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Boat Depreciation/Appreciation

Blackcountrymon

By Blackcountrymon
in New to Boating?

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Chewbacka Veteran

Chewbacka

Posted
Posted

I'd go with Alan's suggestion and start at £37.5k with a view to ending at £40k (which I suspect is where he expects to end up). Obviously subject to survey.

 

Of course, in the final analysis it depends on what it's worth to you, not anyone else.

 

Good luck.

 

Tony

I trust the owner is not reading this as he can now guess that you will settle for a little over £40kclapping.gif

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Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

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I've been to the marina and looked at the costs of permanent mooring there, and compared to rent in the area it's cheap, even allowing for blacking and other maintenance. The work of emptying the loo and so on I think of as like doing the recycling, which is frankly a pita! Seriously, I'm in a high-cost area, the cheapest 2-bed flat I can find is in a not too nice area, no outside space, and it's well over the cost of the mooring, the electricity, the diesel, saving for maintenance, the licence and insurance all put together. On top of the rent there'd be council tax, utilities and so on and I would be paying double to live before I even put petrol in the car or food on our plates.

 

We are all-weather campers, not deterred by hard work and the outdoors, so that side of it doesn't phase me. But I just want to make sure that I get a sensible boat we can enjoy living on, and one which if I do move back onto land will be saleable, and if I don't will not cause me too many worries (all homes have their maintenance costs).

You are saying that a two bedroom flat in your area is too expensive, how much is a bed sitter in your area, as that is what you will be getting with a boat.

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Delta9 Experienced

Delta9

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You are saying that a two bedroom flat in your area is too expensive, how much is a bed sitter in your area, as that is what you will be getting with a boat.

Living in a bedsit is very different to living in a boat. Bedsits are usually stacked on top of each other with very close and often noisy neighbours. They are also often in less desirable areas. I'd say a boat was more comparable to a very small detached cottage. I'd take a tiny boat over a bedsit any day.

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dmr Veteran II

dmr

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You are saying that a two bedroom flat in your area is too expensive, how much is a bed sitter in your area, as that is what you will be getting with a boat.

 

Don't be so silly Mr Booth! You well know that even your tiny little Springer is 1000 times better than any bedsit!!!! ....and if you moved it back to the K&A you could get a whole family living in it quite easily, plus two or three dogs and a couple of cats.

 

...............Dave (probably doing the BCN in Vox this year so going to give you a serious challenge!)

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Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

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Don't be so silly Mr Booth! You well know that even your tiny little Springer is 1000 times better than any bedsit!!!! ....and if you moved it back to the K&A you could get a whole family living in it quite easily, plus two or three dogs and a couple of cats.

 

...............Dave (probably doing the BCN in Vox this year so going to give you a serious challenge!)

Must admit I'd rather have my boat than a bed sit. Is Goliath (Glen) doing the challenge this year. Looking forward to seeing you all on the challenge.

:)

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

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Posted (edited)

Oh, they had an offer from each viewer over the weekend. I expect someone offered the asking price or has the money in the bank (my house sale hasn't gone through yet).

 

That'll be quite a constraint on your ability to buy.

 

You look to make an offer on the boat when you have either the cash in the bank or finance agreed.

Sellers will expect the full amount within (maybe) 24 hours of having the survey, which in turn could be within a few days of your offer.

 

Buying a boat is not like a house, there will be no 'chain'. It is a 'cash now' purchase.

 

Keep viewing but don't waste the sellers time, you may not sell your house for 6 months, a year or ???

I would be a 'little unhappy' had I made a trip to show my boat and the potential buyer said "O' by the way I don't have any money at the moment"

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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bottle Veteran II

bottle

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Sorry to say I can only echo Alan's post.

 

You appear to be in the 'Catch 22' situation.

 

You need to sell the house and have the money available, probably need a bolt hole in between, otherwise you will also be under pressure to buy a boat and probably not the correct one.

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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If you want a cheap house then a widebeam is good, if you want the boaty life then it must be narrow, you can't be a boaty boat if you can't go to Birmingham!

 

That's not necessarily true. I've covered more miles around the system on my widebeam than many people I know have done on their narrowboats. My life is far more "boaty" than a lot of narrowboaters I see who don't really have a clue.

