BEGINNER NEED ADVISE

[paul34235353]

I'm looking for some advise and possibly a mooring if i can get one I'm thinking about living on a boat full time have found out their is 3 options one is a standard mooring witch seems no good as that will not allow me to live on the boat 2- get a residential mooring but these seem like gold dust. 3- do cruising continuously i work in Skipton but its possible my job in the call enter may change from place to place in west Yorkshire/Leeds area. i currently rent in armley in Leeds and one other thing I'm debating what type of boat i could buy I've been looking at cruisers witch seem little but wider than a narrow boat but their not wide beam boats been looking at second hand in the region of a prince not above 20,000. and i have to consider depreciation values been told narrow boats don't really go down in price but what about cruisers do they loose values I'm a total beginner so need as much advise as possible i did look at caravans to live in but again you cant live 12 months a year in the caravan parks. have you any advise i would appreciate it. plus if you know any one or people selling could you give me details tahks again.

 

thanks with regards

 

 

i have 3 options in terms of boat a cheap small barge a cruiser or long boat witch is the best to go for and i have looked recently at american motor homes in terms of an investment witch is the best buy in terms of getting a return in case if later want sell then use the money for a deposit on a house if i can afford one..

 

but their is the issue of getting a mooring in westyorkshire ie leeds. and get a decent boat at good price im looking to spend between 15000-20000.

 

also ADVISE ABOUT CRUISING WOULD BE HELP FULL PLEASE- as it seems so complicated, but some seem to manage

 

any one can help please reply any comments are welcome just leave a message dont be shy leave any comment weather it be good or bad

 

thanks for your time.

Edited April 25, 2007 by paul34235353

[fuzzyduck]

i have 3 options in terms of boat a cheap small barge a cruiser or long boat witch is the best to go for and i have looked recently at american motor homes in terms of an investment witch is the best buy in terms of getting a return in case if later want sell then use the money for a deposit on a house if i can afford one..

 

Oh noes, Duck!!!!

 

my 2p worth

 

I cannot comment on barges or longboats, but cruisers tend to hold their price pretty well.

 

if you buy a boat for 20k now, you'll get close to 20k for it when its sold a few years later. (If you look after it)

[Keeping Up]

Paul there is no point in cross-posting the same topic in multiple places, it can only lead to confusion. I have deleted the other 3 threads which contained the same posting, as they had no replies in them.

 

You had already asked the same question in two postings before. If you don't get an answer that you like, there is no point n continuing to ask it again. Be assured that the members of this forum will do their best to answer your question, if you just ask it once.

 

Allan

[Liam]

You want to live aboard. Why?

 

"Cos it's cheap, init" ?

[howardang]

It strikes me that you're not particularly interested in boating but rather you are looking for cheap housing. This may explain why you're not getting a very positive response from this forum. Maybe the residential Boatowners Association web site may be of help at http://www.rboa.org.uk/

 

Howard Anguish

[Moley]

Can I examine your motives and ask why you are considering the waterways?

 

Have you been on boats, caught the bug, love the waterways and want to be a part of that lifestyle, or have you seen people living on boats on programmes such as WaterWorld and thought it might be cool, or a cheap accommodation option?

 

If you're looking to spend £15 - £20k on a boat (as we did), chances are it will need work and you will probably have to spend another £5k on it in the first year (as we did). Could you afford that, and how are your DIY skills?

 

The cost of the boat is only the start, then there's your licence (around £500/year) and if you're trying to hold down a regular land-based job that rules out CCing or bridge-hopping, so you're looking for moorings (say £1000/year).

 

If you look after it, you should get your money back if you decide to sell.

 

I don't know about costs or depreciation, but I'd have thought the motorhome could be a far more flexible solution to your question.

[fuzzyduck]

It's not cheaper than living on land.

 

but it can be a cheap way of owning the space you're living in. init

 

surely a motorhome will suffer from depreciation more than a boat.

Edited April 25, 2007 by fuzzyduck

[Liam]

You want to live aboard. Why?

 

"Cos it's cheap, init" ?

I know it's rather strange to quote yourself! but I wanted to put my point across. My point being that people come up with this bright idea that living on a boat is cheaper than buying or renting, when, in fact, it's not. This is somebody who obviously has no interest in canals, boating or whatever. There are plenty of these sort clogging up the waterways already.

