BoatPrice.co.uk Blog

THE DREADED VAT 17/05/2012
Having completed lots of sales this Spring and extensively added to the BoatPrice.co.uk database, the issue of VAT status has once again reared it's ugly head. It seems bizarre in this day & age that purchaser's are having to rely on chance or fate to decide whether they get clobbered for the VAT on a boat they're buying, when a simple central body (such as we're trying to do here at BoatPrice.co.uk) holding electronic copies of this documentation would eliminate this confusion. It's simply not realistic to expect the original sales receipt showing VAT paid to still be kicking around after 2, 3, 4 or more owners, therefore it is absoloutely in both the vendor's and purchaser's interest to email or post them to us so that it can be permanently stored to avoid sales falling through or VAT being unfairly charged. That said, have a great Summer on the water!

SUMMER IN MARCH?! 03/04/2012
Not wishing to be one of the many in this country that obsesses with the weather...however the unseasonably warm March has meant that we've all had a kick up the backside and for the most part all seem ahead of ourselves for the coming season. Remember however, if you're one of those counting the cost of your boating and deciding to sell, now is the time to take action as once the summer's here the buying season's over!

FREE ADVERTISING! 31/01/2012
As more boats are being added to the site, the amount of unique visitors is growing rapidly, and it is our aim to make BoatPrice.co.uk the number one marine reference site in the UK. However, in order for us to grow and be of use to as many people as possible, we need to amass as much sold boat data as possible, therefore we are offering advertising space totally free of charge to brokers, in return for data on any boats you sell. If you'd like to take up this unique opportunity, simply click the 'contact us' tab and get in touch!

NEW FOR 2012 - USED BOAT DOCUMENTATION! 13/01/2012
It has been the bain of my life (and no doubt for many others in the marine industry) for some time that there is no central body storing important boat documents such as proof of ownership, VAT paid and CE Certification. However we aim to change this by accumulating as much documentation as possible on the boats on the site which will then be available free of charge to the public. If the 'boat documentation' tag next to the boat is ticked, simply email me for the information!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! 23/12/2011

BOATSHOW TIME 12/12/2011
As winter extends it's icy grip and the nights get ever shorter, it can only mean one thing: the London International Boatshow is nearly here! It almost seems like some sort of sick joke that in the depths of winter we all trudge up (or down) to London in January to look at boats that in the most part are more at home in the equator rather than Excel, but the sense of escapism is always very welcome. And who knows - there may even be people there to actually buy - heaven forbid! However, I can't help but think what good value it makes young, well looked after secondhand boats look - particularly when someone else has spent valuable time inevitably tinkering with it to get it working right. That it is neccessary for there to be any owner-input on a brand new boat to me seems totally unacceptable, but I'll save that particular rant for another posting!

CONDITION IS EVERYTHING! 30/11/2011
As I'm going through adding all the boats we've sold over the past 10 years at Highway Marine, one thing in particular strikes me...on boats we've sold more than once, the absoloute biggest thing affecting a downward trend in their price is their condition. And I'm not talking about expensive stuff here - just a bit of good old elbow grease, making sure the boat's dry inside, tidying up belongings, cleaning mould(!) off the deck - really basic stuff. It's clearly not the only factor affecting an increase or decrease in your boat's value, however it is the one thing that gets overlooked and in most cases is pretty much free to fix. Often the boat being sold slips to the bottom of the pile once the decision has been made to sell it, however at that point more than at any other time it MUST look it's best as a prospective purchaser will take a well presented boat to be a well looked-after boat. So forget Phil & Kirsty telling you all about location, location, location - with boats it's condition, condition, condition!

OK, HERE WE GO... 22/11/2011
Right, time to get some data on the site. Anyone got a voice-activated keypad?!

WELCOME 17/11/2011
Welcome to boatprice.co.uk, your definitive guide for UK boat prices. The data in this website is based on real sales of real boats by real people. There is no statistical analyses used, just real information. Over the coming weeks watch the site develop as more and more sold boats are added!