Making life better by water

[Tanglewood]

Was speaking to an estate agent acquaintance, who regularly cycles the tow-path, for fun, about the bright new re-branding, and asked whether it would be something he could use when selling coal-side houses.  He looked completely bewildered, knew nothing about the new desired outcome from CRT, said he supposed it might be worth thinking about.  Generally completely underwhelmed.  Seems the priorities are still proximity to:

• coast, 
• train station and connectivity - but not having to motor the M25, M23, M6
• decent school
• pub, if its a village

He really did not think that proximity to a canal cut the mustard

 

You'd have thought CRT marketing might have directly reached out to Estate Agents, but what do I know .....

[erivers]

It might be better if they reached out to an Employment Agency to find some competent management. ?

[dmr]

13 minutes ago, Tanglewood said:

Was speaking to an estate agent acquaintance, who regularly cycles the tow-path, for fun, about the bright new re-branding, and asked whether it would be something he could use when selling coal-side houses.  He looked completely bewildered, knew nothing about the new desired outcome from CRT, said he supposed it might be worth thinking about.  Generally completely underwhelmed.  Seems the priorities are still proximity to:

• coast, 
• train station and connectivity - but not having to motor the M25, M23, M6
• decent school
• pub, if its a village

He really did not think that proximity to a canal cut the mustard

 

You'd have thought CRT marketing might have directly reached out to Estate Agents, but what do I know .....

There is a town plan and referendum about it going on in Northwich right now. It makes very interesting reading. In a survey about the town just about everybody said the towns most important features are its rivers and water frontage, and what they would like to see is.........

 

.............More Boats.

 

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

[Chewbacka]

3 minutes ago, dmr said:

There is a town plan and referendum about it going on in Northwich right now. It makes very interesting reading. In a survey about the town just about everybody said the towns most important features are its rivers and water frontage, and what they would like to see is.........

 

.............More Boats.

 

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

But nice bright tidy boats not those ..............

[Tanglewood]

4 hours ago, Tanglewood said:

selling coal-side houses.

Mmmm..  too late to edit - and can't quite believe this extremely quick forum did not pick up on it before.  Apologies to all, but well done everyone for joining the dots, so to speak.  I did of course mean 'canal-side' !!

[MtB]

6 hours ago, dmr said:

There is a town plan and referendum about it going on in Northwich right now. It makes very interesting reading. In a survey about the town just about everybody said the towns most important features are its rivers and water frontage, and what they would like to see is.........

 

.............More Boats.

 

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

 

Yes but if pressed, I bet this would come with the proviso that they are boats passing though. Not moored bow to stern for miles along the towpath blocking the view of the moving boats.

[dmr]

34 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yes but if pressed, I bet this would come with the proviso that they are boats passing though. Not moored bow to stern for miles along the towpath blocking the view of the moving boats.

Often true, but Northwich is on a big river and except for the little marina (that the locals like to walk past and look at) there is only one public mooring with space for about 8 boats. They have just built a huge new (and mostly empty) shopping centre with a sort of avenue leading down to a deserted bit of river, everbody wanted pontoons and moorings there but it did not happen. Just up river there is a good collection of working boats, both wide and narrow plus that lovely Kennet tug, but sadly can only be seen by boat, out of sight of the locals.

 

A few locals walk down to the moorings (a dead end footpath) to look at the boats and talk to the boaters.

 

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

[Murflynn]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Yes but if pressed, I bet this would come with the proviso that they are boats passing though. Not moored bow to stern for miles along the towpath blocking the view of the moving boats.

IMHO all residential (static live-aboard) boats should be moored in marinas, giving the rest of us the opportunity to navigate at a reasonable speed (fast walking pace will do), only having to slow down for the occasional moored navigator, and to moor where we like for a mid-day or overnight stop, including using water point pontoons for their intended purpose.   

 

that is why I hate my local canal - the western end of the K&A, and prefer to trail my boat to enjoy the relatively unspoilt Thames.

 

the wonderful folk who restored the canals had navigation in mind, not squatting, legalised or otherwise.   

 

I could make the same comments about folk who believe that roads were built to allow them free permanent parking outside their house or to allow them to park all day outside someone else's house while they hitch a lift with a mate or get the bus (which is why I strongly support residents' parking schemes where parking is designated and limited), instead of being built to create a means of access to everyone's house, especially for the emergency services.

 

 

.............................  coat 

[magictime]

9 hours ago, Tanglewood said:

Was speaking to an estate agent acquaintance, who regularly cycles the tow-path, for fun, about the bright new re-branding, and asked whether it would be something he could use when selling coal-side houses.  He looked completely bewildered, knew nothing about the new desired outcome from CRT, said he supposed it might be worth thinking about.  Generally completely underwhelmed.  Seems the priorities are still proximity to:

• coast, 
• train station and connectivity - but not having to motor the M25, M23, M6
• decent school
• pub, if its a village

He really did not think that proximity to a canal cut the mustard

 

You'd have thought CRT marketing might have directly reached out to Estate Agents, but what do I know .....

