Much needed kick up the *rse needed?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, NB DW said:

I'm a bit confused - that's exactly what I said:

 

"I don't want a project boat or a do-er upper, I want something that's ready to go"

No confusion, simply that Tracy suggested you could get a 'fair' boat for £30k and you didn't need to spend £60k.

I pointed out that at £30k you would probably not get what you were wanting ( a 'good' boat) as you had previously said you wanted a 'move straight in, not a do-er-upper')

[doratheexplorer]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

No confusion, simply that Tracy suggested you could get a 'fair' boat for £30k and you didn't need to spend £60k.

I pointed out that at £30k you would probably not get what you were wanting ( a 'good' boat) as you had previously said you wanted a 'move straight in, not a do-er-upper')

I'd agree, the days of being able to buy a liveable £30k boat in good nick with no major issues have gone.

 

[NB DW]

This came to market today.  It's 5 minutes away from where I live but viewings are not permitted even if it's going to be for a primary residence.  That is unless I put £1000 deposit down which is only refundable "if there's a problem at the survey".

 

https://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/5406.aspx

 

No chance I'm going down that route.

 

The steelwork at the bow was extended by Stephen Goldsborough in 2012 to extend the cabin and give a dedicated bed.  It's not something I've seen before but presumably has had a full repaint externally since?

 

Also not sure whether it was Stephen that did the work or done under the company which bought and used his name (so I understand).

 

Shame as it looks a good one.

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, NB DW said:

This came to market today.  It's 5 minutes away from where I live but viewings are not permitted even if it's going to be for a primary residence.  That is unless I put £1000 deposit down which is only refundable "if there's a problem at the survey".

 

https://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/5406.aspx

 

No chance I'm going down that route.

 

The steelwork at the bow was extended by Stephen Goldsborough in 2012 to extend the cabin and give a dedicated bed.  It's not something I've seen before but presumably has had a full repaint externally since?

 

Also not sure whether it was Stephen that did the work or done under the company which bought and used his name (so I understand).

 

Shame as it looks a good one.

 

Venetian & Whilton marina are both the 'same company' and have some very strange sales practices, you need to be very careful if dealing with them.

 

So, you have to pay £1000 to view the boat and only get the money returned if the survey (which you have paid another £800-£1000 to have done) says the boat is full of holes

 

Sharp practice !

[NB DW]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Venetian & Whilton marina are both the 'same company' and have some very strange sales practices, you need to be very careful if dealing with them.

 

So, you have to pay £1000 to view the boat and only get the money returned if the survey (which you have paid another £800-£1000 to have done) says the boat is full of holes

 

Sharp practice !

Thanks.

 

I've read and heard lots about them.  Some good, some bad.  Much the same with Great Haywood, they seem to operate in a similar way.  I seem to remember with Great Haywood you only got your deposit back if the issues found during a survey amounted to a large percentage of the asking price and not the selling price!  And even then I think it was limited to the hull and excluded electrical systems etc.

 

Venetian own this boat and they're not brokering it.

[enigmatic]

The deposit won't be necessary to view the boat after lockdown and I doubt anyone else will pay it in the mean time. If you're in Cheshire you won't be short of other options anyway.

 

The letter of Venetian's usual pre-purchase contract is quite strict about only remedying BSS stuff and what they call 'insurable defects', but in practice I got other minor stuff done at their expense as well as a newly reconditioned gearbox they probably had budgeted for.

 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, NB DW said:

 

 

Venetian own this boat and they're not brokering it.

If that is true you can but it with impunity. By law it MUST be as advertised, it MUST be  be  fit for pupose and you can return it within 30 days with 'no questions asked' and a full refund.

If the boat has any damage then the seller mut prove that you have done it subsequent to the sale, NOT that you have to prove it was done when you bought it.

 

Consumer Rights Act 2015 - Which? Consumer Rights

 

Read each section. then read it again.

 

Note :

 

You have six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland. 

This doesn't mean that a product has to last six years - just that you have this length of time in which to make a claim if a retailer refuses to repair or replace a faulty product. 

