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Used Houseboats For Sale in Florida - Any Tips to help Sell my House Boat?

by Jeannine
(Naples, Florida)

Any helpful ideas or tips on a houseboat for sale in Florida?

Any helpful ideas or tips on a houseboat for sale in Florida?

There's plenty of used houseboats for sale in Florida, and I'm looking for some tips or ideas that can help me sell my house boat?

I have a 1999, 41' Gibson houseboat, a Cabin Yacht model here in Florida, and I am trying to sell it on my own. It's a good boat in great condition, and not many hours on her. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you, Jeannine, Florida



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Reply - Answer


Well Jeannine, welcome to the houseboat forums, and I'm sorry to hear that you want to sell your boat. Let's start off by looking at some of your choices in regards to selling your house boat.


Houseboat Classified Ads : One of the highest traffic websites for prospective buyers has to be the All-about-Houseboat Classifieds. If you are wanting to sell your houseboat quickly, the website receives over 1/2 million visitors a year, and buying a houseboat is one of the most active topics.

As an added bonus, get yourself a copy of the Top-10 Selling Tips ebook.

Sell your Houseboat, Quickly and for Top Dollar


Brokers : You can use the services of houseboat brokers to sell you boat if you're limited for time, or find that you don't want to deal with all the questions, details, and visit requests. The one obvious downfall is that there is a small percentage commission charge for selling your boat, yet they can sometimes because of their greater market exposure and expertise, generate a higher selling price.



Houseboat For Sale by Owner : The other alternative is to sell your boat on your own, which has plenty of advantages. One of the biggest advantages being that you too can properly market your boat, and this combined with your knowledge and history of the boat, have it sold quickly for a mutually satisfactory selling price.

When it comes to selling a houseboat, it helps to look at it from a prospective buyers point of view. This can give you ideas on the areas that they will see and be looking at. Just remember, it may take 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month or longer, but that it only takes one serious prospective buyer, and when a boat buyer wants a boat, the rest of the process goes quickly.

Some of the Things to Look at and Consider :

* Is the boat Clean and in Working Order?

* Serious Buyers will want to do a Sea Trials?

* Do you have a Log Book, Receipts, Papers?


There is different ways to market or advertise your houseboat.

* The simplest when it comes to visibility, is to put up a few Houseboat For Sale signs in a few of the windows.

* Post an ad and description on the marina office billboard.

* Swing by the the other local marinas nearby, and place it on their billboard.

What about Internet Advertising :

When it comes to internet advertising, you will want to place an ad on some of the the popular houseboat for sale sites. If you are more inclined for free or almost free alternatives, have a look at sites like eBay, Craigslist, and such...


If readers are looking at buying a houseboat?

If you're thinking of buy a used houseboat for sale, there's an excellent book that I highly recommend since purchasing a used houseboat maybe amongst one of the biggest investments that you make.

The tips and secrets in this book can potentially save you thousands of dollars (a good thing), and may also save you weeks or months of headaches and hassles (another good thing). You need and deserve the knowledge and tips found in the buying a houseboat book.

How to BUY a Houseboat



It's Sold, Closing the Sale :
Don't worry Jeannine, take it all one step at a time, and before you know it, you will be signing a sales contract with the new houseboat owners.


Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their houseboat for sale tips, ideas, and experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments" link found near the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN from all-about-houseboats


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Comments for Used Houseboats For Sale in Florida - Any Tips to help Sell my House Boat?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Very interested
by: Anonymous

Hi Jeannie- if youwill carry the paper ( financing) I willl pay your price assuming there are no serious flaws. I am a serious sailer and accredited boat surveyor and sold my llivaboard 41’ Carver a while back
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		We are looking
by: charlie

We are considering buying a houseboat to live aboard in Florida. A 41' Gibson would be ideal. I am in the process of liquidating a lot of stuff that won't fit in a houseboat and also have to sell my house. Hopefully your boat will still be available in a couple months. Would love to take a tour.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hey Buddy the Boatman
by: Jennie

My parents did the great loop 9k nautical miles in a little over a year, we presently have their PT Trawler for sale in Texas.

I was reading this article, gonna list our houseboat for sale, we have had her for 10 years. Bittersweet!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Upgrade the houseboat look
by: Anonymous

Our boat sold very quickly but we had upgraded the bright work with airteak.

So the pictures alone stood out enough to get the boat noticed. Good Luck.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Clear Air in the houseboat
by: Anonymous

Make sure the houseboat has no odors or stale air, so install a continuous ventilation systems!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Dreams made of boats and water
by: Buddy the boat man

Finding the right boat that's priced right for you is definitely a ticket to a new world of fun. Don't allow time to slip from under you while trying to decide.

If I should or not, is this boat right for us or maybe if I wait, a super deal will come along! Put all this aside and put a boat under you before something happens and you can't.

I'm 70, was born on a houseboat in Apalatchacola Fl, and am presently looking for a trawler and plan to begin the (great Circle) along with my lovely wife.

Give in and open a new page of your life, Enjoy the Wonders of the water. Good sailing and fair weather.

Buddy Blanchard, Destin Fl.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Houseboat Lease - ever consider leasing?
by: Anonymous

We are a retired couple, grew up on the water, experienced with many types of watercraft. Would love to lease your houseboat for 3-4 months to see if we want to be permanent houseboaters. Have been looking last five years and can't find a lease.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Selling your Gibson houseboat
by: Scott W. Bachman

Jeannine, I have a buyer for your boat. He is located in FL and we are about to offer him a 1999 Gibson 37' Sport just like yours. Please visit us at Wahoo Marine, and see what we have to offer.

If you have pictures and a list of equipment I could forward them to him.

Sincerely, Scott W. Bachman
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Sold two Houseboats For Sale ...
by: Old Houseboater

Sold my last two houseboats on Boat Trader (www.boattrader.com). It took 4 months for a 48 KingsCraft and a year and a half for a 55 Pluckebaum. Both were mint.

Don't be in a hurry and make sure the boat needs NOTHING!! Be realistically priced. Don't panic! Gibsons are good property.

Old Houseboater
Rating
starstarstar 		Finding a good houseboat deal?
by: Sparky0311

Selling a houseboat is like selling a used car. There's a car lot on every corner. The problem is the economy is shot down and it may be why people are selling to start with.

I would buy a houseboat, but can't find a deal, and when I find something half decent, it's not in NJ and I will have to pay though the nose to get it home. It's just all the muss and fuss and the hidden cost.

I'm thinking there are a few people like me who would buy a house boat, but I'm not sure who wants to pay 20 or 30 thousand dollars for something they may only use 5 or 6 times a year.

They really get old fast is what I'm thinking. But I would still buy a houseboat if it was made easy and I could get a good deal. I really don?t think it's a possibility.

I can't find it in my heart to say, nope, to much, drop 5 thousand off that price and we can talk. I'm not doing that because I know people work hard for what they have, so I just keep on shopping and say nothing. I hope I didn't bore you.

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