Cheapest way to live? Flat/Caravan/House-boat/Van ?

Hectors_House

parkrunner wrote: »

Tent......

Police would round the OP up every night and try to get them to go to the local hostel.

davidmcn

Hectors_House wrote: »

I would have thought not having a permanant address (and a landline) for that length of time would destroy your credit rating.

I think/hope that having a landline these days is pretty much an irrelevance from a credit rating point of view. But not having broadband (or possibly even mains power) would be a significant nuisance.

FreshFruit

hazyjo wrote: »

Lodger with a homeowner rather than house share?


Why are you so keen to do this now? Surely the point of studying is to learn in order to make money when you finish the course? You will surely need somewhere to work, at a computer or laptop or whatever. Don't underestimate how miserable a caravan might be throughout winter. And do you mean motorhome? Because you'll need another vehicle to tow a caravan. They are also a depreciating asset.

Cisco001 wrote: »

What is your job after graduate?

If I am an employer, I will be reluctant to employ someone without permanent address.

IMO, houseshare/ Lodger is the only sensible option.

parkrunner wrote: »

Tent......

Job will be self employed, it's already running and ready for me to step in and take it over. On the record i'd be living at my parents address. In regards to legal issues, i'm pretty sure you can sleep in a vehicle for 2 days before you have to move and parking isn't an issue there's plenty of empty roads and public carparks around.

I am starting to think vanlife would be full of downsides, and to the person who asked why, it's just a mentality about investing in the future taken an extra step, live like nobody else will now so in the future you live like they can't.

Slithery

parkrunner wrote: »

Tent......

I've actually spent a couple of weeks this summer living in a tent on some recently-acquired countryside whilst commuting to work every day - even though it's now a massive 8 mile commute instead of the 100m walk from the aforementioned shared house.

gingercordial

FreshFruit wrote: »

i'm pretty sure you can sleep in a vehicle for 2 days before you have to move and parking isn't an issue there's plenty of empty roads and public carparks around.

Most car parks have Traffic Regulation Orders which prohibit overnight sleeping. If they allow you to even be there you'll be charged a fortune for overnight rates.

Whether you can sleep parked up on a roadside will depend on each local council's byelaws which might flat out prohibit it regardless of what you might think about two days.

Note it is illegal to be drunk in charge of a motor vehicle and that includes being asleep in the back with the keys out of the ignition as you are still "in charge" of it, so you'd better not plan on drinking alcohol even during your evenings.

FreshFruit

I think that everyones feedback has opened my eyes, there's a tonne of disadvantages and legal grey areas, i've just been looking at vans and it's pretty expensive. Then I considered the cost of installing solar panels and a battery bank, insurance, running costs, I don't think it would pay off and it'd be pretty miserable.

I think it'd be better of buying a small 2 bed and renting the room out. Must appreciated thanks.

Cakeguts

People have on occasion tried sleeping in cars in my road and the police always tell them to move. There are some very strange people who roam around all areas at night.

lincroft1710

FreshFruit wrote: »

I know some people live in boat houses but something about it really puts me off, I also can't see it being much cheaper than renting a flat?

Houseboats (a boathouse is a shed where a boat is stored) are usually owned rather than rented (unless for holidays, which can be very expensive) and will be too expensive to buy/maintain/moor for your purposes.

The only viable "cheap" alternative living option would be a van/motorhome because you can theoretically easily move it. Not without its problems and I suggest you thoroughly research this with Youtube and user blogs

PasturesNew

If I were younger/a brave and strapping bloke, I'd seriously consider kitting out a van as you say ....

... the real problem though, for anybody of any age and sex, is security. Security of yourself while you're in it, alone, at night, in the dark + security of your stuff when you're absent from it.

You could be legally parked and people around you unaware of what you're doing, but there are an increasing number of night prowlers breaking into vans to thieve what they can get.

This means that "a proper site" is the only sensible solution for most. And, as you know, a proper site costs money.

Also, kitting out a van - if you're sitting there and fancy popping out to the supermarket, can you get that vehicle into their car park?

It's simply not really safe, nor practical, for most, in most areas.

Skiddaw1

I know someone who currently lives in a camper van (for what it is worth he has a full time job). He really enjoys it, so it is possible.