Britannia AuctionsPrivate treaty sales in Newcastle upon Tyne
Offshore and subsea kit has little general market. A remotely operated vehicle, a winch and umbilical set, a pressure test chamber or a large fabrication positioner from the riverside at Walker or Newburn is hard to price without sector knowledge, and well understood by the handful of contractors and dealers who follow that sector. Where a firm finishes a contract or changes direction, a negotiated sale to that handful, with a proper technical description, is the route to weigh first.
That is private treaty. We inspect the equipment, or have it inspected by someone who knows it, write it up with the certification and test history, and approach the buyers who deal in that equipment. Offers come to you in writing with our recommendation. Our fee is agreed in writing before marketing starts, and nothing is published while the sale is running.
Subsea kit and heavy fabrication plant
The assets that come to us from the Tyne fall into a few groups, and each has its own buyer list.
- Subsea and offshore equipment, from ROVs and launch systems to winches, umbilicals and test chambers
- Marine engineering plant, including large lathes, borers and the balancing and machining equipment used on shafts and propellers
- Fabrication plant such as welding positioners, column and boom manipulators, plate rolls and press brakes of a size rarely seen inland
- Laboratory and test equipment from the materials and inspection houses that support the sector
Subsea equipment suits contractors and rental firms in the UK, with export interest possible, and certification, test records and maintenance history are what that group asks for first. Fabrication plant suits heavy engineering firms in Gateshead, Wallsend, Blyth and further afield, where the question is capacity and condition. We write each description for the buyer who will read it, then run sealed bids where more than one party is interested.
Getting heavy kit off the riverside
Much of this equipment is heavy, awkward and sitting in a building that was laid out for the river rather than the road. The older riverside roads at Walker are narrow in places, and a plate roll or a positioner may need a mobile crane and a route survey before a low loader can take it. Newburn Riverside and the estates around the A1 Western Bypass are checked in the same way, and what we find there is usually different.
We establish the lift plan and the access with you before offers are invited, and the description says what the buyer's rigger will face. For very large or export bound items the Port of Tyne handles project cargo, and a buyer abroad can have the asset packed and shipped from there rather than trucked south.
Gateshead, North Shields, Cramlington and Durham are close enough for a buyer to come and look. Where the site must be cleared before the sale completes, the asset can be collected and held at our own premises, and the sale continues from there.
What these sales can include
- CNC machining centres and lathes
- Printing presses
- Injection moulding machines
- Packaging lines
- Large generators and switchgear
- Cranes and heavy lifting equipment
- Specialist process plant
- Laboratory and test equipment
- Complete production cells
- Late model plant and vehicles
- Marine and rail equipment
- High value catering and bakery lines
How we market the asset
We inspect the asset, or have it inspected, and prepare a description with photographs, specification, condition and any service history. We then approach buyers directly: dealers who trade in that type of machine, and end users the asset suits. The asset can be advertised openly or offered only to selected parties. How open we are depends on how much confidentiality you need.
Interested buyers inspect by appointment. We attend or arrange access, answer questions and take offers. You are kept informed at each stage but do not have to deal with the buyers yourself.
There is no fixed end date. A private treaty sale takes as long as it takes to find the right buyer at the right price, which is one of its advantages and one of its costs.
The private treaty sales page covers when private treaty beats auction, how offers are handled, fees and what you receive, what to prepare.
Questions about selling in Newcastle upon Tyne
- Do subsea buyers expect current certification on winches and lifting equipment?
It matters to the offer. A winch, a launch and recovery system or a lifting frame with a current thorough examination report and a load test certificate can go into a buyer's fleet without further work. Without those, there is the cost of recertification to allow for and the uncertainty that goes with it. Where the certificates have lapsed and the value justifies it, we would suggest having the work done before marketing, and that can be arranged.
- Can equipment that is offshore or on a vessel be sold by private treaty?
Yes, provided the buyer can inspect it or accept an inspection on their behalf. We describe the equipment from the records and photographs, state where it is and when it will be back at the quay, and market it on that basis. The sale completes when the asset is landed and the buyer has paid in cleared funds. Selling equipment that is still at work is not unusual in this sector, and the sale terms set out where and when it is handed over.
More questions about private treaty
Related services
Guides
- Auction or private treaty: which route to choose
Auction gives you a fixed date and an open market. Private treaty gives you a negotiated price and privacy. This guide sets out when each route suits, what you give up with each, and why many sales use both.
- What happens to unsold lots
Not every lot sells, but the site still has to be cleared. This guide covers why lots go unsold, private treaty after the sale, lowering or removing the reserve, a later sale, scrap and WEEE recycling, and what disposal costs.