Survey before or after offer?

[jadunbar]

As a potential first time boat purchaser, wondering if you make an offer on a used boat, then have it surveyed and adjust the price accordingly if needed. OR do you have a boat surveyed and then make an offer. Seems like option 1 is the correct answer but I know all you experienced people will have the answer. Also, what if you're making the offer in another state and haven't seen the boat?

 

[Presentation]

The offer should be made BEFORE the survey and the offer is contingent upon the survey finding no new issues.

If new issues found you get 100% of your deposit back or they pay to have the issues fixed by a pro.



As far as your long range offer idea, wow. You are a new boater and are heading into a high risk situation.

Can it be done? Sure. Have people gotten burned doing that? You bet.

 

[Presentation]

Since you are new, just FYI….I’m happy to see you are going with a survey.

Keep in mind you need to make sure the person doing the survey does what you want them to do.

I’d ask to see some past surveys from the surveyor and spell out what you want him to check.

Will the surveyor be checking the compression of the engine cylinders? If the boat has a outdrive, will the survey include pulling the drives and inspecting the couplers? Will they be checking moisture in the hull? Etc.

 

[MT Pockets]

I have found that a survey is an absolute necessity!! It is also a valuable negotiating tool. If you mention the survey and the price suddenly changes or the "time to buy" factor is rushed, they may be hiding something. Personally I make an offer and enter into a contract, with a reasonable REFUNDABLE deposit, contingent on the results of the survey and sea trial (usually included in a good survey,along with a short haul if the boat is in the water). Make your best deal and then be very specific in the wording of a contract. I would think that any reputable seller would have no problem with that. The deposit also protects your investment into the survey. While they are not rediculously priced, a good survey is a few hundred dollars and well worth every penny. There may be other opinions out there but this is what has worked for me in the past. :thumbsup:

 

[Rono007]

Everyone here is correct.

I was a first time buyer last December and wanted the boat so badly that I was going to NOT do a survey because of the very cold weather. I got talked into the survey.

I made an offer that was accepted contingent upon the findings on the survey, did LOTS of research to find a reputable surveyor in the area of the boat, then drove nearly 2 hours for the survey in 30 degree weather.

It was a great experience, worth every penny, and I will NEVER buy another boat without putting it in the water first.

Good luck!

 

[my3sons]

We bought out of state when we bought our last 2 boats.
330 we looked at first and 360 we did not.
We had looked at 4 360's and 5 380's and we were familiar with both models previous, 3 of the boats we looked at were in salt so we new what well taken care of salt boats were supposed to look like, and we new what we wanted to buy, it was just a matter of condition and price. We would buy the first one of either that was in good condition and priced fairly.
We made an offer subject to our inspection and survey, including mechanical and sea trial on our 360.
Of course there were a lot of stats and pictures that were sent first, so everyone new up front that those expectations needed to be met. We were also dealing through a very reputable broker that had a reputation to hold. If we had gotten there to look at it and it wasn't as represented, it would not have been good for any of the three of us, broker, seller or buyer.

 

[ks65609]

I went through the following process before recently buying a 93 230DA located 5 hours East of my location.

-reviewed boat specs, pics etc with a friend who is a certified marine mechanic
-numerous calls and subsequent e-mails with broker as well as obtaining a copy of the prior year's survey.
-with the copy of the survey I obtained the prior owner's phone number whom I absolutely contacted receiving additional information as to why selling as well as the phone number and contact information where the boat had been serviced.

-these steps provided me with enough confidence not only in the boat but the broker as well
-one day trip to view the boat and WATER TEST

-verbal agreement to go ahead with the purchase dependent on the results of a new survey

I must say the broker was very good to deal with and quite accomodating. Within a couple of weeks I had the new survey with no surprises as the very few minor variances reported on the prior document had been corrected. All good news.

Very happy with my purchase.

Don't rush and do the Due Diligence.

Good luck.

Ken
ps the trailer is another story

 

[sbw1]

First you write a contract and there are pretty standard ways of doing this. Survey is only part of the deal. It has to pass to your satisfaction. But sea trial is another condition. Do that first. Finding accepatable financing if you are not paying cash is another condition. If you have a good survey and agree on price and the sea trial went welll and financing is approved you have bought the boat. The sea trial is your easy out. Just say you didn't like it and you are out. This is why it is important to qualify prospective buyers.

