Anyone know about houseboats?
Question:I'm looking for info regarding what bills are payable for houseboats.
I know council tax is payable and the usual electric, gas or whatever you have. But what else needs to be sorted?
Do you need to have some sort of boating license? How often do you need to find out if it is "fit enough" to be on water?
I literally know nothing so would appreciate any help from people who do or used to live on a boat or from professionals involved in this in any way.
Any website addresses would be good too.
Thanks
Answers:
Council tax is only payable if you have a residential mooring and only payable for the days your boat is at its moorings,
You will also have to have a "Boat safety certificate" which is renewable every 4 years at a cost of about £70.this is done by contacting one of the many boat safety inspectors who are usually ex boat builders or marina owners and will advise you of any new regulations that may affect you but they usually just write out the ticket and tell you to get the little things fixed,the regulations that get changed are normally things like ventilation etc and gas /electrical safety,not normally expensive to resolve.
Moorings licence renewable every year ,the cost will depend on the location and facilities that you would have to hand at the moorings.
Insurance for the vessel that is renewable every year.
River licence renewable every year.but that is a fixed price for the vessel.
Ongoing repair costs have to be included, and from experience they are a month on month thing,you will always find new jobs or something in the chandlers that catches your eye and you just have to have it.
lived aboard a narrow boat for many years but sold up some time ago for the Spanish sun.
Also forgot to mention the dry dock you would have to put your boat in every 2 years for reblacking the hull with bitumenpaint.that will cost about £3/400 but cheaper if you share the dry dock with one other boat,
A boat is nothing more than a hole in the water into which you will pour money.
If you type in British waterways on computer it should give you a link to their website which should have all info you need
depends where you live..
parts of london....expensive maybe £1,000 per year...
in the country...£400...to £800 ...pa...
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