[fuzzyduck]

This is somebody who obviously has no interest in canals, boating or whatever. There are plenty of these sort clogging up the waterways already.

 

With due respect.

 

How the blazes do you know that?

 

I honestly didn't realise we had to pass some kind of test to be accepted here. The man's come, and asked a question, so lets answer it. If he decides it's not for him then fine, but who the hell are we to decide who gets to live on the waterways?

Edited April 25, 2007 by fuzzyduck

[Liam]

My point being that people come up with this bright idea that living on a boat is cheaper than buying or renting, when, in fact, it's not. This is somebody who obviously has no interest in canals, boating or whatever. There are plenty of these sort clogging up the waterways already.

 

In Paul's case, I don't.

 

By saying "This is somebody..." I was actually referring to the "The people that come up with this bright idea that living on a boat is cheaper than..." and wasn't talking about Paul directly. Apologies if it appears this way.

[bottle]

Hi Paul

 

I think Moley has it summed up, to live on a boat (no matter what type) you have to love boating first, second and third.

 

It is not a cheap option, the boat will not gain value.

 

You may be able to sell it for what you buy it but with taking inflation in to account, you lose money.

 

Houses, at the moment, are rising in price faster than inflation, so a boat, caravan, motorhome are not a good investment to buy a house later.

 

I may be reading your posts wrongly and if I am I apologise, but you appear to be looking for a 'cheap option' to live in, boating is not it.

[anhar]

With due respect.

 

How the blazes do you know that?

 

I honestly didn't realise we had to pass some kind of test to be accepted here. The man's come, and asked a question, so lets answer it. If he decides it's not for him then fine, but who the hell are we to decide who gets to live on the waterways?

The original question was phrased in terms clearly suggesting that it was all about money. That's how the blazes it was known. Read it again, it talks of comparing boats with caravans on the basis of cost and potential resale value and generally the whole thing is not expressed in the terms of someone who has an interest in canals, but definitely in the terms of someone just seeking a cheap home.

 

Whether Paul genuinely has an interest in the waterways or not we cannot know for sure, but what we do know is that he did not indicate as much in his message, on the contrary he concentrated on the money side of it thus giving the unequivocal impression to the rest of us that this was his principal concern.

 

Paul, if your interest in boats is essentially because you believe them to be a cheap alternative in which to live than property then forget it. They are not cheaper and may even be dearer, plus you have a lot less space for the money. And in addition to no savings in cost, they are great deal more work to maintain and more things to go wrong, especially an older boat. Your motivation for living on a canal boat must primarily be because you enjoy it, money apart. I think most of us will give you similar advice.

 

regards

Steve

Edited April 26, 2007 by anhar

[StoneHenge]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always thought to live on a boat, you have live, sleep and breathe them to the point of obsession to truly love it and appreciate it. The same with canals.

 

I think most people on here have that 'bug' like an irritating itch that one go until you do that thing. Whether you own a boat to holiday on, live on one, or simple have a little cruiser to enjoy the waterways, that's how it was.

 

I think a lot of people are misguided by programmes and the idea that it's all pretty sitting by the water and doing nothing else, living on beer and bacon butties and it costs nothing.

 

Well, I'm sure most of enjoy sitting by the water with beer and bacon butties, but not without large holes in wallets.

 

Paul, I think if you do want to do it, you need to ask yourself why, and if you would really enjoy boating, and all that entails, because it's a lot of work keeping a boat, and it's not always cheaper than a house. If you've done some boating (but it sounds as if you haven't), then fine, but otherwise you would be wise to go on a holiday in a boat, and really see if you like it. Summer is great, but winter brings a whole new dimension, and it needs some serious consideration. We did, for years before we took the plunge, and after experiencing boats before and holidays on them.

 

Research, talk to people who own boats, whether on towpath moorings or in marina's, and get their advice, opinions, everyone is friendly enough and will give you lots of tips, but don't see it as a cheaper form of housing, because you would have one heck of a shock.

 

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[fuzzyduck]

I agree with the money aspect of it. (Vs buying) I'd like to see the figures V renting, especially some of the shocking rented properties in the leeds / bradford area (with their massive heating costs etc.)

 

BUT.