 

[my3sons]

First you write a contract and there are pretty standard ways of doing this. Survey is only part of the deal. It has to pass to your satisfaction. But sea trial is another condition. Do that first. .

Don't you think the surveyor should be on the boat at sea trial?

 

[jadunbar]

But sea trial is another condition. Do that first.

Okay, I'm really a newbie and I appreciate the responses. All of you have said to do a water trial. Boats around here will probably not be in the water til mid April at least. Does that mean that if you buy now you still get to test drive next month? Sooooo much I don't know!

 

[my3sons]

yes, bought the 330 in late october subject to sea trial in the spring

 

[my3sons]

I agreed that if someone offered to buy without seatrial before spring, I had right of first refusal.

 

[mwph]

Okay, I'm really a newbie and I appreciate the responses. All of you have said to do a water trial. Boats around here will probably not be in the water til mid April at least. Does that mean that if you buy now you still get to test drive next month? Sooooo much I don't know!

I was in your same position about 18 months ago. First time buyer, 25' boat, tons of questions. I'm sure you are excited & enjoying the whole process. That being said.....

1. You are getting some great responses to your questions here on CSR. It is alot of information - read the threads twice.

2. Continue doing the homework, both here & around the internet, but don't be affraid to talk to actual people. The local marina, the broker if you are using one, your insurance agent, the place where you intend to have service done, hell call a couple surveyors. They all can be a resource & you'll need to talk to them sooner or later, why not now!

3. Take a deep breath & slow down just a tad. Once you have found the boat that you want it will likely take a few weks to actually close the deal. So "almost the end of April" isn't that far off. I say this because from my only experience I would not be comfortable doing half the deal now & a sea trial in a month. You may fall in love with the boat & ignore any sea trial issues.

I've gone on enough & others have more valuable posts. Enjoy the search/process & good luck with it all!

 

[sbw1]

But sea trial is another condition. Do that first.

Okay, I'm really a newbie and I appreciate the responses. All of you have said to do a water trial. Boats around here will probably not be in the water til mid April at least. Does that mean that if you buy now you still get to test drive next month? Sooooo much I don't know!

You could get a boat into contract now, but you should never close (buy) until you've had a sea trial that is acceptable to you. In today's market there is only selling pressure not buying pressure. This is not a purchase you want to rush into without all of the facts.

 

[sbw1]

Don't you think the surveyor should be on the boat at sea trial?

No I don't. I've been on sea trials with friends who thought they were going to buy boats only to be so dissappointed in some feature that the deal was killed right then and there. Why pay a surveyor before you know you might buy the boat?

Here is a real example. I looked at a smaller,wide bodied Amberjack 6 or 7 years ago. It was brand new and I was considering downsizing. We took the boat of a ride, and as I was driving the boat I realized the top of the windshield was right at the same level as my eyes. I had to duck down to see through the glass or sit down in a seat that was not quite deep enough to be comfortable. That killed the deal in the first 10 minutes. We returned to the dock. End of story. That's really one reason I ended up in the Tiara. It's a big comfortable, wide bodied boat with great sight lines.

 

[my3sons]

Understood.
I wasn't thinking of it as being on a model that I had never been on before. Our experience with the sea trial was we knew the model, We wanted the surveyor on the boat to check things out.
He told the captain what to do, how to run it, what speeds, hard over turns at certain speeds etc. He spent half the time in the ER during the seatrial. Also checked analog gauges against digital, against his. Shot everything in the ER with an IF gun etc. I also was not up on raymarine electronics as my last was Furuno. He new how to operate all that, auto pilot, chart, radar etc. and could assure me all was good to go and nothing needed attention.

 

[Thunder_SS]

The boat I bought last Oct/Nov was already winterized. The dealer summerized it for a test ride (our lakes were not solid yet), then re-winterized the very same day, while we negotiated deal. I will not take physical possession of the boat until mid-April, but I am making payments on it currently.

 

[my3sons]

The boat I bought last Oct/Nov was already winterized. The dealer summerized it for a test ride (our lakes were not solid yet), then re-winterized the very same day, while we negotiated deal. I will not take physical possession of the boat until mid-April, but I am making payments on it currently.

That's how our 360 went down. It came out of winterization for sea trial and then back in. I liked the way my 330 deal went better, I didn't have to pay until April (just a down payment in oct.)