 

[NB DW]

Plenty of brokers within 10 mins or so, and even more within an hour.  I'm fortunate.

 

The boat's definitely owned by them.

 

I just don't want to put a deposit down on something I can't even set foot in.  I'm sure that as things get better with Covid, hopefully by summer, this'll have changed.

[Richard10002]

22 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If that is true you can but it with impunity. By law it MUST be as advertised, it MUST be  be  fit for pupose and you can return it within 30 days with 'no questions asked' and a full refund.

If the boat has any damage then the seller mut prove that you have done it subsequent to the sale, NOT that you have to prove it was done when you bought it.

 

Consumer Rights Act 2015 - Which? Consumer Rights

 

Read each section. then read it again.

 

Note :

 

You have six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland. 

This doesn't mean that a product has to last six years - just that you have this length of time in which to make a claim if a retailer refuses to repair or replace a faulty product. 

 

Good luck with that!

 

You give Venetian your money, they give you the boat. You discover the boat is "faulty"  so you return it citing the Act. They don't agree, don't give you your money back, and you need to take them to court to get it.

 

So they have the boat and your money for anything up to 9 months or so, (current climate), and you might not win. You should win, but you might not.

 

Buying with impunity is not recommended!

19 minutes ago, NB DW said:

Plenty of brokers within 10 mins or so, and even more within an hour.  I'm fortunate.

 

The boat's definitely owned by them.

 

I just don't want to put a deposit down on something I can't even set foot in.  I'm sure that as things get better with Covid, hopefully by summer, this'll have changed.

Are they saying you can view it once they have the deposit?

[NB DW]

3 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

Good luck with that!

 

You give Venetian your money, they give you the boat. You discover the boat is "faulty"  so you return it citing the Act. They don't agree, don't give you your money back, and you need to take them to court to get it.

 

So they have the boat and your money for anything up to 9 months or so, (current climate), and you might not win. You should win, but you might not.

 

Buying with impunity is not recommended!

Are they saying you can view it once they have the deposit?

 

Unfortunately, yes, that's right.

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

So they have the boat and your money for anything up to 9 months or so, (current climate), and you might not win. You should win, but you might not.

Whilton & Venetian's practices would make an estate agent blush, and even Del Boy would have second thoughts.

I have not only heard about their sharp practices, seen the reports from buyers whose boats have sunk on the way out of the marina following a survey by their 'pet' surveyor who can "come and do it today' you can be on your way by tea-time", but have actually been lied to by them when trying to buy a boat from them.

 

It would have to be a very special boat to get me to buy it from them - the Breakfast in the cafe is great, the boat sales is bordering on malpractice.

[LadyG]

I would remind you that the photographs show a well presented boat, ie Whilton does that job well. Do not give them your money until you have decided you might want to have your own surveyor do a full survey. You are the only person buying a boat at this time, they need your money, you can write your own 'contract'.

The current movement restrictions are an opportunity for you to visit boats which few others can do, don't waste the opportunity.

I don't like the enclosed bow particularly, OK for a couple seeking privacy perhaps, but I don't like it, there must be an escape route, so maybe it could be opened up on a spring morning.

PS it's overpriced, as all brokered boats, looks more interesting at £50K, assuming it passes survery with no major problems.

Bathroom area looks a bit sad.

Chairs are a good type, indicates the boat was owned by someone with a bit of common sense. 

Edited January 12, 2021 by LadyG

[doratheexplorer]

11 hours ago, NB DW said:

This came to market today.  It's 5 minutes away from where I live but viewings are not permitted even if it's going to be for a primary residence.  That is unless I put £1000 deposit down which is only refundable "if there's a problem at the survey".

 

https://www.venetianmarina.co.uk/used-narrowboats/details/5406.aspx

 

No chance I'm going down that route.

 

The steelwork at the bow was extended by Stephen Goldsborough in 2012 to extend the cabin and give a dedicated bed.  It's not something I've seen before but presumably has had a full repaint externally since?

