How much is it to buy and live on a houseboat?

Question

on average-

Answer 1

Depending on what you want to spend, the average vessel that many individuals purchase is usually a boat 65' to 108' in length. The cheapest I ever saw was $89,000. That was cheap though compared to one of the most magnificent houseboats I had ever seen before. Built by a designer named, Greya Frununnia, (Scandinavian), which had four decks, two wheelhouses, one atop the sun deck and one inside, on her main deck. Four heads, five cabins, a 54' sq.  master galley and even an 11' sq. crews galley. She had two wave runners aft and even a swiiming pool, small of course, but it was still a pool on her sun deck. her dimensions were 230' L x 45' H x 27' B. Cruising speed: 24 knots. Her price was a custom $5.5million.

The more you want, the more your desire, the bigger you go, the more the price goes up. The vessel I just described above was a fiverglass built vessel. Those that are wooden, which in my opinion are the best, because wood, if taken care of properly can last a lifetime, are the more sturdy. Fiberglass can dent, tear and costs a fortune to get repaired. Granted they are easier to keep up, but I guess it depends on what you want and agree with.

Many people believe there's no cost to living on a houseboat. Before you go out an buy one with your "lifesavings," think about this. There are docking fees with marinas, depending on where you tie up, there will always be a fee, sometimes higher than others. Other costs are repair, outfitting, storage from weather, hull work, etc. All this can cost as much as a house these days. Insurance is higher, because houseboats tend to be more than some homes on land. If you're lucky enough, there are the few who are able to purchase an abandoned ferry, paddlewheeler, salvage vessel or even and old trawler and fix it up new. This has the potential to save you money in the long run, if you play your cards right.

I hope this was some help to you.

Best of luck in your endeavors.

Cheero!

Answer 2

Because of the world economy I think your on to something!   It's a fact that living on a boat is about a third the cost of living in, or renting a house or flat.   If you do your research right and find a place to moor your boat, then your well on your way.  I wouldn't limit looking for a boat   (houseboat) to the UK, You might find your money might go farther abroad.

Answer 3

The bigger the boat, the bigger the initial cost and all your on-going costs.  Everything to do with boats is "so much per foot/metre" - x pounds per metre to buy, x pounds per metre to moor, x pounds per metre for your Waterways licence, x pounds per metre for your insurance.

Mooring costs vary according to the part of the Country in which you want to live - my 30 foot narrow boat costs around £1000 p.a. to moor in the Midlands, on the Thames it would be more than 3x that figure. With a houseboat you are limited to your choice of waterways, just a handful of canals and the rivers.

Check the Waterways magazines in W.H.Smiths - back pages - to get an idea of the cost of boats.

If in the UK, come to the National Boat Festival near Wolverhampton, at the end of next month to see what boat builders are offering new and to chat to the Boat Chandlers to see what they have on their lists second hand.

A good contact for you is the Residential Boat Owners Association (RBOA) see their web site.  They issue a very handy little book (soft backed) about living aboard.