Have the engines compression tested, if they are within 10% of rated you are ok, if they are at rated, you are very good. If it is below, you will need some work done or a repower. As for the hull, usually the transom is the first thing to go, the transom core delaminates and needs to be redone, this involved removing the engine and is not cheap. Some older boats have issues with stringers, but if the boat was kept well they should be ok. The deck may have softspots, they can be repaired yourself if you have done fiberglass work yourself, if not expect about $600-800 per panel or location. All of these things can be checked by a marine surveyor and they can tell you what needs to be done. I would also suspect that some wiring may need to be redone, unless the owner did a great job of protecting them or they were already redone. Poke your head under the helm console with a bright light, look at the connections, rust and corrosion is a bad sign. also, there should be a panel accessed from the cabin that should be checked. Depending on when the thru-hull hoses and fuel hoses were replaced last, that may need to be done, if they are hard as a rock they are shot. If you have plastic thru-hulls, they should be replaced, or at the least checked and if ok coated and sealed with either a marine life sealant or a product like 5200 to ensure they are sealed and will not leak. Depending on how the boat was up kept and used, these may not may not be issues, but these are the typical culprits on older boats that should be checked. Hope the boat checks out and the deal works out for you!!
