Don’t do this! Boat Buying and Selling Regrets

Top things Boat Buyers often regret

We will talk about all what you need to know before buying a boat or selling your boat and the biggest mistake to avoid. Both buyers and sellers will avoid problems and regrets if they follow this little guide before making a purchase or listing your vessel for sale.

Ever do something with a boat that you now look back on and say, “Why did I do that?” After getting some reassurance from an experienced boating buddy and sharing your story in a forum full of boaters, you begin to second-guess your rash decision. You probably even want things to go back to the way they were and think about ways to undo the damage of your poor judgement. However, now that it’s too late, you have to live with the fact that you have boat buyer’s remorse for buying or selling your boat.

Know the facts about boat ownership first

Before you make one of the biggest decisions in your boating life, you need to get all the facts. This is very risky. Buying a boat is expensive. Enjoyment of boating starts with discipline and knowledge. In our long experience, the risks involved with a bad purchase are many and varied. Too often friends, family or overhearing conversations about boats-for-sale ends up in a buyer making a bad purchase of a boat without really knowing what he’s getting.

Buying a new Boat and its pitfalls

When you’re ready to get yourself a new boat, it can often feel like a daunting task. Not only is the task of looking for a new boat difficult, but actually purchasing and then subsequently selling an old one is an arduous process that is often wrought with pitfalls that you probably aren’t expecting or prepared for. Make sure to read our boat selling tips here. I made mistakes when I was purchasing my boat (as well as buying and selling other boats), I want to make sure that others don’t have this same reckoning.

1. Not Considering Future Needs. Most boats are designed for specific purposes
2. Getting too small of a boat. most people outgrow their boat and want a bigger one.
3. Not Consulting a Spouse or Significant Other. Consult the spouse early and often. For most couples we know, the spouse has veto power over large family expenditures
4. Not Doing Adequate Research. If it is a used boat, get the boat-alert.com history check first. If it is a new boat, consider that they are complex. An informed consumer is far more likely to have a more satisfying experience than one who is not.
5. Taking Advice from Internet “Trolls”. putting too much weight on negative comments found on Internet forums.
6. Assume Buying a Boat Is Like Buying a Car. Most times you have to put a large deposit to get the build started and choices are fewer than in cars.
7. Squeezing the Dealer Too Tight. They don’t sell that many per year like car dealers would.
8. Assume All Boats Are The Same. There are boat building standards but not that many are enforced by beyond law USCG requirements. And, there are no state “Lemon Laws” for boats.
9. Other boat buying mistakes: getting a boat that is too big. or not budgeting correctly. financing for too long. Not getting a good marine surveyor or Thinking the Best Place to Buy a Boat is at a Boat Show as a similar used boat could be available out there.

Owning a boat has tons of rewards. But before you go out and buy your first boat, it is worth looking at some of the possible regrets you may have later down the road.

Nearly everyone has heard of the term “buyers remorse”. Well, the same holds true for all sorts of water craft and it’s important you know about it before buying or selling a boat. It could save you from a lifetime of buyer’s remorse.

I’ve been where you might be now. I bought a boat and only regretted it shortly thereafter. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing if I hadn’t paid good money for it. But I did and was stuck with $100K of Boat that sat in the water collecting algae just off my dock. So hopefully this will save you some time, effort, and money.

Biggest mistake when you have bought a boat

If you are still looking at boat listings after you’ve purchased your watercraft, you’re most likely to stumble upon a less costly, much better one. Let it go and move on.

Appreciate the boat/watercraft you have, instead of regretting the one you desire you had awaited for as we are all meant to have what we have and not mean to have what we didn’t get.

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