Cheaper to deck out a monohull?

[cxz]

I've been scouring the forums a bit but didn't really find the info I was looking for.

Do you think it's cheaper to buy a basic boat and deck it out with accessories (batteries, AC, autopilot, VHF, solar cells, etc)? Or buy a second hand boat with full accessories and then ensure it is seaworthy? I prefer the former option as I would then have to install / learn about all the components. On the other hand, the second option would possibly be cheaper as they are *used* components?

[valhalla360]

Assuming the "basic" boat is brand new, expect it to cost far more as everything will be bought new.

With a used boat, you get a lot of add-ons already installed with typically no up-charge when pricing the used boat.

[Fore and Aft]

It could be cheaper, but then if you do it all yourself at least you will be starting with new equipment and all the warranties that go with it. Plus the equipment will be installed to your standard and in the posistions you want.
Cheers

[Tillsbury]

Most accessories add very little to the value of a boat, so it will always be cheaper to buy a boat with what you need rather than the identical boat to which you add the extras. On the other hand, as stated above you might not want that particular equipment so would either have to put up with it or replace it.

If you can get a second hand boat with some of the things you would want to your satisfaction, then go with that assuming they’ve been professionally installed. With any boat you buy, keep in mind the total cost including what you will need to do or replace when you buy it.

Only very rarely will you find a boat that has a significantly increased value because of a raft of professionally installed high-quality gear. The increased value is still way less than it would have cost to do the work.

[cxz]

Alright thanks for all the great replies guys. I'll try to find a monohull that has all my requirements, add in the rest and look into familiarizing myself with it all when I finally do decide I'm ready.