Did you know that a lot of states in America need you to get a license to legally drive a boat? Boating can be a dangerous activity if you aren’t careful and therefore, a lot of states will also require you to get some boating education, mostly online before you get your license.
There are lots of other things to know before you buy a boat. Keep reading to find out some common boat buying mistakes, so you can avoid these pitfalls on your first boat purchase.
1. Spending Too Much Money on Your First Boat
You should only spend 10% of your income on the monthly payments for a boat. But too many folks overextend themselves because they wish to buy a boat that’s beyond their means.
If this is your first boat, it’s a better idea to buy something that’s a bit cheaper, so you can understand the entire boat ownership process and figure out if it’s for you or not.
Once you become an old hat at boat ownership, you can always upgrade your boat then. Want a detailed boat ownership guide? Check it out here.
2. Not Understanding All the Additional Costs Involved
Another thing to keep in mind is that too many newbie boat owners think that they only need to worry about the monthly boat payments and forget about all the other costs involved, like:
- Moorage and storage fees
- Boat insurance
- Fuel and other operating costs
- Trailer
- Maintenance and repairs
- Other extras and add-ons
These costs can add up quite quickly and result in you being unable to afford your very first boat.
3. Forgetting to Bargain or Negotiate
Whether you are purchasing a boat from a big-time seller or from a friend, your boat shopping strategy will need some bargaining and negotiating tactics included. It’s the only way you will end up with a boat that isn’t too expensive or overpriced. Get over your fears and negotiate hard.
4. Being Too Impatient and Not Looking Around Enough
When you get the boating bug, you might be in a hurry to get a boat that you can call your own. But keep your impatience at bay as you look around for your perfect boat. The more impatient you get, the more likely it is that you make foolish mistakes during the boat buying process.
5. Only Checking Online Boat Sellers
There are so many boat vendor options out there, but most newbie boat buyers only focus on a few online vendors. This mistake will cost you big in the long run as you will miss out on many different boat styles and end up with something quite typical and boring.
Which of These Common Boat Buying Mistakes Were You Making?
If you can avoid making the aforementioned common boat buying mistakes, that will save you a lot of money and pain down the road. You will also end up with the boat of your dreams.
Keep browsing through the articles on our website and build your knowledge base.
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