Having to sell house - thinking of moving onto boat

GreenAmber

Hi everyone,
just trying to find out if anyone else has done this/is in this situation?

My eldest daughter has a disability and is not at school at present. I am a single parent and can't work - as I have to look after my daughter. After having done battle with the benefits system I can't get enough to cover my mortgage, and still eat, have heat and light (you know - the important stuff) - so I have a friend who lives on a canal narrow boat - and I'm thinking: if I sell house and get equity out I can buy a boat outright for me and my 2 girls, pay off mortgage, overdraft and (small) credit card balance, and have money in bank.
I wouldn't get a council house/housing benefit, as I would have too much money in the bank!

So - has anyone been in this sort of situation?

Cheers
GA
:undecided :

Spendless

Hi

Can't be much help I'm afraid. We have a couple of relatives and friend who do/have lived on narrow boats. From what I can observe the life can be hard in winter. I think a lot depends on how big the narrow boat is too,. One of our relatives has to take port-a loo out in order to use the shower. I always feel claustrophobic when we visist, but someone else had a slightly bigger boat and I personally found that fine. How old is your daughter and would living somewhere with limited space cause any problems with her disability. (sorry if that sounds rude, no wish to offend or pry but I'm meaning does she have mobility problems that might be an issue for example).

GreenAmber

Thanks for the response
Her disability is autism - so for example moving into a 2 bedroom house is a no go - as she needs her own space - even if it is small! So a biggish boat is going to be better than a small house

silvercar

How easy would your two daughters find it to adjust to living on a boat. Once the novelty has worn off they could easily get fed up with their situation.

maninthestreet

"So a biggish boat is going to be better than a small house"

Not necessarily - you simply won't get the same space in a boat as you do in a house; work out the floor area of your current house and compare it with any figures you can find out about floor space on a narrow boat.
I found the following link, but it doesnt seem to list floor area for any of the boats:

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/

johnlizzy

hi,
we live on a 63' Narrowboat and it is a great way to save money, but it can be tough. It is very hard to get a residential mooring, it is very tough in the winter and you have to be ultra organised. You are reliant on your engine so it is good to mechanically handy or it can cost a lot to fix, replace things. Space is restricted even though it is just me, hubby and two dogs. But saying all that when the weather is sunny and dry, it is lovely.

emg

Canal boats are always going to be small as they are made to fit into locks. The biggest narrowboat size is 72ft by 7ft. My brother lives on this size boat and it only has one bedroom plus one that you make out of the dining table area. You can get dutch barges that are twice the width but they are also a lot more expensive.

Bear in mind that there is limited storage (kids always have so many toys!) and you will need to fill up the water tank/empty the loo fairly often. Not all moorings have electricity or water hook ups. The ones that do are generally more expensive. Check out the costs involved - 'boat license', council tax, mooring fees, etc as these can all add up.

This site has a lot of info

http://www.canaljunction.com/

DawnW

My daughter lived in a boat on a residential mooring after uni, as she could not afford a flat on her own. It was lovely for her and her dog, but turned out quite expensive, as the mooring is not cheap (like a rent) and there is always the routine maintenance on the boat to think about, also insurance etc. There were quite good facilities where she was, like a launderette etc, and a nice community of fellow boat dwellers, and school etc would be quite feasible. Having said this, it was quite hard to keep warm in the winter as she was working full time and not there to keep the fire (woodburning stove) in all the time, and although she had a floating pontoon access, it could be a bit stressful at times as she was moored on a tidal river (rather than a canal), to say nothing of the mud sometimes. However, it was lovely, swans came to breakfast every morning, and there were lovely walks. If your daughter's disability would allow her to cope with it, it would be a huge adventure for kids, she might really love it - my grandsons loved to go to visit auntie C. In fact, OH and I are wondering if it might be a huge adventure for us! My daughter has sold her boat now by the way,(though rented it out to a friend for a while), and now she and her partner have a house, business and baby (and the dog of course)! Good luck with whatever you and your family decide to do, but don't be afraid to be different!