Overpriced or worth it? How much to offer for a boat needing hull servicing?

[PD1964]

9 hours ago, MtB said:

Ah yes, the Trabants of the canal boat world. 

  I call them the Model T Fords of the canals, cheap and cheerful and you get what you pay for. But I imagine they’re the most successful boatbuilder on the Canals, they’re everywhere, the article says they build 240 boats a year, no other builder comes close.

Edited February 7, 2022 by PD1964

[MtB]

1 hour ago, PD1964 said:

  I call them the Model T Fords of the canals, cheap and cheerful and you get what you pay for. But I imagine they’re the most successful boatbuilder on the Canals, they’re everywhere, the article says they build 240 boats a year, no other builder comes close.

 

Yes I agree, they are are successful because they are so cheap. People 'buy the price' rather than the boat and are willing to overlook all manner of shortcomings knowing they are buying a bargain basement product. When we sold them as new boats at Thames and Kennet, it proved near impossible to make a profit as the snagging list that came back on every single Liverpool boat sold was as long as yer arm and one or two of them cost 5 figure sums for us to to fix. Every boat came with a gas system riddled with leaks for example. Finding and fixing them all sometimes took longer than ripping it all out and starting again would have, and all the time I was doing this the boat would have a string of other tradesmen coming and going fixing other stuff nothing to do with me. I saw T&K take back at least two brand new Liverpool boats and refund the customer in full when they grew fed up with not having a 'fit for purpose' boat. Stuff like leaking windows ruining interior woodwork. 

 

On the other hand, an old second hand LB is very likely to have had all the new-build problems ironed out by previous owners.  

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by MtB
Moderate my comments!

[matty40s]

5 hours ago, PD1964 said:

  I call them the Model T Fords of the canals, cheap and cheerful and you get what you pay for. But I imagine they’re the most successful boatbuilder on the Canals, they’re everywhere, the article says they build 240 boats a year, no other builder comes close.

Errr, Springer had built over 5000 shells by 1982...

[Boaty Jo]

Seems to me the OP is wishing to negotiate from a position of weakness. 

I.e., lack of knowledge. 

First, ignore the 2019 survey.

I suggest engaging a surveyor / valuer to confirm the asking price or suggest an alternative.

Then make an offer subject to a satisfactory out of water survey of your own including in a compression test.

[PD1964]

3 hours ago, matty40s said:

Errr, Springer had built over 5000 shells by 1982...

Probably the only two that would come close to those figures, but I’m really talking about builders still building, as I say non come close to the volume they’ve built. I suspect they’re not building 240 a year now, I’ve heard it’s primarily Euro-Cruiser wides these days. 
 Agree MTB, Only fools would buy a new one with their history of after sale fettling. But the canals are full of newbie foolish couples at the minute on their new boats “they have built” as they tell everyone on their YouTube Blogs.

[Athy]

18 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Only fools would buy a new one with their history of after sale fettling.

Our last boat had a Liverpool shell (though we had her fitted out by Devizes) and as she gave some five years' good service before we sold her, I don't think it was a foolish purchase. When we sold her, the broker discovered that one side deck was an inch wider than the other, but frankly we had never noticed, so I can't say that this peculiarity affected us at all.

 

[PD1964]

3 minutes ago, Athy said:

 

Please read MTB’a post we’re talking about new complete builds from LB and the fettling work after sale. My last bit was generally about the newbies coming onto the canals with their new builds, no matter who built it

[Athy]

47 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Please read MTB’a post 

I already have, but thank you for your recommendation.

[Athy]

55 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 we’re talking about new complete builds from LB 

I had already noticed that, but thank you for pointing it out.