Weird. Developers clearly think canalside homes are desirable, or they wouldn't be building so many and making such a feature of balconies and gardens overlooking the water. And I've cruised past an awful lot of houses whose owners are very much making the most of the setting with decked seating areas etc.

[BWM]

1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

IMHO all residential (static live-aboard) boats should be moored in marinas, giving the rest of us the opportunity to navigate at a reasonable speed (fast walking pace will do), only having to slow down for the occasional moored navigator, and to moor where we like for a mid-day or overnight stop, including using water point pontoons for their intended purpose.   

 

that is why I hate my local canal - the western end of the K&A, and prefer to trail my boat to enjoy the relatively unspoilt Thames.

 

the wonderful folk who restored the canals had navigation in mind, not squatting, legalised or otherwise.   

 

I could make the same comments about folk who believe that roads were built to allow them free permanent parking outside their house or to allow them to park all day outside someone else's house while they hitch a lift with a mate or get the bus (which is why I strongly support residents' parking schemes where parking is designated and limited), instead of being built to create a means of access to everyone's house, especially for the emergency services.

 

 

.............................  coat 

Are you one of those who needs to leave a couple of traffic cones outside your house to prevent anyone else from parking on the public highway? Whilst I sympathise with the enormous stretches filled with boats that move less than your average garden snail, i'm not sure that the answer is to put us all on 'reservations'.

[Chewbacka]

16 minutes ago, BWM said:

Are you one of those who needs to leave a couple of traffic cones outside your house to prevent anyone else from parking on the public highway? Whilst I sympathise with the enormous stretches filled with boats that move less than your average garden snail, i'm not sure that the answer is to put us all on 'reservations'.

‘Reservations’ or ghettos??

[MtB]

"Making life better by water"...

 

 

The way things are going I predict they'll change this shortly to:

 

 

"Making life better by empty ditches"

 

 

[dmr]

3 hours ago, Murflynn said:

IMHO all residential (static live-aboard) boats should be moored in marinas, giving the rest of us the opportunity to navigate at a reasonable speed (fast walking pace will do), only having to slow down for the occasional moored navigator, and to moor where we like for a mid-day or overnight stop, including using water point pontoons for their intended purpose.   

 

that is why I hate my local canal - the western end of the K&A, and prefer to trail my boat to enjoy the relatively unspoilt Thames.

 

the wonderful folk who restored the canals had navigation in mind, not squatting, legalised or otherwise.   

 

I could make the same comments about folk who believe that roads were built to allow them free permanent parking outside their house or to allow them to park all day outside someone else's house while they hitch a lift with a mate or get the bus (which is why I strongly support residents' parking schemes where parking is designated and limited), instead of being built to create a means of access to everyone's house, especially for the emergency services.

 

 

.............................  coat 

Don't ever go to Bristol, my children have three "liveaboards" squatting in their road almost outside their house, two vans and a caravan. Their attitude is interesting, its inconvenient because it takes up parking spaces in a congested road, but people need to live somewhere.

 

Anyway, I am tempted to agree with you, I would say no mooring at all on any canal and no speed limits so that leisure boaters can get to their favourite pub (reserved mooring) at top speed. ?

 

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

[Boater Sam]

The sooner we get rid of all the linear moorings the better, stack the boats up in marina parks and block the exit and then we can all get back to waterskiing on the canals.

 

This is no dafter than saying we cannot moor on the bank, anywhere other than outside a pub.

[Chewbacka]

6 hours ago, dmr said:

Don't ever go to Bristol, my children have three "liveaboards" squatting in their road almost outside their house, two vans and a caravan. Their attitude is interesting, its inconvenient because it takes up parking spaces in a congested road, but people need to live somewhere.

 

Anyway, I am tempted to agree with you, I would say no mooring at all on any canal and no speed limits so that leisure boaters can get to their favourite pub (reserved mooring) at top speed. ?

 

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

I guess your children are renting as a house owner may not be so tolerant when they realise having caravans outside ones house just knocked fifty grand of the house value......

[Murflynn]

9 hours ago, BWM said:

Are you one of those who needs to leave a couple of traffic cones outside your house to prevent anyone else from parking on the public highway? Whilst I sympathise with the enormous stretches filled with boats that move less than your average garden snail, i'm not sure that the answer is to put us all on 'reservations'.

err  ........  no.  precisely the reverse.   I have no rights to the kerb outside my house .... but it is not a long term parking area either. 

 

I have no objection to a reasonable amount of parking, but when folk live on a typical 20ft wide residential road, and then park on both sides - well you do the maths - can an 8ft wide fire engine get through?  Do you remember the good old days when parking was allowed on only one side of the street between 8 and 6, alternating the side every day, so no-one could use the street as a long-term car park, and there was always room for the fire engine, and for people to pass each other while driving through?  Now almost everyone has a car or two, but many have nowhere to park them - does that make sense?  Perhaps it makes sense for the auto industry but not for the environment.