 

Most narrowboats have never been taken out on a river, a tidal river or an estuary... I guess it depends what you mean by "boaty" - for you it's Birmingham. wink.png

Edited by blackrose
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dmr Veteran II

dmr

Posted
Posted

 

That's not necessarily true. I've covered more miles around the system on my widebeam than many people I know have done on their narrowboats. My life is far more "boaty" than a lot of narrowboaters I see who don't really have a clue.

 

Most narrowboats have never been taken out on a river, a tidal river or an estuary... I guess it depends what you mean by "boaty" - for you it's Birmingham. wink.png

 

I was been intentionally over dramatic (and provocative). I suspect some newcomers choose a widebeam because its an easier transition from a house and they don't really appreciate how limiting it might be, both in the segmentation of the wide canal system, and because it is harder to move a widebeam, especially on a congested canal. I think its not best for the canals when people move here with the sole desire to live on a boat rather than to have in an interest in boats.

 

I don't deny that your boat is more suited to the Thames than ours. If I was a rich man, and younger, I would have a pair for the canals and a dutch barge for the rivers.

Its a little sad that, as you say, many narrowboats never venture out a bit more. The Thames and the Nene/middle level/Ouse are probably my favourite bits of boating, they even beat the K&A and Birmingham.

 

..............Dave

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Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

Oh, they had an offer from each viewer over the weekend. I expect someone offered the asking price or has the money in the bank (my house sale hasn't gone through yet).

I think you will have to sell your house, then rent a one bed flat, then look for a boat with cash in hand. Whereabouts are you trying to live?

Edited by Laurie.Booth
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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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Posted (edited)

 

I was been intentionally over dramatic (and provocative). I suspect some newcomers choose a widebeam because its an easier transition from a house and they don't really appreciate how limiting it might be, both in the segmentation of the wide canal system, and because it is harder to move a widebeam, especially on a congested canal. I think its not best for the canals when people move here with the sole desire to live on a boat rather than to have in an interest in boats.

 

I don't deny that your boat is more suited to the Thames than ours. If I was a rich man, and younger, I would have a pair for the canals and a dutch barge for the rivers.

Its a little sad that, as you say, many narrowboats never venture out a bit more. The Thames and the Nene/middle level/Ouse are probably my favourite bits of boating, they even beat the K&A and Birmingham.

 

..............Dave

I don't share your sadness that some boats don't move very much. My boat is often moored for months on end without moving. It doesn't make me feel sad - I've just got other things going on in my life. Imagine if everyone moved their boats all the time - the congestion would be horrendous.

 

Unlike a lot of people on this forum I really don't think the desire to live on a boat and having an interest in boats necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. Indeed one interest can often lead directly to the other. I know some people who just live on their boats and have no real interest in boats or the waterways, however I'd bet there are more of those types on narrowboats than widebeams - simply because there are many more people living on narrowboats.

 

Anyway, it's up to people to do what they want with their boats, just as they do with their cars or even their hats. I don't feel sad because I see a car parked in a driveway that never moves or because I have a trilby hat that I never wear.

Edited by blackrose
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boathunter Rising Star

boathunter

Posted
Posted

Even if you have cash in hand, it's still possible to miss out as I did recently. A boat sold from under my nose for £2K less than I'd suggested prior to viewing (not offered) because the more experienced buyer skipped the survey. This takes away any doubt about the firmness of the sale, it's done and dusted without delay so I can see why the vendor readily accepted.

 

Good advice is for life in general is don't be panicked into action you may regret later.

 

Sell house, buy camper - great for travelling about boat viewing. :)

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Witchword Collaborator

Witchword

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Posted (edited)

Every week since mid January I've been assured that we are on the point of exchanging contracts huh.png , so I keep on looking. I am in earnest and have money to offer as a deposit, and I haven't hidden the situation from anyone. Problem is, the house I live in now I rented with someone who turned around five weeks in and let me down very badly. So it's a stressful living situation and the sooner I have somewhere else to go, the better. I don't really want to go into more details here.

 

I'm not in Gloucester. It's more expensive where I am. Besides which, I'd need a second bedroom in a flat.

Edited by Witchword
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