Buying a (used) boat is a big decision, and it guarantees to give adventure and a lot of fun in the waters. And buying one at the right times can save you some money, cutting down the extra costs. So, when is the best time to buy a used boat? Is it in Fall or Winter, or Spring?
Undoubtedly, the whole off-season is a good time to buy a used boat. But FALL would be a perfect time because there will be more buyers than sellers in the spring, and that starts to flip in FALL since many won’t be interested in boating at the season end, giving you more opportunities in FALL.
It’s because there will be a big dip in the price during the off-season due to less demand, and you can save some money by buying one. The best way to get a good deal is to wait and find one that meets your needs. If you aren’t in a hurry, you can find good deals year-round.
In between, you need to figure out what kind of boat you need based on your needs because sometimes good deals will disappear within days. If you already know the model you need, you can jump in right away as soon as you see any deal on that model.
IMPORTANT – A low-priced used boat may sometimes cause you many problems and can be more expensive in the long run. A few more bucks may be the difference between an enjoyable boating season or working on the boat all season.
Find out who is the best Surveyor in your area and call them for advice before going too far. So, inspect the boat thoroughly before buying a used boat.
So, without further talking, let’s get into more details about “When Is the Best Time To Buy a Used Boat?”
Related post – Where Are The Best Places To Buy Used Boats? Check this article to know all the best places to buy a used boat, both online and offline.
When Is The Best Time Of Year To Buy a Used Boat?
The best time to buy a used boat is in the FALL (at the end of the boating season). The entire off-season is a good time to buy one, in Fall or early Spring (it could be a bit challenging in winter, but it’s also a good time). Nevertheless, the location you are buying is also crucial, though.
The 2 busiest times are at the end of the season (Sept/Oct) and right before the season (April/May). Out of those, “fall” is the best time to buy. People who were already debating whether to sell their boat or not will sell before they need to worry about winter storage and other expenses.
Generally, whoever wants to get into boating will definitely show interest during the boating season or right before it than at the season end. Slowly demand starts to rise before the season and increases further during the season. Buying at that time sometimes may end up paying more.
On the other hand, at the end of the boating season, whoever willing to buy a new boat (in the winter, at boat shows, or any) will try to sell the old one quickly to get rid of it. That one point can become your advantage, and you can get your desired boat for less money.
Related post – How Much Does a Used Boat Cost? Check this article to know all the average prices of 8 different used boat models with 10 examples per model boat (along with pictures) in a detailed way.
It also depends on the location you buy the boat
“LOCATION” plays a crucial role in this whole process.
- In northern regions, the number of sales decreases “drastically” during the winter. No one will think about boats or willing to dig their boat out of winter storage and re-winterize it if the buyers didn’t like the boat, which is a stressful job.
- If the boat engine is started, it needs to be winterized again. So, there is less motivation to sell their boat in the winter for sellers due to all those stressful things, making winter an inappropriate time to sell one.
- In other regions, there won’t be that much decrease in price. For example, in Florida, boating season never really ends in a sense; virtually every day can be a wonderful time to get out onto the water. So, living in those areas means a bit less drop in selling price.
- Still, Fall is the best time to buy one because whoever wants to get a new boat will mostly buy one in the winter, and they put the older ones in a sale at the end of the boating season because they also don’t want to winterize and store the old boat for the winter along with new one (more expenses).
Figure out what kind of boat you want in July, then actively start searching in August, and plan on getting one before the end of Sept/Oct. If you missed it, keep an eye out for the occasional rare deal where someone still has their old boat and bought a new one during the winter boat show.
In the winter, it may be a bit hard to do a sea trial.” So FALL and SPRING is the best time to buy one by far, but there are some caveats to “buying one in Fall.” In the below section, we will see them in a detailed way.
Related post – Are Boats Cheaper At Boat Shows? Check this article to know all the benefits and drawbacks of buying one at boat shows and the actual savings.
Is It Worth Buying a (Used) Boat In Off-season (in Fall or Winter)?
The FALL is the best time to buy one, but if you buy one in the fall or winter, you may also need to store it, and winterization is also crucial to keep it in good condition. The discounts you may get in the fall or winter may sometimes cover winter storage, winterization, and other costs.
If you don’t have a place at home to store it during the winter, you may need to spend more money on it, and all those are some extra expenses. Those expenses can sometimes cost more than the savings on that boat. This leaves us to the spring.
For example, in Michigan, it’s a lot harder to find a boat for sale once cold weather picks up and no test drives either. Sometimes, it may not be possible in winter if you want to do a sea trial.
If you buy one in Spring, you can directly start the season, but prices may start to rise, and sometimes you may spend more on the same boat than in fall or winter. So, these are some of the caveats of buying a boat in the off-season.
Related post – Are Boats Cheaper In Winter? Check this article to know all the benefits and drawbacks of buying one in winter and the actual savings.
The Key Takeaways From The Post
Fall is the best time to buy a used boat because people who were already debating whether to sell their boat or not will sell before they need to worry about winter storage and other expenses. Still, winter and spring is also a good time to buy one.
A low-priced boat may cause you many problems and can be more expensive in the long run. A few more bucks may be the difference between an enjoyable boating season or working on the boat all season. Find out who is the best Surveyor in your area and call them for advice before going too far.
Related post – Are Boats Cheaper in Florida? Check this article to know all the benefits and drawbacks of buying one in Florida and the actual savings.
So, inspect the boat thoroughly before buying one. If you don’t worry about the winter storage, fall and winter are the perfect times to buy one. In spring, prices will start to rise, and you may need to give some extra bucks; otherwise, spring is also a good time too.