 

[fretman]

Just about to put my canal side cottage on the market, had the estate agents in,, not a clue regards canal properties, or there opportunities.

[BWM]

1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

err  ........  no.  precisely the reverse.   I have no rights to the kerb outside my house .... but it is not a long term parking area either. 

 

I have no objection to a reasonable amount of parking, but when folk live on a typical 20ft wide residential road, and then park on both sides - well you do the maths - can an 8ft wide fire engine get through?  Do you remember the good old days when parking was allowed on only one side of the street between 8 and 6, alternating the side every day, so no-one could use the street as a long-term car park, and there was always room for the fire engine, and for people to pass each other while driving through?  Now almost everyone has a car or two, but many have nowhere to park them - does that make sense?  Perhaps it makes sense for the auto industry but not for the environment.

 

I was making comment on the parallel you had made between people's mooring and parking, both it seems inconvenient for your requirements. If you separate either issue, of course there are problems, but your suggested solution to the situation on the canal is both extreme and absurd. 

  Resident parking schemes are fine in theory, but flawed in practice. One problem is as you mentioned above, people often have more vehicles than drivers, the second is that it encourages residents to view the public space in front of their home as theirs, some leaving cones and other bric a brac in the street and others vandalising any vehicles left there.

[Murflynn]

2 hours ago, BWM said:

 

  Resident parking schemes are fine in theory, but flawed in practice. One problem is as you mentioned above, people often have more vehicles than drivers, the second is that it encourages residents to view the public space in front of their home as theirs, some leaving cones and other bric a brac in the street and others vandalising any vehicles left there.

my god, I wouldn't want to live in your area, lovely friendly cooperative neighbours apparently (NOT!).   

 

I can't see how having to pay to park in a designated area suggests that the place outside your house belongs to you.  And if the resident wants to pay for more than one vehicle, that's up to him.  I can't see that is a problem.  The problem is having several vehicles dumped permanently on the road when the owner has not made any responsible plan to accommodate them, and there is no pay-for-parking scheme in force.  

[Peter X]

The OP's friend is an estate agent, and in my experience few of them are really good at listening to their clients to find out what they want. I've often felt that what I was telling an agent about my likes and dislikes went in one ear and out the other, they had their stupid assumptions about the market in general and me in particular in their heads and weren't going to change them. I'm sure that a flat which overlooks a canal will attract a higher price or rent, and that developers know this, as there are plenty of canal side blocks of flats going up where they can get permission.

But there are quite a lot of canal side properties where the owner doesn't appear to appreciate what they have, sometimes to the extent that they blank off the canal at the end of a garden with a wall, fence, or just dense undergrowth. 

[Mike Todd]

6 hours ago, Murflynn said:

err  ........  no.  precisely the reverse.   I have no rights to the kerb outside my house .... but it is not a long term parking area either. 

 

I have no objection to a reasonable amount of parking, but when folk live on a typical 20ft wide residential road, and then park on both sides - well you do the maths - can an 8ft wide fire engine get through?  Do you remember the good old days when parking was allowed on only one side of the street between 8 and 6, alternating the side every day, so no-one could use the street as a long-term car park, and there was always room for the fire engine, and for people to pass each other while driving through?  Now almost everyone has a car or two, but many have nowhere to park them - does that make sense?  Perhaps it makes sense for the auto industry but not for the environment.

 

Often made worse, in areas with little or limited public transport, by the fact that off spring continue to live with parents for some considerable time after they enter employment. Around here (Cornwall) the greater majority of people need a car in order to get to work. This leads to perhaps four cars belonging to a house designed with only one or perhaps two in mind. There are older places where no traffic was envisaged at all! 

[cuthound]

Where I live there are many canalside houses, but only  a handful with sufficient canal frontage to accommodate  decent length narrowboat.

 

These houses command a significant premium over similar houses with limited or no canal frontage when they come up for sale.

[fretman]

A canal side property always has a premium, but some more than others, down from me very little area for mooring a boat and some as in mine 120 feet, but the estate agents don't see them as any different when pricing, they price as per the area within a mile or so, in a lot of cases'

Had to explain to them about how boats can moor and not moor, the fact that, the canal is private property and you need per mission to moor,  some people own to the canal edge, as in my case, but most not own to the canal edge .

Is it cheaper to just moor it in a marina as apposed to outside your door, despite the extra costs there in.

spent ages coming to an agreed price, £4500.500, but they agreed in the end. it is on the market soon, just some  pictures to sort out, but here is one to start with.

 

Edited June 16, 2018 by fretman
price

[dmr]

9 hours ago, fretman said:

Just about to put my canal side cottage on the market, had the estate agents in,, not a clue regards canal properties, or there opportunities.

I got an estate agent valuation on my old Southampton house with a back garden down to the Itchen estuary. He visited at low tide and concluded that there was a lot of dirty mud at the bottom of the garden, but as the garden was quite long it would probably not take too much value off the house.

 

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

[fretman]

Sorry people, £450,500