What is my Boat Worth?
Boat valuations · Sydney Harbour
What is my boat worth?
A free verbal market appraisal from brokers who sell boats on this harbour every week — what she is actually worth today, and the reasoning behind the number. Not a guess off a listing site, and no obligation to list with us.
Free verbal appraisalNo obligation to listBrokering since 2010
Two different things
Appraisal or written valuation
People ask for a valuation when most of the time what they want is an appraisal. They are not the same, and only one of them costs money.
Free verbal market appraisal
What she would realistically sell for now, based on comparable vessels that have actually changed hands rather than what people are asking. Free, no obligation, and usually the same business day.
This is what you want if you are deciding whether to sell, working out whether to upgrade, or sanity-checking a price you have been quoted.
Written valuation report (quoted)
A documented report for a third party — an insurer setting an agreed value, a lender assessing security, an estate, or a family law matter. It states the basis of valuation and the evidence behind it.
Priced on the vessel and what the report needs to cover. Ask and we will quote it.
Start with the free one
Make, model, year, engine hours and where she is kept. That is usually enough for a first number, and it costs you nothing to find out.
What sets the number
What your boat is actually worth depends on
Owners tend to weight the first two heavily and the last two barely at all. The market does the opposite.
The market right now
The single biggest factor, and the one nothing you did to the boat can change. What comparable vessels are selling for this season sets the ceiling.
- Recent comparable sales
- How many similar boats are listed
- Season and interest rates
The builder and the model
Well-built boats from respected yards hold value. Production volume, reputation and how sought-after the model is all move the number.
- Yard reputation and build quality
- Model demand and rarity
- Age relative to the model run
Engines and hours
Hours, service history and how close the engines are to a major are read carefully by every buyer and every surveyor.
- Engine hours and type
- Documented service history
- Time until major service
Condition and presentation
Two identical boats can sit a long way apart on price purely on how they present. This is the part most within your control.
- Hull, finish and antifouling
- Interior condition
- Deferred maintenance visible on board
Documentation
A complete history folder measurably shortens a sale and protects the price. A thin one invites a discount.
- Registration and clear title
- Invoices, manuals and warranties
- Survey history
Where she is kept
A boat on a good berth in Sydney, ready to inspect, sells better than the same boat two hours away on a hardstand.
- Berth or mooring and access
- Ease of inspection and sea trial
- Whether a berth transfers with her
The market decides what she is worth, no matter how well you kept her
How it works
Three steps to a number
-
Tell us the boat
Make, model, year, engine hours and where she is kept. Photographs help. That is usually enough for an indicative range.
-
We compare her properly
Against vessels that actually sold, not asking prices. Where it matters, we come and look at her in person.
-
You get the number and the reasoning
What she is worth, why, and what would move it. If preparation would pay for itself, we will say so — and if it would not, we will say that too.
- Free verbal appraisal, no obligation
- Based on real comparable sales
- Written reports quoted separately
- No pressure to list with us
Why people ask
When you need a boat valuation
Setting an insured value
Agreed value cover only works if the number can be justified. Insuring for a figure nobody can support helps no one at claim time. A current valuation settles it — see boat insurance.
Finance and refinance
A lender is lending against the vessel and will want the value evidenced, particularly on a refinance or a private-sale purchase. See boat finance.
Deciding whether to sell
Most appraisals we do are simply an owner working out whether the number makes selling worth it. That conversation is free and there is no obligation attached to it.
Estates and family law
Where a vessel forms part of an estate or a settlement, a documented, independent written valuation is usually what is required rather than an informal opinion.
An appraisal is a market opinion, not a guarantee. What a boat finally sells for depends on the buyer in front of you on the day, the survey and the state of the market. We give you an evidence-based view and the reasoning behind it — not a promise.
What we compare against
Boats through our books
Our valuations come from vessels we have actually sold and settled. See recent sales and current listings.
Before you call
Boat valuation questions we get asked
Is a boat valuation free?
A verbal market appraisal is free, with no obligation to list with us. A written valuation report — the kind an insurer, lender, estate or court needs — is quoted separately, because it takes real work and carries our name.
How do you work out what my boat is worth?
By comparing her against vessels that have actually sold, adjusted for condition, hours, equipment and where she is kept. Asking prices tell you what owners hope for; sale prices tell you what the market paid.
Do you need to see the boat?
For an indicative range, usually not — make, model, year, hours and photographs go a long way. For a firm number or a written report, yes, we come and look at her.
Do I have to list with you afterwards?
No. A good share of the appraisals we do never become listings, and that is fine. Owners use them to decide whether to sell, to set an insured value, or to check a number someone else gave them.
Will spending money on the boat increase what she is worth?
Sometimes, and not always in the way owners expect. Presentation and documentation usually return more than replacing major equipment. We will tell you where the line sits on your boat — see sales preparation.
Can you value a boat outside Sydney?
Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and the Central Coast are home ground and where our comparable data is strongest. Further afield, call and describe the vessel — we will tell you honestly whether we are the right people.
Also worth a look
Where to next
Ready when you are
Tell us the boat
Make, model, year, engine hours and where she is kept. We will tell you what she is worth — usually the same business day, and it costs you nothing.
Davis Marine Brokerage · Fergusons Marina, 81 Parriwi Road, Mosman NSW 2088 · Mon–Sat 9–5