We moved into a 59ft narrowboat – we’ve battled snow & windows are covered in condensation but rent & bills are £412
A THRIFTY couple have revealed their monthly costs after deciding to move into a 59ft narrowboat.
After meeting at university and bonding over a shared love of adventure, Adam Lind and Lauren Coley Lind spent years exploring the world.
After returning back home from their hitchhiking from the UK to Iran, the adventurous duo spent some time living with Lauren's mum when Covid-19 hit.
At the time, Adam told , they had no idea where to live.
“We stopped travelling because we wanted a base, but still had these nomadic tendencies,” Adam explained.
One day when Lauren's mum returned from a lockdown walk with a pal who lived on a narrowboat, the couple began contemplating life on the water.
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Soon, they became hooked on the idea - and after they'd borrowed a narrowboat from a friend to test the lifestyle, Lauren and Adam could really envision themselves doing this long-term.
Some research later, they finally found their soon-to-be new home on Facebook Marketplace, which cost them £38,000.
Although the narrowboat was in great condition and perfectly liveable, the couple wanted to carry out some cosmetic work.
"We completely ripped out the bathroom and have renovated the bow deck into a conservatory space,'' said Lauren, adding they'd also upgraded parts of the kitchen and painted the bedroom.
The boat, known as The Raman Rose, is 59 feet long and six-foot, four inches wide.
Despite its compact size, their water home provides everything the couple - and their pooch Shanti - could need.
For the couple - who also grow their own herbs, fruits and vegetables inside handmade planters during summer - being able to explore new places while being at home is the best thing about owning a narrowboat.
Their adventurous lifestyle has since attracted the interest of close to a whopping 390k followers on TikTok - where Adam also recently broke down the costs of running a narrowboat home during the harsh winter season.
He said: ''This year is a bit different for us, as we've decided to take on a winter mooring, so we have the extra cost of £208 per month.''
However, he noted, because they've been able to change their license from all canals and rivers to a rivers-only license, they've slashed the costs from £102 to £60 per month.
''The license is what legally allows you to be on waterways and covers rubbish and recycling facilities, water point and lock maintenance,'' Adam told social media users.
Another major winter cost the pair have to set money aside for are supplies, which include coal and wood for fire.
''And it's always good to keep diesel and gas topped up in case the river floods or the canal freezes.
Pros and cons of living on a house boat
Houseboats can be cheaper than buying a home on dry land but doesn't come without risks.
You may be able to get a special type of mortgage for a boat, but it can be more difficult than getting a traditional home loan and have higher rates of interest.
You won't pay stamp duty when buying a boat to live on, and you can move to a different location whenever you want without having to sell up.
You might even be able to live in a location where you wouldn't be able to afford a bricks and mortar house.
But space can be more limited, and the value of houseboats can generally go down over time, like a car or motorbike.
A licence which you need from the canal and river trust can cost anywhere between £510 and £1,100 a year depending on the size of the boat.
There are likely to be ongoing costs for maintenance and mooring as well as fuel, a boat safety certificate and, of course, insurance.
There’s always something that needs to be done on a boat – from engine servicing to treating rust spots, not to mention emptying the toilet and filling the water tank.
Energy bills could be higher on the boat than a home as they are generally harder to insulate.
If your boat is moored permanently, it will typically be in the lowest tax band, with single occupants benefiting from a 25% reduction.
However, if you’re happy to move every two weeks as a ‘continuous cruiser,’ you won’t have to pay this
''Yesterday, we had a visit from the coal boat to top up our supplies - we paid £1.26 per litre of diesel, £15.95 for 20kg of coal and £45 for a gas bottle.''
As the couple are not moving their narrowboat this winter, the diesel ''will last'' and they won't need more than two gas bottles, Adam reckoned.
''We hope to forage a lot of the wood to accompany the coal.''
Other costs included £17 for insurance, £15 for Wi-Fi, as well as boat loan of £447 per month - which they still have eight months to cover.
The total costs - minus the boat loan - work out to be £412.
'That's why I want to run away to a boat'
The video has since received a mixed bag of responses - why others complained about the expenses, others reckoned it was a bargain deal.
One person said: ''and that's why I want to run away to a boat.''
Someone else chimed in: ''This is so fascinating to watch.''
''Super cheap! Good job!'' penned another.
''at that price point I'd rather have a house,'' a critic wrote.
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''It’s way more than I imagined! Wow you guys basically pay almost how much I pay for my month rent!'' commented a viewer.
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