out there and use them without spending more money "getting them right". And it sounds like your 270 is pretty much "already right" for you and your family. If your needs change, then sure, look for something else. But if the current boat does what you want, why change? On the positive side, it's certainly not the worst "dilemma" to have in life! :smt001
 
If you're happy with it then keep it. Only YOU can make that decision for sure. Who knows, after using it for a season you'll probably want a 33 or 34 footer. We're never happy, for long, with what we have, especially when we can afford something bigger.
 
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