 

even if he is looking at it purely in terms of money, this forum describes itself as thus in the newbie section

 

Thanks for joining the Canal World Discussion Forums! We are a friendly bunch, so don't hesitate to get posting. Your contribution is very welcome and we will be happy to help you with any queries that you have.

We can't start intimating the guy is some kind of guttersnipe, just for asking the question which

You want to live aboard. Why? "Cos it's cheap, init" ?

does. It does us no credit. Edited April 26, 2007 by fuzzyduck

[Matthew Dowson]

First off I'd go and rent a hire boat for a weeks holiday, there are two in Skipton, you never know you might hate it! Or if you know someone with one join them for a few days, some might say that contemplating spending £20K if you've not even spent 7 days living on one is a bit rash, (I'm assuming no prior boating whatsoever). But if you do like it, see if you can get a boat which already comes with a mooring, nose around the Skipton/Bingley area for a start, walk along the canal, you often see a 'for sale' notice in the window.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Matthew Dowson

[Moley]

We can't start intimating the guy is some kind of guttersnipe, just for asking the question

 

And that's why I phrased my reply carefully, and tried to remain civil, and asked to examine his motivation, even though everyone appears to have jumped to the same conclusion that I had.

 

edit: Not that he's a guttersnipe or has no business considering the waterways, but that he's looking for some cheap form of roof over his head, that he can call his own, and I wish him the very best of luck whatever he chooses.

 

Unfortunately, WaterWorld and the like have spent four or five entire series on what an idyllic lifestyle it can be for young couples starting with their first fit-out, although to their credit they did devote the last 5 minutes of the last programme of the last series to talking about mooring issues (scarcity thereof) and how life's not always rosy, especially in Winter.

 

But, with the way the housing market is going, what chance has a first-time buyer got? I suppose we have a reasonable joint income, but certainly wouldn't be able to get much in bricks & mortar if we were starting out today, maybe a miniscule apartment, and that would hurt, so pressure on the waterways is only going to get worse.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Moley

[Lady Muck]

It's not just money, it's maintenance. Most of us here live quite cheaply, but we are all very handy (one of us is a welder and strips out and refits old boats for a living, another one is a central heating engineer and is handy at fixing anything, gennies, fridges, you name it). If you want to do it cheaper, you have to learn the skills and put the graft in otherwise it could be like living in a damp and slowly sinking shed. For many of us here it is a cheap way of life, but I'm talking about people who have the skills to build their own boats! We saved a lot of money on heating in the winter, but that was a lot of time spent chopping wood.

FWIW we LOVE it, lots of people thought we'd hate it, but we have a newer boat (I think it might have been a pricier and different experience in an older boat) and a mooring. I think it helps that we are boat bonkers too, especially my partner, he comes from a family that have had a lifetimes involvement with the canals and was driving boats soon as he could see over the roof.

 

Hire a boat and see what you think. I have friends who come with us EVERY time we cruise because they love it so much and relatives who will jump on for ten minutes if they must, and that's it.

[Carrie]

Hi Paul

My advice would be to get chatting to people along the canal, who live on their boats full time. Ask them the pros and cons and whether you can get away with moving around a bit but stay in your job. I'd try and hire one for a few days to get a feel for it, cos it's a lot of money to lay out if you find it cramped or not for you. I bet you soon fall in love with it though! It's a slow and peaceful existence.

If you do the moving around bit, it's much cheaper than living in a house, but if you are staying put in one place and paying for a mooring, you will also need to pay council tax (as you are using local facilities) and this ups the costs. You may be in an area which is well-patrolled by British Waterways and they could hassle you a lot if you are not genuinely moving around the waterways system.

Don't forget maintenance costs. You will need to have your boat taken out of the water every couple of years to have the bottom cleaned and coated with 'blacking' or it will lose value and get rusty. (That costs about £500) The yearly licence will cost you roughly the same, plus insurance on top. Still cheaper than a house I reckon!

 

Have you checked out the SEARCH tab at the top yet? There's bound to be everything you want to ask, covered in past threads. Good luck!

[paul34235353]

Hi Paul

My advice would be to get chatting to people along the canal, who live on their boats full time. Ask them the pros and cons and whether you can get away with moving around a bit but stay in your job. I'd try and hire one for a few days to get a feel for it, cos it's a lot of money to lay out if you find it cramped or not for you. I bet you soon fall in love with it though! It's a slow and peaceful existence.

