Inspecting Used Houseboats for Sale

A used houseboat

There is nothing wrong with buying a used houseboat, however, as with any purchase; you need to be clever about it, especially when you’re buying a used houseboat. If you’re new to the houseboating industry you might not be aware of all the intricate details needed to actually buy a well-maintained houseboat, so we’ve collected a few pivotal pieces of information to help you along the way.

Ask the right questions about the used houseboat

These are a few questions you NEED to ask before even considering buying the boat:
- Is there a recent Marine Survey of the houseboat? If you have a friend who understands Houseboats, let him take a look through the copy or go to a dealer in your town and ask for help.
- Has the houseboat been in any accidents recently? This can help you prevent any future problems, ask them to be 100% honest.
- What will remain on the boat & what are they taking off? You might go see the boat fully furnished with flat-screen TV’s and the works, but that might not be part of the deal. Make sure you have a clear idea of what is being left behind.
- Is the price negotiable? Obviously you want the best price possible, so don’t be afraid to bargain with the sellers. If they see you’re serious, they most likely will drop the price to entice you to buy.

Go actually see the used houseboat

While pictures might speak a thousand words, going to see something speaks volumes more (yep, millions of words). You just don’t fully appreciate the situation unless you’re in the thick of it. For instance, we can all take pictures of something run down and make it look good, lighting, avoiding problem areas. By actually taking a trip to go see the boat might be the difference between buying a dud and buying a true star houseboat that you can be proud of.

Ask to use the houseboat

You can take a car out for a test spin & why not a houseboat. Ask the sellers if they would be interested in allowing you a test drive of their used houseboat. Not only will it give you the opportunity to see how it handles itself in water but you can also more carefully assess it’s worth while in water. If the owners are reasonable, under the right conditions you won’t have a problem getting them to grant this request.

With our simple guidelines, you won’t have a problem buying yourself a great used houseboat.

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