How Much Does It Cost to Live on a Narrowboat?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
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How much do we spend by living on our narrowboat as continuous cruisers? A full breakdown of our expenses for the last year including painting the roof and blacking. We counted up all our expenses: boat loan, repairs and maintenance, fuel and heating, internet and many more.
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What about travel expenses bus train car hire etc?
@@nguyenphutrong7273 Hi lovely thanks for watching and for your feedback. This video is all about boat-related expenses so we included only those. Also only had the car near the boat for a part of the year so it wouldn't be accurate anyway. 💜xx
I skipped to the end and you gave me a heart attack when you said how much! Then I went back and watched the whole vid and realised that half your costs are a boat loan phew, I can just afgord to CC lol
Thanks for sharing. I've shared this with friends/family. I've been toying with buying a narrow boat for a while now and I think my family think I'm nuts. I think it looks a great way to live. Your total costs for you both are less than just my mortgage!
We live in a house and our credit card alone is around 1k per month. I think you are getting a lot of quality life for your money.
Well, I think this not much cost in one month. I'm not good with prices in UK, but for Germany it's OK. This is your home, so you don't have to worry about rent and another things. Plus if you living in a flat you still wonna travel, go out... Anyway, guy's, thanks for sharing this video! Many regards from Germany.
Its nice to know the other side of your boating life, your expences are simular to the average house monthly costs but you definately have the better lifestyle and waking up to the beautiful views and scenery you have each day makes it all so worthwhile. You two really brighten up my friday night, thank you. 🌞
Snow again! What a freaky weather year. Great job outlining narrowboat expenses.
My rent on a modest 2 bedroom home is over £1000 per month.
Before all the usual bills such as council tax, transport, insurance, utilities, overdraft charges, etc etc etc
Crikey I didn’t realise it is so expensive to live on the canal system. I guess when you get so much out of it with the wildlife and quiet stretches it surely makes up for the costs. Thanks for sharing.
Another great vid guy's, as usual always interesting and informative. Take care and stay safe..
Thanks for the coatings, we hoping to be on the cut shortly.
Marina, Miles, Great video as always. Really interesting to see what it actually costs to run a boat. And you told us well in the way you broke it down into sections. Great to see you guys again. Take care.
Thank you for putting together the list of your costs. It lines up perfectly with other boaters totals, and continues to confirm my desire to move to the UK to live on a narrowboat. I am just afraid that by the time I am ready to make the move from Florida, that too many people will have caught on to how great boat life is, and the canal network will be too congested. Keep on being amazing.
Boats are selling fast these days. It may be that many new buyers, sick of the restrictions of lock-downs or cities will buy in haste and repent at leisure. Then once the reality sets in, they will sell up in exchange for the space and home-comforts.
Great real world video... excellent edit nicely put together.. Thanks
Ha that's a really brave exercise to do. I can see why it was worthwhile as liing on Alba affects your whole lifestyle. Like many leisure boaters I have good months and bad months but also prefer to live in denial about the cost. However we are just in the process of buying and older all wooden boat so may get a bit of a reality check soon - ah it'll be fine
Geoff
Loved your vlog guys :-) - and right now, I noted all your expenses in readiness for my return to the UK, buy my narrowboat and be a 'continual cruiser' - no need for me to hire a boat to see if I like it, as I KNOW this is what I want! :-) Hope to meet you two lovely people in the future :-) - Keep loving each other :-)
That was a very interesting video as I did not have a clue of the monthly cost, but it looks a great life, thankyou for that.
Thank you, great video!
As you said, some boaters have costs you don't have, and you have costs they don't have - and other boattubers have done a cost-video too. Cruising the Cut and Chugging Along come to mind, and they too came out at about £1'000 a month plus or minus 100 or so.
So, to anyone who reads this and is asking themselves what boat life will cost: About £12'000 a year, and if you go into marinas over winter or the summer hireboat season add about half that on top and you should be safe and have something extra to treat yourself with. Unless you want to moor in London - but that's a universal truth: Big cities are crazy expensive.
