Would you sell a house to buy and live on a narrowboat?

[AndItDoesntSeemToMatter]

Just that? Your only property... for a boat life...

Never. Houses will virtually always appreciate, boats will always depreciate. Like a pp, I might rent out my house and rent one long term.

As a kid I watched Rosie and Jim and my ultimate goal was to live on a narrow boat. Then I grew up and realised how much work it is, and the lack of space would annoy me as well as the constant shit weather. If I was super rich I'd have a fancy boat in addition to my main house(s). Actually forget boats, a super yacht.

No. There would be no going back. It would depreciate in value and harder to get a house after living in a boat.

I knew someone who lived on a boat. She had dreams of sailing it around all over - in reality she just moored it and lived there with her girlfriend. It can't have suited them that well as they sold it and moved into a flat only 2 years later. She said the mooring costs were expensive too.

I think the idea of it is appealing until you REALLY think about it.

No. Definitely not.

They can get so damp.

You have to jump on from the towpath which is impossible if you eg have a sprained ankle.

They're expensive to maintain

People who live on other ones can be quite odd (eg one saying to another one he is fine to use your shed without asking you)

Theyre not as soundproof as a house

The canal and river trust or whatever they are called are very haphazard about auctioning moorings

People who do repairs don't seem to be as regulated as people who fix things on your house

Just no, frankly.

They're not cold in winter if you really insulate them and have a good stove though

Yes!

I love the idea of that kind of compact, everything in its place living space (for one person, having people under your feet would be awful) but I'm not sure about being on the water all year round

No way, cramped and damp probably not as cheap as you'd hope.

No, I've never been drawn to that kind of living, I like comfort and space. I once spent a weekend on a narrowboat and I found it claustrophobic and not at all relaxing.

It sounds fun but in reality a house is most convenient. Maybe if I was single and child free.

I play the cello so no.

My dad has a canal boat and keeps hood own little house aswell. He basically splits hood time between the two but Sue's more time on the boat in summer, and C more time at home in winter. He's way past retirement age and him and his wife really love but they are very active and her is a full on tinkerer. Always fixing and tweaking. For the it's a full on life style, they belong to clubs, they do a Santa cross at Christmas where 30+ canal boats decorate with lights etc and drive down the canal for kids to watch . It's a lovely hobby to have. But the boat is small. Like 6-8 foot wide, one little couch, touring caravan size kitchen. I wouldn't do it full time in something that small either! But dad raves about his log burner keeping it toasty warm and out heats shower the water too apparently.

I have a friend who’s done this. She’s perfectly snug and cosy but the bog seems to need pumping out suddenly, at the most inconvenient time.

Yes, absolutely although Dh gets really travel sick so I would have to leave him…… so yes, absolutely (I’m joking, he’s lovely even if he does ruin my dream life).

No!

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

No, narrow boat life is damper and more expensive than you might imagine.

A very good friend of mine lived on a narrow boat for a few years. It was moored very close to a Sainsbury’s. She would come round and exchange a bath for cake.

Ooh north west london?

My friend lives on one and I have absolutely fallen completely in love with it! I've known him for a year and have spent many weekends on it. The peace, serenity, the toasty log fire in the corner, the ducks and swans coming up to the boat, the intimacy, sitting on the pontoon watching the sunset. All the people I have met in the boating community are so lovely too. I think it's wonderful! Yes there are compromises but for me the good massively outweighs the bad, but then serenity means everything to me and I've always loved being by water. I can't sell my lovely house for one though I just couldn't bring myself to part with my beloved bricks and mortar... so I'll just keep doing that lottery!! 😃

No.

But I do subscribe to some narrowboat vloggers on YouTube. I find the boat tours fascinating, all the little nooks and crannies for storage. In the summer it looks idyllic.

No. It’s the water rats that would bother me

No I'd like a garden. But I do like the look of the narrow boat life. I follow a couple on Instagram who live on one and watched a few series on amazon of a guy who lives on one. The putputput of the engine is quite nice.

Yes I’ve been thinking about it for a few years. I’d want to renovate my own boat though some of them look really impractical!

No way. I have a mate who lives on a boat and it's my idea of a nightmare. Cramped, narrow, no space, no storage. Wet. Not a chance.

I would, but then…

A) I’m having a midlife crisis
B) Boats are massively expensive to maintain, and there is always one thing or another going wrong that is essential AND expensive to repair.

Oh yes!

Nowhere to keep the sheep, so it's a no from me.