Selling a boom lift: build the examination and service file
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A boom lift sale file should contain more than the latest examination report. Keep thorough examination, maintenance and reported faults in separate sections, then show how they relate to the same identified machine.
That structure answers three different questions: what was examined, what work was done, and what remains unresolved. It also stops a recent service invoice being mistaken for a complete assessment of the lifting equipment.
First, describe the boom lift precisely
Record the maker, model, serial number, power source and installed platform configuration. Distinguish an articulated boom from a telescopic boom and identify any documented jib or other option that affects the offer.
Label height figures carefully. Genie's 2024 SX-105 XC and SX-125 XC specification distinguishes working height from platform height, with a stated convention for the difference. It also separates maximum horizontal reach and restricted or unrestricted capacity figures. A seller should preserve those distinctions, not combine the most impressive numbers into one unrestricted promise.
Use documentation applicable to the machine being sold. A current brochure is not proof of an older machine's configuration, and the headline height does not tell a buyer whether it suits a particular job.
Build an index that keeps the evidence separate
| File section | What it should contain | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and specification | Plates, applicable manual, configuration records | Which machine and arrangement are offered? |
| Thorough examination | Full reports and any applicable scheme information | What was examined, when, and with what findings? |
| Maintenance | Dated service sheets and repair invoices | What work was completed? |
| Defects and follow-up | Reported problems and linked closure evidence | Which findings remain open? |
| Changes after assessment | Repairs, alterations, incidents or further reported faults | Has the evidence been overtaken by events? |
Keep the full reports available. A cover sheet saying “passed” is not an adequate replacement for the findings and qualifications.
HSE's thorough-examination guidance for Great Britain describes the competent person's written report, including defects and the next examination date. It also distinguishes examination from maintenance and discusses action on dangerous defects. Use the report's actual conclusions; an editor cannot clear a defect by shortening the description.
If a finding is recorded as remedied, link the work record and any required follow-up evidence. If that connection is missing, mark the item unresolved and seek competent advice.
Avoid the “one recent document” trap
Imagine a service invoice dated after an examination report. The invoice might cover an oil service while the report records a separate issue. Its later date does not establish that the issue was fixed.
The same applies to a new battery, replacement tyres or a repaired control. Identify the work and its scope. Do not describe the whole machine as rebuilt because one substantial component was replaced.
For a machine that has moved between depots, the ex-hire history guide provides a useful way to connect fleet references, dates and documents.
A buyer should also be able to see known faults reported after the latest assessment. If the lift remains in use during marketing, nominate someone to update the sale file when its condition changes.
Prepare for the sale and the move
Agree inspection access through competent people. A sale photograph list is not authority to operate the boom, perform a rescue exercise or improvise a test.
Record the transport configuration separately from the working specification. The plant collection guide helps prepare the information a haulier needs. A tracked compact machine may also need the more specific spider-lift transport and support-equipment record.
When approaching UK Auction Group, send the index, machine photographs and open-item schedule together. They can discuss the sale package with a clear view of the evidence available. Any remaining specialist questions should be resolved or accurately reflected before the catalogue suggests a level of readiness the file does not support.
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Sources
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.