Selling your boat? Show it at its best.
A pre-sale detail built on the Tide Standard, so your boat looks its best for listing photos, inspections, and the sale itself.
More than a clean, you get a boat that's ready to sell
A Pre-Sale Detail starts with the same Tide Standard we hold every boat to, then focuses the work around one outcome: helping the boat present strongly for sale.
When you are selling, the goal is not just a clean boat. It is a boat that looks cared for the moment a buyer sees it, whether that is in listing photos, walking down the marina, or stepping aboard for an inspection.
We assess the boat with that in mind. Rather than recommending work for the sake of it, we prioritise the details most likely to improve presentation, buyer confidence and perceived value.
The aim is simple: put the boat in its best sale condition without spending money on work that is unlikely to help the sale outcome.
A boat that looks cared for is easier to trust. And a boat that is easier to trust is easier to sell.
What's different from a standard detail
A standard detail makes your boat great to use. A pre-sale detail makes it ready for a buyer's eye. When someone's deciding whether to buy, they open every locker, look in the bilge, and run an eye over the gelcoat, and they've judged the boat long before they ask about engine hours. A boat that looks tired makes them wonder what else has been let go. A pre-sale detail takes that doubt off the table.
Built on the Tide Standard, here's the extra work a sale calls for:
Brought back, not just cleaned
A wipe-down isn't enough when you're selling. We cut back chalky, oxidised gelcoat and bring tired details back to life, rather than just cleaning around them. That might include a scuffed helm seat, marked panels, worn trim, dull flooring, tired upholstery or fixtures that make the boat feel older than it is.
Detailed where buyers look
The places a buyer actually checks: lockers, upholstery and its undersides, flooring, glass, metalwork, fixtures, the bilge and engine bay. A clean, dry bilge tells a buyer the boat has been looked after. Where a feature is letting the presentation down, we can recommend whether it's best cleaned, restored, dressed, repaired or replaced, with the sale outcome in mind, not unnecessary spend.
Ready for the listing photos
Your photos are your first showing. We get the boat looking its best before the camera comes out, so it stands out online and holds up when a buyer steps aboard.
What a pre-sale detail covers
The areas buyers notice first, handled top to bottom.
Why it pays off
Buyers decide with their eyes. A boat that looks neglected makes them wonder what else has been neglected, and that doubt comes straight off the price they'll offer. A pre-sale detail removes it: the boat photographs better for the listing, holds up when a buyer steps aboard, and helps you protect your asking price. More often than not, the detail costs less than the discount a tired-looking boat invites.
How it works
Tell us about your boat
Send a few photos, the boat's details, and when you're planning to list.
Get your quote
We assess what it needs to present at its best and quote on the work, with no per-foot price list.
Pre-sale detail
Brought up to the Tide Standard and readied for sale, beyond a standard clean.
Ready to list
Timed around your listing date, so it's at its best for photos and inspections.
Pre-sale detailing FAQs
How is a pre-sale detail different from a standard detail?
A standard detail makes your boat great to use; a pre-sale detail gets it ready for a buyer's eye. On top of the Tide Standard, we bring back tired surfaces, detail the places buyers actually check (lockers, bilge, upholstery, glass and metalwork), and get the boat looking its best for the listing photos and the inspection.
How soon before I list should I have it done?
Right before your photos are taken. Your listing photos are your first showing, so the detail should be fresh for them. If your boat's in the water while it's listed, we can keep it looking its best with the occasional wash in the meantime.
Will a pre-sale detail actually get me a higher price?
There's no guarantee, but presentation matters more than most sellers expect. A boat that looks neglected makes buyers wonder what else has been neglected, and that doubt comes straight off the price. A pre-sale detail removes it, helps your boat photograph well, and helps you hold your asking price. More often than not, it costs less than the discount a tired-looking boat invites.
Can you take the listing photos, or get it ready for mine?
We get your boat looking its absolute best before the camera comes out, so it photographs well whether the photos are yours, your broker's, or a professional's. If you'd like a hand arranging photography, just ask and we'll point you in the right direction.
My boat's been a bit neglected. Can you still help?
That's often when a pre-sale detail makes the biggest difference. Heavy oxidation, a tired interior and built-up grime are exactly what cutting, polishing and a deep clean are made for. We'll assess it honestly, tell you what's realistically achievable, and quote on the work it needs.
Book a pre-sale detail
Selling your boat? Tell us about it and when you're listing, and we'll come back with a quote within 24 hours.