Hi Guys,
Great watching your vids...
You told us your costs for the year was £12,336.00, a big number, which you can't get away from,
Cos, that's what you spent!
But the good news is if you average out the Blacking and Painting the Roof,
And you don't include the buy cost/repayments you will arrive at £480.00 PCM, £5,760.00 P.A.
For your LIVING ON A BOAT COSTS. I know you can't ignore the buy cost, but maybe this makes
You feel a little better, I know it does me... Say Safe and Stay Well, and enjoy your cruising...
Great video and very informative, with an in-depth breakdown of costing. Thanks for sharing. Take care and keep safe!
Thanks so much for your kind words, glad you found it useful! Have a lovely weekend 💜 xx
Always enjoy your Friday vlogs this one very informative 👍👍👍👍
Very informative and presented with a smile. Thanks again and see you next week. Bear xx
Thanks so much for watching lovely, so glad you found it informative 💜 xx
Thanks guys, this was really helpful. I'll be on my new boat by the end of the year, (currently I'm ashore in Reading), maybe see you both out on the cut in the future!
How exciting Laura, hope everything will go smoothly for you, such an exciting time 💜 xx
Great video guys 👍. Thanks for sharing. You guys rock 👌
The good news is that the cost will go down anyway over time. The first couple of years of boat ownership are always the most expensive as you deal with legacy issues and build experience. By the time you pay that loan off you'll be pros.
Cost of living expenses seem very reasonable to me… I really liked the Velvet Moon intro too.
You keep safe. Brilliant video chaps
Very informative, keep on cruising, 😁👍
Very useful insights and information.
That was interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting vlog, it’s given us more of an idea for when we get on board later this year x
Glad you found it useful, it took a whole year of keeping receipts which is not something we normally do. Big hugs 💜 xx
@@CruisingAlba I’m going to set up a spreadsheet to see how much it costs us. I’ve started already with the build x
Would love to live on a narrow boat but I'm in the wrong country for that, I'm in Nebraska USA. Loved your video.
Very interesting video, loving the video quality...looked like a Hollywood movie!
Thanks for taking the time to bring all this information together. 👍
Thanks so much for your kind words, glad you enjoyed it 💜 xx
Alba's roof really looks nice from the air. Great job you Guys
Thanks so much, thats so nice of you to say! 💜 xx
Hi both, just discovered your videos and loving watching them all. You make a great couple 😍
Hi Jim, so happy you are enjoying our videos, have a lovely weekend 💜 xx
Thank you for sharing the cost. Very interesting. Best wishes to you both. Xxx
Hi Marina Myles,this was a very interesting blog for you telling us all your cost running a narrowboat,it is a eye opener but working with boats all my life I knew it would be somewhere what you come up with ,if you took away the lone it would not be so expensive,thank you for explaining the cost per year and month I bet that made some people jump out of their chair lol,till next time take care keep safe,John 👀🌹🔧🔧🌈🥂🍺🍺
Well explained thanks.
I really enjoy following you guys you are so positive looking forward to more adventures👍😊
Aww thank you lovely, so glad you are enjoying our videos, big hugs 💜 xx
Thank you for the info 👍
Thanks so much for sharing that been really helpful. Been looking at loans for narrow boats and its super encouraging to see that even with a loan repayment I'd still be able to afford boat life!!! Love you're videos keep it up!
Glad you found it informative Phillipe, yes it really is doable 💜 xx
@@CruisingAlba can't wait, between my wife's UK visa hopefully coming through soon and hopefully getting a narrow boat soon. 2021 is going to be a great year. Thanks again for all your hard work on your fantastic TH-cam keep it and I'll see you in the next video...who knows hopefully we may even cross paths on the Canals some day.
