You've come to the decision to sell your pride and joy. You have contacted your local Boatshed broker to get her listed. What are you going to do to make your boat look fabulous to potential buyers?

Here our brokers share their top tips, based on their personal experiences, for getting your boat looking swell to sell.

Everyone who is involved in sailing has met a fellow sailor who has travelled over land, and sometimes sea, to take a look at 'the perfect boat' after spotting one or two exterior photos on a brokers page - only to get there and find that the 'the perfect boat' was anything but. You are lucky if this is a tale told to you, not so lucky if it's you telling the tale.

That's where Boatshed differs from other brokers

Boatshed brokers will take unlimited photos of each boat and a few video clips too. We firmly believe that by taking photo's of everything (yes, keel bolts, engines and bilges) provides any potential buyer with a good and true understanding of the true condition of the boat. Saving time, money and heartache for both parties and helping to achieve quicker and more sales than any other brokerage in the world.

So how should I best prepare my boat for listing?

  • Ask your Boatshed broker for a full list of everything they will be photographing, then use it as a checklist to ensure all areas are clean and look good.
  • Remove all personal belongings and anything that is not going to be sold with the boat e.g ribs/kayaks. Decluttering was one piece of advice nearly every Boatshed broker gave.
  • Do the washing up, put it away and please empty or wipe through the fridge!
  • Strip the beds so that potential buyers aren't distracted by your jazzy bedsheets (that they aren't buying!).
  • Ensure your bilges are dry and the engine clean and free of oil (remember we will be taking a picture).
  • Scrub those decks and clean those windows. If your decks look green, then scrub it clean (either do this yourself or have a boat valet company do this for you).
  • If your boat is ashore and likely to stay there, a single coat of anti foul looks better than a semi scrubbed and tatty bottom.

And when I have a viewing?

We have countless tales of Boatshed brokers coming to take potential buyers onboard for a viewing only to discover that the boat is not in the same state as it was at the time of taking photographs. Our advice is to go and check the boat ahead of time, and we don't mean 10 minutes before your buyer is due, so that you can make sure your boat is presenting herself in the best light.

  • Check that as above, all personal belongings have been removed from the boat and that the sink is not full of dishes.
  • If it's been a while or you've been out on the water between the broker taking photos and a viewing, again scrub the decks, clean the windows and make sure that she looks clean and as presentable as she was in the photos.
  • First impressions count - people will make up their minds within 30 seconds of stepping aboard, so smelling great (not musty) and looking clean and tidy are paramount.

We hope that these pointers are helpful in reminding you the part you need to play to help Boatshed sell your boat. If you haven't listed with Boatshed yet, then click here to find your local Boatshed broker.

Happy Selling!