Hi there.
I currently live on a 46ft narrow, built in 1989. I share this with my partner. I would like to get another boat, around 60ft long, for use as a home, and turn the 46ft into a shop.
Theoretically I could have access to £28,000 in the coming year, and would then be able to spend money as the months go on, as I save from work (£500 here and there for various jobs).
The boat would not have to be a live aboard straight away, this can be developed over time. I have been researching space-saving fit out ideas, mainly from community groups dedicated to fitting out vans, which seem to have some very good solutions, much more contemporary than boat fit outs. I'm happy to pay carpenters to make specific wooden furniture with functionality - e.g. tables which fold to the ceiling, seating areas with storage underneath. This would be what I envisage the "£500 here and there" to be for.
My personal opinion is that second hand boats are often over priced, and that a new boat could have the potential to be fitted out as a blank canvas. But perhaps I am being naive about the amount of work involved.
What do you think? Would you buy new, or second hand?
New - best builders? What to avoid? What to look out for?
Secondhand - price guideline? What to avoid? Where to look?