Be Kind! Share with your Team, with your Family, with your Buddies!
Click The Button Now & Like This On Your Facebook Page!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Important Things to Check When Buying a Used Houseboat
When you buy used houseboat, you can get many add-ons that were not originally installed. This is one of your advantages. The boat owner may have added some things and may have forgotten to take into account such things when naming his price for resale. Items like dock lines, fenders, electronics, and furnishings just to name a few. But you still have to consider some few things before you buy a used houseboat.
Written below are some tips and the vital things you need to keep in mind.
Consider first impressions. When you are looking at houseboats, give each one a quick look from the outside and in. Look for obvious things like unkempt dock area, peeled, faded, or chipped paint, mildew on the carpets. If little things like so are kept well, there's are big chance that the bigger things are not maintained well also. On the other hand, if a houseboat appears clean, this can be a good indication that the owner takes good care of his boat. The following are some outside parts of a houseboat which you have to inspect thoroughly.
a. Roof. Walk all around the roof of the boat. See if the gel coat shows signs of chipping or cracking. Also, check for signs of weak spots. Weak spots are signs of rotting wood, which can cost you a lot of money if you are to repair the roof.
b. Hull. If the boat has steel hull, look for signs of corrosion. Inspect the inside of the hull as well since many hulls can rust from the inside and out. With a flashlight, go down the hatch and check the insider of the hull. If replacement is needed, it can cost you a lot of money. For both steel and aluminum hulls, check the joint welds for signs of weakness like cracks. For fiberglass hull, look for any signs of stress cracks and blistering.
c. Paint. Take a very close look at the paint. Check if it's cracking, peeling, fading, or chipping. Another way to inspect is to take your hand and wipe it over the boat's paint. If a significant amount of paint comes off your hand, you may need to repaint it pretty soon.
d. Carpet. Carefully inspect the boat's carpet. Check if there are molds. Also, check if the corners are curling. Curling and molds are the signs for the need of replacement.
e. Canvas. Most boat buyers often overlook the canvas. You need to check the canvas for fading and wear. If the houseboat you are eyeing on has a lot of canvas, consider that replacement will cost you a lot of money.
