Boats today are built by dozens of manufacturers that you probably have a difficult time choosing from. This is especially true when you are just starting to use boats or want to switch to living full-time in a houseboat. And living full-time in a houseboat has many differences from living in a land-based house. So, instead of looking for a house contractor to build your home, you will need to find a manufacturer to create your dream houseboat.
Houseboat manufacturers in the United States are numerous. You will spend a lot of time knowing them if you still do not identify which manufacturer to choose. Luckily for you, this article contains tips and advice on picking the best houseboat manufacturer out there, so you will not have to spend countless hours and effort finding one.
Choosing the correct manufacturer for you could be difficult and stressful. You need to be careful in the selection process because purchasing a houseboat is expensive, and sometimes you need to apply for loan financing for more than a decade to complete your payment. In most cases, you also need to weigh the capability and reliability of the company before entering into an agreement with them.
Check the License to Operate of the Company
A houseboat manufacturer needs to have a license to produce houseboats. This license is certified by a third-party office to guarantee the quality of the company’s products and services. So, if a manufacturer has license documents to operate in building houseboats, they are well-capable in producing quality boats and services to customers.
Another good thing about choosing a licensed manufacturer is that, you can process legal cases when they fail to produce good quality boats. This license is actually a consumer’s protection of rights to receive products and services of good quality. So, before purchasing a houseboat from any manufacturer, you need to ask for their license documents first. You need to check for the validity of their license since there are times that the company’s license is already revoked or expired. And once you already verified these documents from the manufacturer, you are now a few steps away from purchasing your dream houseboat.
Consider the Status and Reputation of the Manufacturer
Having a good name or reputation of the houseboat manufacturer is crucial here. Of course, you do not want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a company that has a bad name. This is because you are not guaranteed to be provided with a quality houseboat and good service. There will be doubts after you make an initial payment for the houseboat; you might experience inadequate services and have low-quality boats.
To avoid this problem, you need to always check for the company’s reputation through checking their customer ratings and reviews. If they have high ratings with noticeable reviews from their customers, they experience good quality boats and services. And if those customers had a good experience, it means you will have a good experience from that manufacturer as well.
Know the After Sales Services
A good houseboat manufacturer offers good after-sales services to their customers. After-sales services include a warranty for repairs and replacement of certain parts. This warranty should consist of terms and conditions about how you can be eligible for a free repair or replacement under a specific period. Depending on the boat builder, the warranty usually ranges from six months to a year.
On the other hand, in some cases, having more extended and better after-sales services can make your purchase of the houseboat more expensive, while having less or no warranty will make your houseboat more affordable. Also, a more extended warranty offer does not always mean that their product has the best quality; sometimes, it could indicate otherwise. Knowing these factors about warranties should help you decide which boat manufacturer you need to consider.
Final Thoughts
Purchasing a houseboat is expensive and could take more than a decade before you can complete the payment. So before entering into an agreement with the boat manufacturer, it is necessary to check their legal documents, reputation, and after-sales services. All these things need verification before purchase, so you will be guaranteed to receive the houseboat of your dreams.