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Living on a houseboat
Take to the water
Living on a houseboat
With spring approaching, life on the water may seem that bit more tempting. But living on a houseboat is certainly not for everyone, and there are lots of factors to take into consideration before taking the plunge.
Do you dream of life on the ocean wave? Do you long for escape to a glittering marina, an idyllic canal or simply to while away your days meandering through the UK's scenic waterways? If you are seriously thinking about making these dreams a reality and moving from terra firma.
What kind of boat should I buy?
There are many different kinds of houseboat suitable for living aboard. To help you decide which is the best houseboat for you, we list the most popular types and the environment for which they are designed.
0. Narrow boat
Long and narrow in order to navigate through the UK canal lock systems and usually constructed of steel, with rectangular or, more traditionally, round port-hole windows. They may have an engine for cruising or none for permanent mooring.
0. Dutch Barge
Similar to a Narrow boat but with a wider beam that gives valuable extra living space, making them ideal as a floating home. Due to their extra width they must be moored on rivers rather than canals.
0. River Cruisers
Constructed from fibreglass, ready to go and available in pre-defined models. Just like driving a new car out of the showroom you can be living aboard as soon as you have all the paperwork settled.
0. Houseboats
Permanently moored accommodation, constructed upon floating barges or specially designed platforms. You will find many of these types of houseboat in London where moorings can be costly. If this is your plan then get yourself on a waiting list as soon as possible!
0. Motor Fishing Vehicles (MFV)
MFVs are widespread throughout the country and as such can be bought for knock-down prices after decommissioning. Their large size makes them ideal homes but remember with all that extra space comes extra maintenance too! Suitable for coastal or riverside moorings, MFVs cannot cruise the inland waterways.
0. Luxury Yacht
Starting at the price of a small apartment and running into hundreds of thousands of pounds this is no small investment. You will want to moor your luxury yacht in a reputable Marina for maximum security and peace of mind.
There are many specialist operators who will make a boat to your exact specifications, or you may wish to get more for your money by going second-hand. According to your inclination you can buy a houseboat that is already habitable or buy a shell, then get down and dirty with the DIY. Here is a list of the main options for buying a houseboat.
You can get a lot more for your money by going second hand and you can find boat brokers at many marinas offering a range of models. A good broker should supply you with all the documentation regarding the boats usage, maintenance history and surveys. Before you commit to buying a second hand houseboat be sure that you have considered the following points:
Finance
Financing you houseboat is not as straightforward as financing a more traditional type of home. It is very unlikely that you will be able to get a mortgage to buy a houseboat from a high street bank or building society.
You will have to approach a specialist in marine finance who will charge higher rates of interest and will be unlikely to lend you more than 80 per cent of the purchase price.
It is also doubtful that you will be able to borrow any money for a sea-faring mobile home unless the loan can be secured on a home that you already own. Lenders worry that unscrupulous individuals will buy a sea-faring (thus effectively portable in their eyes), and then sail out of the country without paying their money back.
Bob Rixon of the Independent Mortgage Advice Bureau (IMAB) says: “As the amounts involved are smaller, you can sometimes get unsecured borrowing, such as a personal loan.
“Failing that then yes, you would have to use a specialist lender. Often the companies that build houseboats will have finance packages on offer but I am not aware of any high street banks or regular mortgage lenders have any schemes that I'm aware of (as they don't feel that they can secure a loan on anything mobile,” Mr Rixon went on to say.
The buying process
Houseboats do not come with title deeds in the same way that houses do. If you are planning to buy a houseboat, make sure that the seller actually owns the houseboat and has the legal right to sell it. If you don't, you could lose all your money and your houseboat.
Unless you know a lot about houseboats, you should get a survey done by someone who is an expert in this area. You don't want to buy a houseboat only to discover later that you are slowly sinking.
Practicalities
Houseboats don't always come with running water, electricity, gas, central heating, telephone points, an address or rubbish collection. Consider how you will access services that are essential to you. Heating will be particularly important, as life on the water can be very cold.
Moorings
There are several different type of houseboat moorings. One is canal side mooring - houseboat moorings are often owned by the governing canal authority with a maximum length of stay to ensure fair usage. Moorings may also be found attached to private land, in which case contact the proprietor directly.
River side mooring - mooring your houseboat on a river is dependent on the action (or inaction) of the tides so you need to be aware of how this will affect access to your boat and the times at which you can move on. Riverside moorings fall into three main categories: Mud Berth, Half tide and All States Of Tide.
Marina mooring - residential mooring in a marina can be tricky as long stays are generally discouraged. For recreational mooring however, they offer the highest level of houseboat security with CCTVs, security and a range of other facilities.
Boatyard mooring - mooring a houseboat in a boatyard can be a cheap alternative, with many offering residential moorings, though this is generally done in order for houseboat maintenance to be undertaken.
Swinging moorings - these are usually the cheapest type of houseboat moorings available. Your houseboat is attached to a buoy in a harbour or estuary and will swing in the direction of the tide as it moves in or out. Access has to be made by smaller craft such as a dinghy so there are obvious downsides to this kind of arrangement.
If you plan to live on your houseboat, you will need to find a residential mooring. You can rent a residential mooring from British Waterways, the local council or a private landlord.
You'll probably need to sign a rental agreement with your landlord, giving you both certain rights and responsibilities. Make sure you read the agreement carefully first. If you have your own stretch of water on which you want to moor a houseboat, you may need planning permission.
If a mooring is being changed from a cruising mooring (temporary or holiday residence) to a residential land (permanent home) mooring, permission will be required.
If a mooring is being established on the coast, you will need to get permission from the Crown Estate, which has a property portfolio encompassing many of the UK’s cityscapes, ancient forests, farms, parkland, coastline and communities, The Crown Estate’s role as employer, influencer, manager, guardian, facilitator and revenue creator is unique.
We have two main objectives: to benefit the taxpayer by paying the revenue from our assets directly to the Exchequer; and to enhance the value of the estate and the income it generates.
If a mooring is being established on a canal or waterway, you will need to get permission from British Waterways.
Cruising moorings are intended for people who will be cruising the waterways in their houseboat, and are not intended for people to moor their houseboats on a permanent basis.
If you do want to move your houseboat, then you will need to ensure that you have a boat safety scheme certificate and a British Waterways Cruising Licence.
If you want to rent a houseboat, make sure that it is being rented to you as a residential mooring. Many residential moorings do not allow for the boat to be rented out, so make sure that your landlord has got permission for you to stay there. If you rent a houseboat, it is most likely that you will have a common law tenancy. If you live on a houseboat on a residential mooring, you will be liable to pay council tax.
Further information on houseboat moorings can be found at Waterscape, which has a list of boat moorings in various regions across the UK. Berthsearch provides an online search facility for available UK Marina and Mooring sites, and Marina Info claims to be the largest online international marina directory on the Internet.
Once you have found your boat and your mooring, the next step will be to decorate and furnish your new home. Regal Furnishings specialize in houseboat upholstery services, using hardwearing durable fabrics and high-density foam. They can make shaped cushions to fit the unusual dimensions of your boat, and can also revamp old and tired soft furnishings if you have bought a second hand boat that is in need of some TLC.
CONTACTS
Berthsearch, www.berthsearch.com
British Waterways, www.britishwaterways.co.uk
Canal Junction, www.canaljunction.com
Crown Estate, www.thecrownestate.co.uk
Marina Info, www.marina-info.com
Regal Furnishings, www.regalfurnishings.co.uk
The Residential Boat Owners Association, www.rboa.org.uk
Waterscape, www.waterscape.com
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