Hi New here, so have managed to save up £15k so I can get a narrowboat for liveaboard. and have been looking around for a few months now checking prices, seeing what is on offer, and there have been a few bargains about. I've missed out on a couple in the last few days, as sellers have either just ignored contact or contact after a day or two just to say the boat was sold.
I keep seeing everywhere, people stating get a survey done before you buy and not to bother trusting a survey that's been done previous.
How practical is this to actually do before someone else just turns up and buys?
What if the boat is miles away? What if the boat is not actually moored up anywhere near a marina or somewhere you can get it lifted out and surveyed?
What if during the liftout/survey someone else just waltzes in and pays the asking price? (I am guessing this is why people use a brokerage?)
I don't really want to be paying out money for something that I don't even own yet, and like others, I don't really want to buy something that will end up sinking in a few weeks, because it's a lot of money just to throw into a canal. I've bought a couple of motorbikes previously, and they had their mots done a week prior to me buying. Couple months in and there is no way they should have passed an mot, but I know hell of a lot more about bikes now.
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So am budgeting roughly £15k for a boat, and then I have some cash spare for obviously survey, some repair work, blacking if needed, (maybe adding solar if it doesn't have already),
I am aiming for something somewhere between 30-40 feet, as it will just be me. I'm not particularly fussed on the inside, though open plan would better and that way I could customise layout with DIY.
I've watched vids and checked posts on what to look out for, thing is buying
I'm not even sure what questions I need to be asking when approaching someone who is selling their boat.
Though I do need to move soon as am getting evicted at end of oct, and I don't want that to just influence me into buying 1st boat available in my budget, am currently living in london and the plan is to continuous cruise here. I really could use some hints, tips and if anyone willing to help walkthrough some of what I need to look out for.
Cheers
Paul