All You Need to Know About Used Houseboats

You can’t afford a brand new houseboat but a used one is in your grasps. Finding a suitable used houseboat is the trick though and you’ll often find new-comers to the houseboating world giving up before they even got started. With a few simple tricks and a push in the right direction, this won’t be the problem for you. If you’ve got patience, a little bit of smarts and some money in your pocket then finding your perfect used houseboat is only a few steps away.

Finding used houseboats online or in your newspaper

The ideal place to look for used houseboats is either on the Internet or on the classifieds in your newspaper (if you live in a houseboating area). The closer the houseboat you want to buy is, the better it is for you. There are plenty of sites online that will help you find used houseboats that are being privately sold or that are being sold by houseboat dealers. The trick is finding one that has something relatively near your area. Do a little research on Google and you’ll be sure to find a few used houseboat dealers that are perfect for you.

Research the used houseboat dealer

Just because someone has a business, a verified address and telephone number doesn’t make them a legitimate business. Make sure that you’ve done research on the dealer that you want to buy from. This is VERY important. We’ve heard it only too often where someone has bought a houseboat from someone where they were ripped off. We don’t want you to be the same horror story we often hear about. Check to see if they have any happy customers that would be willing to give a testimonial, Google their name and look for any bad publicity. Be smart about who you choose.

Checking your used houseboat

The reason we suggest finding a houseboat dealer close to you, is due to the fact that you want to actually PHYSICALLY go and inspect the houseboat. Pictures can be deceiving and give a false representation of what is actually going on. Make sure you’re near the dealer so you or a friend or a marine surveyor can inspect the houseboat properly. Also, make sure you only buy the boat once you’ve taken it for a test sail and see how it moves. This is well within your right and only in the water will you know if it’s the perfect fit for you or not.

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