The factors that genuinely move a yacht's value, in order of weight.
Builder and pedigree
A recognised yard with a strong delivered record and active sister-ship market holds value more predictably, because buyers and lenders can price the risk. Obscure or discontinued yards carry a discount whatever the yacht's quality, simply because evidence is scarce.
Condition and record
The largest differentiator between sister ships. A complete maintenance and refit record, current class and flag status, low deferred maintenance and machinery within its service life all command a premium. Gaps in the record are treated as risk and priced accordingly.
Volume, layout and specification
Usable volume, cabin count and configuration, beach club and tender arrangements, stabilisation, range and tankage. Layouts that suit how the segment actually cruises are worth more than clever layouts that suit one owner.
- Builder, model and sister-ship evidence
- Age, hours and machinery condition
- Maintenance, refit and documentation record
- Volume, cabin count and layout
- Specification, stabilisation and range
- Flag, class and commercial or private status
- Depth of the comparable market
Flag, class and status
Current certification, a widely accepted flag, and commercial registration where it suits the buyer pool all help. An unresolved VAT or import position is a material discount until it is resolved.
Market depth
Liquid segments with many buyers and reliable comparable evidence price efficiently. Unusual yachts — very large, very specialised, very personal — can be exceptional assets and still take much longer to sell.
Questions
- Does a refit increase value?
- Well-specified, documented work that removes buyer objections usually helps; highly personal changes rarely return their cost.
- How much does age matter?
- It matters, but condition, record and builder frequently outweigh a few years of age.
Figures shown here are drawn from yachts Lund Group currently tracks and are indicative of that sample only. They are not a valuation, an offer, or a statement of the wider market, and segments with too few yachts to be meaningful are not published.