I think there might be some " Tim & Pru " effect involved . Just my own cynical view mind you . It seems to me that boats are being somewhat overpriced , if not very .. Some asking prices nearer to the capital , are shocking . I also get the impression there is a good market of buyers - those who are retired & have spent too much time watching a pair of fogeys on telly & being swept up in the " romance " of waterway life , either as a liveaboard or a marina moorer holiday boater possibly using a lump of thier state pension ? Another type of buyer might be someone looking for a home due to housing costs . Then if course theres everyone inbetween including experienced boaters . The two types of buyer i mention are , it seems to me , a newish breed of buyer & the " rush " to get aflloat asap could lead to poor judgement . I dunno - im theorising . A boat advertised with " recent survey " & " full inventory onboard , ready to sail away " etc can make folk go " oh lets buy it dahhhlling ... its perfect ! Look at shiny taps & laminate flooring - ohh corian worktops .. etc etc etc " .
Combined with brokers and thier " we cant get our hands on boats quick enuff blah blah " it can make buyers think " if we don t move quick it could be gone next week " . I get the impression boats are being snapped up quickly when they come on the market , often at prices i find astonishing .
Sometimes i look on Whiltons website and it seems to be that every other boat is under offer and i think " Jesus , whos buying these overpriced boats !?" . My guess is its a buyer whos looking to " live the dream " ( how i hate that phrase ) or take it to hackney and " live the nightmare " . Inexperienced ( potentially ) buyers , some perhaps wearing rose tinted specs .
Therefore some sellers will be looking to mug punters and if boats are selling fast then its boom time for surveyors aswell . Like any trade , there will be an element of dishonesty aswell the more professional .
I considered selling my current boat ( still umming & ahhing over it ) but will probably just keep it & make improvements as im not sure i can be bothered to get involved traipsing around the Uk and organising surveys at £600 - £800 a time . I trust my boat - its rarely let me down & so why bother ?
My boat is a Liverpool 58 ft Trad ( of the correct beam ) From what i understand brokers can sell them quickly as the market want then because theyre not silly money and are just solid boats that can get folk on the water at reasonable cost ..... BUT when i see on the duck some of prices folk want for thier Liverpools & compare it to what i paid 5 years ago it shocks me so thats why i think that already high selling prices encourage potential buyers to accept " recent surveys " as a means of saving money & getting afloat quicker .
What does my head in the most tho is the term " recent survey ". Its totally meaningless when u consider a survey is only valid on the day it is carried out . A survuy could be a fortnight old but as far the surveyor goes , its already out of date & theres no comeback for the buyer if they find faults . Using a surveyors own definition a recent survey should be no older than 24 hours . Beyond 24 hours the written report is kindling .
I used a surveyor . I trusted him . The boats report was a good one . I negotiated 8K off the asking price plus another £300 on the day due to gas issues . I talked beforehand with the seller over a cuppa & asked about thier ownership of the boat , looked at the file of receipts etc , asked why they were selling & trusted my instincts that all was ok , so i made an offer . Im not knowledgeable enuff to forego a surveyer & i would use one again but never from a brokers list and would never trust a recent survey , though i might use it to determine whether i go ahead & commission my own .
Just thoughts ... mostly cynical
cheers