We get asked a lot about the best "tips and tricks" for selling your inboard ski or wakeboard boat.  Obviously the first response will be to list it on OnlyInboards.com.   But there are a few more things you should consider when listing your boat for sale.
    

   These will be listed in the order of importance from our experience only.
    

   1.  Price – Before you list your boat for sale you need to really think about how you are going to price it and come up with a realistic expectation for what you will take.  My recommendation is to simply search for other boats that are as similar to yours as possible and see what they are listed for.   For example, if you are selling a 2006 Malibu VLX, do a search on OnlyInboards and other sites like iBoats, BoatTrader, CraigsList, etc and see what those boats are listed for.  When you are looking at these other boats for sale, take into account hours, condition and options on the other boats compared to yours.   For example, not all 2006 Malibu VLX's are the same.  Some might have 150 hours, some might have 600.  Some might have the base motor, some might have an upgraded one.  There could be a 10k difference between the lowest priced and the highest priced boat.  
    

   The other thing to think about is that some of these boats you will find are listed way too high and will most likely not sell for anywhere close.  Just because someone has listed a boat really high doesn’t mean it (or yours) will actually sell for that price.   However on the flip side of this, if you are not in any hurry to sell then it never hurts to list it higher at the beginning.  You can always come down on price but you really can't go up.
    

   2.  Pictures – This is simple.  If you have one picture on your ad and it stinks, then 9 out of the 10 leads you get are going to ask you for more pics.   You can save yourself a lot of time by taking high quality pictures of the exterior, interior, motor, driver’s area and any problem areas.  I mention the problem areas because it’s much better to be up front about any issues your boat has then to have to tell a buyer later on.  Plus it will make you look like a much more honest seller.
    

   But before you even think about taking pictures make sure your boat is CLEAN!   When I am buying a boat, I always look at how well the interior was taken care of to help determine if a boat has been taken care of also.  People who neglect the interior on their boats many times neglect the maintenance too.  Obviously this isn’t the only measure of a boat’s mechanical soundness but it’s a good start.  Make sure the pics of your boat are when it is looking its best.  (However, make sure they are current pics)

   3.  Where to List – Although we run arguably the best inboard classified site there is, we still recommend putting your boat out there in as many locations as possible.  Get it listed on OnlyInboards, Craigslist and any forums that you know of for your brand.  Examples would be TheMalibuCrew.com, Mastercraft TeamTalk, PlanetNautique, MBBoatOwners.com, etc.   These forums provide (generally) free advertising resources and can be a good add on.  Plus, once you get your OnlyInboards ad completed, you can just link to the ad on OnlyInboards and won’t have to redo the entire thing on another site!   As far as the other paid sites like BoatTrader, iBoats, etc., I have heard mixed reviews.  I have personally sold over 15 boats in the last 7 years and not once have I used those other paid sites.  However it’s up to you to determine if the cost is worth it.

   4.  Description –  Have you ever seen a boat for sale that had the description, “Great family boat, good condition” and that’s it?   That’s not going to help generate much interest in your boat.  Think of your description as your commercial for the boat.  In fact, your description should be like one of those new prescription drug commercials.   You need to tell all the great things about your boat, but you also should list any problems or issues it has.  One of your ballast pumps doesn’t work?  Mention it!
    

   But of course you want to focus on the positives.  List the options like wakeboard towers, ballast systems, bimini tops, any additional works you’ve done to it, talk about how the boat has been problem free (if it has).  Talk about the wake, handling, ease of loading on the trailer…. Really anything that has been a positive with your boat ownership.  Just be descriptive and put some effort into it.  It blows my mind how many sellers (including dealers) don’t do this at all.    Plus, the more content your ad has (text) the better odds it has of being picked up by the search engines giving you even more exposure.

   So, to recap – Decide on a price to list and a price you’ll take, clean the boat, get good pics, write a good description and list it on OnlyInboards.com and watch it sell!