Get the paperwork right. You need originals showing a 5-year title chain, including: VAT receipt or other VAT paperwork, RCD documentation, all service and maintenance records and all the major invoices for the yacht during your ownership. Carefully presented records speak volumes about how a yacht has been looked after.

If it’s broken, fix it. It is a surveyor’s job to pick up on faults. If you don’t, it will take longer to sell and you’ll get a worse price – the purchaser’s discount will be much more than the cost of mending the breakage. Repair or replace areas showing wear and tear.

The yacht should be thoroughly cleaned. Have the topsides and superstructure polished, stainless gleaming, and a fresh coat of antifoul if she’s ashore, to set the right tone. The interior should be cleaned by professional valets and de-cluttered. It’s worth making up the owner’s berth so that the yacht looks welcoming.

Get some good photos of the yacht. Your broker will need to take good pictures of the yacht inside and out, so she needs to be ready to be photographed. Ask the broker’s advice and if she’s afloat, go out and get good shots of her under sail.

Ask your broker what the marketing plan is for your yacht. They should be focused on her unique selling points. Do take their advice on pricing and on doing any jobs that they feel are important to present her in the best possible light.

And for your next yacht, see: Berthon.co.uk/winter-collection

To buy or sell, contact Berthon’s expert yacht brokerage team on: +44 (0)1590 673312