Sell Your Jetski Yourself

2020. The year of Covid-19. This brings us to point out a few tips if you have come upon unlucky times and need to sell your jetski. We often review ads for customers on Trade Me assisting with their due diligence for purchase. And there are a few tips we think can definitely help get you top dollar and sell quickly.

1. Photos; Obvious? Maybe but plenty of people do a bad job!

- Concentrate on getting that "Hero Shot" which will make your jetski stand out from the other listings. You have 1 photo they see first. Make it count. Take it to a park or somewhere nearby with an uncluttered background. The best lighting is on a lightly overcast day. Full sun causes too many shadows.

- Leave out the boy racer images and family photos. You want to portray that 'always garaged, one lady owner' mentality not how fast it goes.

- Take 20 good shots. Take the time. More photos builds a feeling of honesty and trust. Include full width shots from each side, front and back. With cover on (if you have a factory fitted cover). Then do your close ups; dash, model labels, under the hull, under the seat looking at the engine bay, the trailer coupling, any accessories such as fish finders, life jackets, locks, battery chargers. Include close up shots of any damage - even minor and explain the photo in your wording.

2. Wording; Here's what we love to see;

- Make, Model, Horsepower or engine size, the correct year (last 2 digits of the serial tag in most cases). This information will be on your service history - if unsure ask your service agent.

- Current hours.

- Any residual warranty.

- Date and hours of last service - and have the service history on hand to show any serious prospective buyers.

- If you took any photos of any damage or scratches; detail which side and how long/deep etc.

- List all accessories with as many details as possible.

- Trailer make (if possible), and a list of accessories; coupling lock, spare wheel.

- Additional care wording can be incentive - "always treated with Salt Away" or mainly fresh water use are two biggies.

- Think about where you would be willing to drive to for delivery (at an additional cost). It makes it more appealing to a wider audience.

- It is always a common question - "why are you selling it" - if it is a legitimate reason it doesn't hurt to put it up front.

3. General selling tips;

- Be realistic about pricing. The listed price of similar watercraft on Trade Me is not what they sell for. Look how long the high priced ones have been on Trade Me for (list date). Contact your service agent to ask for a market value.

- Some wear and tear will put buyers off and may not be that costly to repair. Make some enquiries before listing. Then if it comes to negotiation time, you know the repair costs.

- Answer any questions on Trade Me as soon as you can. Be polite.

- Copy the Trade Me URL when you have done your listing and put it onto your Facebook page and share to any jetski groups you are part of.

- A water test is not a great idea unless you have a deposit (enough to cover any accidental damages), especially if the rider is inexperienced.

- Make sure you get any special conditions of a sale (lower price, something they are going to repair) in writing. Get them to sign it and give them a copy. Be aware of the NZ consumer laws which can cover the buyer for 3 months.