Winter blues?

In these cold and wet times it's easy to forget about your boat - hot summer afternoons on the water seem a long way away. But forgetting about your boat can be a big mistake, especially for a boat which is up for sale. Boats soon start to look unloved if they're ignored over the winter months - decks, cover and ropes soon turn green and make the boat look tatty. If you can't do it yourself, consider getting some professional marine valeting done. A nicely presented boat is far more likely to induce an offer from a prospective buyer, and generally whatever you spend on presentation will be returned (and more) in the level of the buyer's offer.

If there hasn't been any interest in a boat for sale then this typically indicates that the asking price is too high -- boats which are well priced are still attracting interest even in the current economic -- and meteorological -- climate. The rule of thumb for a boat's depreciation is 10% per year, so if a boat has been on the market for 12-months without selling then it's asking price may need dropping by up to 20% to attract a buyer (up to 10% because it was probably over-priced in the first place, and another 10% for depreciation over the year). This is a generalisation and of course there are exceptions for unusual boats where buyers are rare.

With Sterling as it is we are seeing increased interest from foreign buyers and several boats have gone abroad recently. So far this month offers have been made on six boats with deals agreed on three -- so the buyers are definitely around!