For buyers
Know what you’re agreeing to before you commit. We review the available ownership documents, check for outstanding finance and help you work through your survey findings before you decide how to proceed.
Waterlife Lymington · For buyers and sellers
Boat conveyancing
Buying or selling a boat privately? Have a professional, insured broker handle the transaction for a flat fee of £1,200 + VAT (£1,440 including VAT).
When you’ve found the boat or the buyer
A simpler, safer way to complete a private sale
Once you’ve found a boat you want to buy or a buyer for your own boat, there’s still a contract to agree, a deposit to handle and paperwork to check. Waterlife helps both parties work through those steps and raises questions early, giving you the reassurance of professional support without the full brokerage fee.
For sellers
Keep the agreed terms clear and the paperwork in order. We prepare the contract, handle the deposit in line with the agreed terms and help bring the transaction through to the bill of sale.
From agreement to completion
What the flat fee covers
Sale contract
We draft the sale agreement, recording the agreed price, what’s included and any conditions, such as a survey.
Deposit handling
We handle the deposit in line with the sale agreement and explain when it is due and what happens to it at completion.
Title checks
We review the ownership records available for the boat and flag gaps that need to be addressed.
Outstanding finance checks
We check for outstanding finance and raise anything that needs to be resolved before completion.
Post-survey advice
We talk through the survey findings with you and help you decide which points to raise before going ahead.
Bill of sale
We prepare the bill of sale to document the transfer of ownership and help both parties get the paperwork ready for completion.
A private sale, step by step
How it works
Get in touch when you agree a price
Either the buyer or seller can contact Ian. Share what you’ve agreed so far, including what’s included in the sale and whether the offer is subject to survey. Ian will explain the next steps and what each party needs to provide.
Work through the contract and checks
We prepare the contract, explain the deposit terms and review the available ownership and finance documents. Ian keeps both parties informed about missing paperwork and any decisions that need to be made after the survey.
Agree completion and handover
Once the agreed conditions are met, we help both parties agree a completion date and prepare the bill of sale. You’ll know what needs to be signed and when the boat is due to change hands.
What to have ready
Send the boat’s make, model and location, the agreed price and any survey plans. The seller can start gathering the previous bill of sale, registration documents and details of any finance, where applicable.
Tell us where you are in the sale
Share the boat’s make, model and location, and let Ian know what you’ve agreed so far.