aracer,
Thanks- the boat in question is 1980, a nice fit inside and OK outside. They want 26,000k for it. It has a 2007 engine with circa 1000 hours. Two years ago it was over-plated - presumably its been afloat for two years then the work was done well? They owned it for 9 nears. I suppose I'd offer 21/22k. I think I would remove most of the curtains and cushions, etc, so that would hopefully remove the smell.
There was a very similar sort of boat but with a slightly less attractive fit out, no shower but built by R&D in 1989. Similar engine age, but no idea about the hull. I actually have 30k, but definitely want to save some for rejig inside, and any issues which arise. 9 years seems quite a lot to me, but this isn't reflected in the asking price (both boats probably going to go for 22k appro according to broker).
For me, the vast majority of boats I've seen (online) for my price range all seem rather similar and in need of some cosmetics. I suppose the critical thing is not buying a rust bucket and then having to spend big sums on it, thus almost certainly losing a significant sum when I sell the boat.