You’ve just seen your new dream pontoon boat that you want to upgrade to and can’t wait to buy it. However, before you can get that new and improved model, you will need to get rid of the old one (well most people will need to unless you are very rich!)
There’re some basic things you should do if you want to sell your used pontoon boat and get the most money for it. Follow this suggested approach, and you’re sure to sell it faster and for hopefully far more than you might have done if you hadn’t prepared it.
Are you a buyer instead of a seller? If you want to know what questions you should ask and what to look for when buying a used pontoon boat, read the used buying guide instead.
Clean the Boat Thoroughly
Make the used boat more sellable by cleaning it thoroughly, from the awning to the trailer, and everything in between.
Pontoon boat dealers sell gel coat cleaners that can remove excess residue from the hull of fishing pontoon boats, restoring their original shine. Personally though, I wouldn’t buy anything from them, but instead would do it all myself.
I’ve written some very comprehensive guides on how you can clean the various aspects up in your pontoon boat – you can see those listed below.
- How to Clean Algae off Your Pontoons in Minutes
- How to Clean Pontoon Boat Seats of Mildew and Stains
Don’t overlook the carpeting and under-seat compartments. Clean the outboard and wax the hull. Do a final once-over to make sure you haven’t overlooked anything.
Locate the Boat’s Records
Gather paperwork related to the used pontoon. Providing a record of any repairs or maintenance tells a potential buyer that you took care of the boat. When someone comes to look, that person is wondering if anything has been broken before.
I would also recommend that the capacity plate is still stuck to the boat, and if it is, that’s it not degraded so the information can’t be seen. If you need to buy a replacement capacity plate for your pontoon you can find out how by clicking here.
You can establish trust with the buyer by explaining anything that you had to fix. When the boat was new, pontoon manufacturers provided info about every detail, it isn’t any different now that you’re selling it used.
This should also be able to tell the potential buyer what the hours on the pontoon boat’s engine are – it’s something that they will be asking for sure. Click here to find out more.
Repairs & Maintenance
If the oil in your pontoon is over the maintenance guideline, change it. Check everything on the boat, including the horn, lights, gauges, and anything else you can think of.
A used pontoon boat should be completely functional when selling it. Check the jack, lights and brakes on the trailer, and check the condition of the tires. Lights and wiring should be totally functional.
You might even consider giving the trailer a new coat of paint. I even know of one guy who completed cleaned up and removed the old vinyl wraps as they were very personal to him, and he believed that could be a barrier to sale. You can see how he did it by reading this guide to removing pontoon decals and vinyl.
Some leeway is allowed with used pontoon boats but make them look as new as possible.
Setting a Price
Although you have a price in mind, do some research to figure out what the appropriate asking price is. New boat dealers have the luxury of setting their prices for pontoon boats new, if you want one, you pay that price.
In the used market, the owner decides the price.
To get a feel for pricing, look at classifieds, visit pontoon boat dealers, and surf the Internet.
With that info and your timeframe for selling the pontoon, you can set a price that is realistic on the current market value.
But still set the price higher than your target price. This gives you room to negotiate the price down. Buyers appreciate when the price comes down a bit, which makes it more likely to sell.
Advertising the Pontoon Boat for Sale
Just like pontoon boat manufacturers have many outlets for advertising, you’ve got many choices of how you advertise the boat. However, newspaper classifieds get costly if you have to run them a while.
Another approach is parking the boat near the street next to a ‘For Sale’ sign, and hoping that someone sees it.
Using Internet classified ads is a better option. Doing a combination of all options will, of course, bring better results. The more exposure your boat gets, the sooner it sells.
