Boating holidays have become much more popular these days, leaving many people wondering what it would be like to live on a houseboat. The idea can be tempting as a houseboat offers the opportunity to move fairly often and is typically cheaper than owning a house. It also provides you with the opportunity of visiting new areas of the country during your weekends without having to splash the cash.
However, houseboat living certainly isn’t for everyone and you will no doubt have much less space when moving to a houseboat. We have come up with some things that you should consider before moving to a houseboat and how you can use secure storage to make the transition easier.
Hire a Boat First
Before making the big step to move onto a canal boat permanently, you should make sure you hire a boat to see what it’s like. Ideally, you should hire the boat for as long a period as possible so that you get an idea of what daily life would be like. You should consider a boating holiday for at least a week if possible so you can start to understand what it would be like. Also make sure that you are hiring a boat of a similar size to what you would purchase, as one with more or less space wouldn’t give you an accurate idea of what it’s really like.
What Do I Need?
When hiring a houseboat, you need to consider the varying degrees of weather that you are likely to encounter in the UK. Make sure that you pack warm clothes and also macs or waterproofs are ideal, as you might end up getting wet. Make sure that you also pack gloves and extra clothes to keep you warm, as it can be cold in the evenings when you are docking. You should also make sure that your boat has emergency equipment such as first aid kits and life jackets in case you fall in the water. This should always be included when hiring a boat but you will need to check if it is included when you buy a boat.
Costs for a Houseboat
Houseboats vary largely in price depending on the size, location and the mooring, but you can get a houseboat from as little as £100,000. This is considerably cheaper than the UK national average house price, but there are other costs to consider when buying a house;
- Independent Survey – make sure that you get an independent survey when buying a houseboat to ensure everything is in working order
- British Waterways Licence – this will set you back around £400 a year and you will also need a BSS certificate at around £100, which is renewed every 4 years
- Residential Moorings – there are fees for residential mooring which vary largely depending on the size of the boat, location and facilities
- Domestic Bills – you will still need to pay for things like water, electric, gas or diesel, as well as running costs on the boat
- Council Tax – even though you are living on a houseboat, you will still need to pay council tax for your residence
- Insurance – just like a home or car, you will need to make sure you have insurance to protect your boat and its contents
Storing Valuables
One thing that’s for sure is that you will more than likely have less space on your houseboat than you would in your home. This means that you will have some tough choices when it comes to what you can take with you and what you will have to leave behind. Although this is the perfect opportunity for a clear out, there will be plenty of belongings with sentimental value that you don’t want to get rid of. One great way to adapt to houseboat living is to make the most of self storage so you don’t have to get rid of everything. Easistore can provide flexible storage options so you can change the size of your storage and even move location if need be. Get in touch with us today for more info.