Buying a Floating home in the UK

Things to Look For

Educated buyers of houseboats tend to know exactly what they’re looking for when purchasing a new boat. That said, there are plenty of newcomers to the houseboat way of life and there are several things to ask for or look for as well as things to avoid. Obviously you want a boat that is going to match your tastes; after all this is going to become your home!

Therefore it is best to see the boat in the daytime rather than at night. Plus you can get a good look at the paintwork to see if it needs retouching anywhere. The first thing you should think about is how the boat will run. If it is not offered, ask for a trial run to see how it fairs on a journey.

There are some other things to consider. For example, ask the seller when it’s last Marine Survey was and what repairs have been carried out. Also ask when its engine was last surveyed and if it has ever crashed or been in an accident. Finances are also important so ensure it has no outstanding loans on it and it has a proper title and registration.

What type of floating home you want to buy is really your own decision. Ask yourself what you are going to use it for; do you want to travel or do you want to moor in one place? If you are going to live in it, are you prepared for life in harsher seasons? Do you want to use it as a permanent home or as a holiday home? These are personal preferences of course.

If you’re unsure of anything, or you are completely new to buying narrowboats or houseboats, take an experienced boatman with you to help you with the technicalities. This is particularly important when thinking of buying an older model.

New Builds vs. Old

There are many advantages to buying either a new build or older model. The main advantage with newer models is that they have more financial options available. It is the opposite with older models. There is always the negative that newer boats require a larger down payment and are, as a general rule, more expensive to buy than older boats, but the newer model will need fewer repairs. Older boats must undergo a Marine Survey to meet the requirements it needs to be safe on the water. You do choose your own Marine Surveyor for this. It is really the decision of the buyer as there are pros and cons to both types of build.

Buying a Boat

Normally, mortgage advisors may not be willing to hand out a mortgage to a first time buyer of a boat unless they have assets already. Usually they prefer you to already have a mortgage on a house first as leverage in case you take the mortgage and float off into the sunset. There are always personal loans for the deposit however. The boat must have a British Waterways Licence and you must also purchase insurance.

The licence cost depends on the size of the boat and whether you want to permanently keep the boat in one place or travel around (see Permanent Mooring vs. Cruiser Licence information below). You also need to consider whether you will be using your boat for business or pleasure. Insurance costs also depend on different factors, such as how old the boat is and what you want to insure. An approximate price is £120 covering the whole boat.

Extra Costs

There will be extra costs you will need to consider. The price of diesel to run the motor really depends on where you go as there are pumps at every marina. Usually, at every fill up point £10-£15 is enough to travel for a maximum of approximately 120 hours. It is roughly 88p per litre. There are also maintenance and repair costs. It is advisable to carry out maintenance checks on the boat every year, usually paintwork needs to be touched up and any repairs to make the boat safely habitable.

Blacking (the thick paint used) can be carried out every 2-3 years and costs approx. £7 per foot. Your home must be tested for safety and issued with the Boat Safety Certificate which is just like an MOT. The boat is tested every four years and this costs roughly £120. It only tests things like the electrical appliances and gas installations but doesn’t check the engine or hull. Yearly engine checks must be carried out by a qualified engineer and can cost anything between £70 and £100.

Permanent Mooring vs. Cruiser Licence

Houseboats which are permanently moored in one spot often don’t have a motor. Those who do have a motor in their boat may not want to stay in one mooring spot as travelling is one of the perks of owning a floating home. In any case there are two different licences that you need to consider. The first is a permanent mooring licence. This allows you to stay in one marina. You can get it for canals and rivers or rivers only.

The cruiser licence is a short term licence which allows you to moor your houseboat in one place for up to two weeks. Thereafter you must move on or incur extra fees. Prices are dependant on where in the UK you want to keep your floating home. They are a little more expensive in England than in Scotland and Ireland for example. Certain areas are also more expensive than others. Which type of licence you choose depends on whether you want to travel the country with your houseboat or whether it is just a home you want to live in within one area.

Building Your Own Boat

All of the licensing regulations are the same when you decide to build your own floating home as they are when you buy one from a seller. There is no planning permission required as there would be when building a house, but it is advisable to pay for a mooring licence before work commences as you will be expected to take off straight away otherwise. Also, there may be fees for renting space to build it. There are no building regulations to follow either as such but there may be some recommendations from boat building companies that you might like to follow.