If you do the moving around bit, it's much cheaper than living in a house, but if you are staying put in one place and paying for a mooring, you will also need to pay council tax (as you are using local facilities) and this ups the costs. You may be in an area which is well-patrolled by British Waterways and they could hassle you a lot if you are not genuinely moving around the waterways system.

Don't forget maintenance costs. You will need to have your boat taken out of the water every couple of years to have the bottom cleaned and coated with 'blacking' or it will lose value and get rusty. (That costs about £500) The yearly licence will cost you roughly the same, plus insurance on top. Still cheaper than a house I reckon!

 

Have you checked out the SEARCH tab at the top yet? There's bound to be everything you want to ask, covered in past threads. Good luck!

 

 

 

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thanks every one for their comments and for the onces not being very nice just think what it is like to have a poor income constanly moving house because the landlord increases the rent or wants to sell the house for the past 3 years i have had to move house very 6 months.yes i see owning a boat as a cheaper way to buying a house and to put it straight the bank would only lend me a max of 30-40k for a mortgage what chance do i have to live i pay 300 pounds a month on rent and if got a loan max being 25,000 i could get a nice second hand boat but the rules to find a place to live make me sick and i think most people who are first time buyers with no money low income and high house prices its depressing

 

I've looked at living on boats and caravans but their again the laws prevent me living in a caravan 12 months a year and i bet their is rool regarding a motor home too whats wrong with the gouverment they are not helping first time buyers i dont want house share or buy 50% of a house its just not fair, so i found another soulation a boat. and befor you guys say any thing my dad works and moraless works on boats and the sheer size you could never imagine, so i do know a little i cant see the cost of running a bout to exceed more than 300 a month and at least i would own it through the loan of course from a credit company or bank. im looking for a way out of having to rent none stop moving from place to place, cant some guys understand that and i would have loved to be a captin of a boat i guess its the nearest to being captin kirk on the enterprize, might even name the boat enterprize hah., its just very depressing the housing especially considering that my aut bout a semi for 20,000 like 20 years ago todays market is just not good to low wage people. i work hard in my finance job but cant afford to by any thing i been looking at caravan/ but not allowed to live in them 100% of the year so i did look at living on a boat nothing wrong in that is their??? i do love nature as into wildlife photography so i was looking for a soultion looks like a dead end regarding caravans/houses and even boats i better off buy some land and steal some stone a bricks and bild my self a place to live., and learn diy skills, but living on a boat seems the cheaper option but getting a marine seems very hard. i dont know what I'm going to do if I;ll be renting till i die, unless a house crash happens.

[cheshire~rose]

i dont want house share or buy 50% of a house

 

I can sympathise with you!

 

I have been forced into a situation where I had to rent for 7 years now and in that time I have twice had home moves enforced upon me through no fault of my own.

 

I considered the option of a boat good and hard and that is where my heart lies but I would need a mooring close enough to work to make it an option that would work for me and as they are as rare as hens teeth I have given up the idea of a boat

 

I wonder why you do not want to go down the route of shared ownership? I had considered this and was going to go for one (my circumstances have changed and I can now 'just' afford a modest flat on a mortgage)

 

Whilst I can fully understand your desire to be on a boat if you are simply doing so from a finacial point of view you may well find there are some surprises along the route which will be expensive ones and if you were to go for shared ownership then at least your 50% share of your home would keep pace with the rest of the housing market.

[AJLintern]

You're not the only one in this situation - just be thankful you don't live in the south! All you can do is either live with your parents/house share with mates/shared ownership/marry a rich girl!

[Alastair]

I too have much sympathy for your situation. I have kids your age, one living with us still, one living down south. She works hard, but her and her boyfriend can't even afford a flat atm.

 

The day-to-day costs of living on a boat can be higher than a house. If you are prepared to be very very frugal (always gather your own wood, be sparing with gas for hot water, etc), it can be cheapish. My first narrowboat was 11k, a few years ago. It was fine for just me. A table to sit at, a shower, a bed, a kitchen. But no room for friends to visit, and living with a porta loo can get wearisome.

 

I suggest you look at housing associations - buying 50% of a flat is a start, and it is *yours*.

 

Living on a boat is a precarious existence.