 

Also not sure whether it was Stephen that did the work or done under the company which bought and used his name (so I understand).

 

Shame as it looks a good one.

Already showing as under offer.  I'm not surprised.  I really like that one.  If I was in the market for a new boat at around £50k, I'd be very interested, but would be asking a lots of questions and would expect some kind of virtual tour before putting down any deposit.

[NB DW2]

A quick update from a new account - I can't remember the password to my original account or the password to the email address I set up either(!) - I've packed it in with the analysis paralysis and put a deposit down on a boat today.  Although smaller than I'd originally wanted at 45ft, it ticks most of the other boxes on the list.  In August last year it was blasted and repainted all over including cabin sides and roof with 2 pack paint at a cost of £10k (I saw the invoice and breakdown and rang the boatyard to verify) so hoping for a sound survey.

 

If the survey comes back sound then I've a few bits to do that aren't strictly neccessary but would like to do to personalise it a bit.

 

The plan is to try it out for 12 months, taking in all the seasons and see how I get on.  If it doesn't work out and it's back to land then at least I'll have tried.

 

Thanks again for the advice.

[mrsmelly]

59 minutes ago, NB DW2 said:

A quick update from a new account - I can't remember the password to my original account or the password to the email address I set up either(!) - I've packed it in with the analysis paralysis and put a deposit down on a boat today.  Although smaller than I'd originally wanted at 45ft, it ticks most of the other boxes on the list.  In August last year it was blasted and repainted all over including cabin sides and roof with 2 pack paint at a cost of £10k (I saw the invoice and breakdown and rang the boatyard to verify) so hoping for a sound survey.

 

If the survey comes back sound then I've a few bits to do that aren't strictly neccessary but would like to do to personalise it a bit.

 

The plan is to try it out for 12 months, taking in all the seasons and see how I get on.  If it doesn't work out and it's back to land then at least I'll have tried.

 

Thanks again for the advice.

You do absolutely right. Better to have had a go than look back later in life wishing you had tried. We sold our last barely used house in 2007 and have lived aboard now over 30 years never regretted getting rid of the boring house. I am having to move back into a house soon due to health and the wife is gutted at leaving the much superior boating life. So at present boring myself to death looking at flippin houses to live in  The one small bit of good news is that I have a mooring if I want it for a small boat at sea near where I am looking to buy the boring house.

 

[NB DW2]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You do absolutely right. Better to have had a go than look back later in life wishing you had tried. We sold our last barely used house in 2007 and have lived aboard now over 30 years never regretted getting rid of the boring house. I am having to move back into a house soon due to health and the wife is gutted at leaving the much superior boating life. So at present boring myself to death looking at flippin houses to live in  The one small bit of good news is that I have a mooring if I want it for a small boat at sea near where I am looking to buy the boring house.

 

 

Thank you.  And sorry again to hear of your situation.  You're looking at down south, on the coast then?

 

Another visit this weekend to the dementia home taking care of my mum, reminding me how suddenly your life when aged mid-50s can take a horrible turn, spurred me on with putting down the deposit.  As you say, I'd rather at "at least I tried" even if it does work out.  Over the next 12 months I'll be fortunate enough to stick away in the bank the equivalant of a house price increase of the sort of houses in my range.  In 12 months that boat's value's not likely to have dropped significantly, so maybe a no loss no gain scenario if it doesn't work for me.

 

I'm no economist but I cannot believe the house price growth in the UK is going to sustain at current levels for too much longer.  We're due a cyclical dip and the economic impact of Covid isn't known because it's not really happened yet.  What's happened so far is immediate collateral damage, and that's different to medium/long-term damage. 

 

When the house sold I cleared what were fairly small personal debts and a credit card which had just finished a 2 year interest free period.  I own a nice enough car outright and owe nothing to anyone, which is quite a nice feeling.

 

I've just been pricing up storage units.  The robbing bastards.  Reason enough to sell stuff on rather than pay £100-150 a month to store it.  It'll be cheaper to actually replace it in the long run than store it!