Great update, you two. Of course it's variable, but good to know it's doable if the opportunity presents itself. ;-) Cheers!
Thanks for watching lovely, have a great weekend 💜 xx
Thank you for such an informative vlog about the costs of narrowboat ownership.
Our pleasure, thank you for taking the time to leave us a comment 💜 Big hugs xx
You got very crisp recording sound!
Best among narrowboat youtubers!
Excellent video! Thanks.
Thanks for watching Archie, glad you enjoyed it 💜 xx
Great vlog thanks,, that shows the difference you can expect to pay in different years. On average,
£3500 it costs me, which includes £700 for maintenance.
I'm a solo, continually cruising boater so cost would be less .
I'm out at work all day and only heat the boat when home and if its less than 5° so less fuel costs but I do have dozens of friends and family visit for days out over the year that enjoy a roaring fire!
Good luck on your adventures,
David
NB yarip yaroo.
I dont know how they work it out at that. Itd be cheaper to buy two houses where i live for that. I swear i could do it for alot less.
Very interesting, more than I expected but I had no idea of the various individual costs. It compares favourable with my home as I don't have any repayments or mortgage - everything has been paid off.
Great video!
Might look into Safe Fill Gas bottle that you can fill at LPG pump on garage forecourt as it costs about $15 per fill as Appleseed to $35 a bottle, and its a fraction of the weight and bottles are transparent so you know how full they are, you could have one safe fill and one 13 kg propane as they have the same regulator, Bottle one off expense is about $150.00 to purchase
I chuckled when you mentioned the launderette as I recalled your visit. I think it turned out to be the most expensive visit to a launderette in human history 😂.
Very interesting, thanks 🙂
Glad you found it interesting Sam 💜xx
Well done guys 👍
Enjoy cruising 🚣♀️🚣♂️🚤
Great informative video! A question on the toilet… I’ve had pump out as well as cassette. How do you empty the compost toilet? I’m considering moving back onto the canals sometime in the future. How’s congestion on the canals now on Regents, Grand Union etc?
Very interesting, thanks. I cannot recall if you have said what work you each do. That would be interesting to know if you are happy to tell.
Hi Alistair, absolutely watch these videos and all your questions will be answered:
th-cam.com/video/sdC5bMtJrLo/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/OHP0P8TP9-0/w-d-xo.html 💜
Good editing and music 👍🏻🥰
Can you get any benefits if you live on a canal boat, like working tax?
Interesting video guys. Certainly cheaper than living in our house in Somerset. Unfortunately unless my wife & I both swap careers to something online (unlikely) living aboard a NB will remain a pipe dream. We'll just have to get our fix of The Cut thanks to you guys and via hire boats until then - only 19 days until we sample life on the Leeds & Liverpool (not that we're counting the days or anything!).
Cheers,
Chris
Continuous cruising isn't ideal for most people and hardly any marinas on the system have residential moorings and only allow you to stay on board a few days a week.
Thanks for this, very informative! How does this monthly expense compare against other costs such as food, entertainment, etc.? :)
Hi guys thanks for a good break down on ur costs 😊 but compared to paying rent in London ur still on a winner👌. Did u get ur lights working in the end? 💜xx
Hi Simon, yep it’s all sorted now, will reveal in the next week’s episode! Have a lovely weekend 💜 xx
I'm 64 and plan on buying and living full time on a narrowboat when I retire in two years time, I've worked hard all my life since leaving school in 1975, I'm hoping my state pension will cover my living costs, mark,
I started to look at boats but over monthly out goings are £1360 which includes renting a 3 bedroom house. Maybe have to re think, thank you for the video.
It's a lot but all your major jobs are done so I'll bet it work out a lot cheaper the next 2 or 3 years it like having a car some years it flys though a MOT and others you just got to pay out, I've got a log burning stove thought the day when I'm off work I'll burn wood and on a night time I'll use the smokeless I get about 5 nights out of a bag, l live in a porta cabin and never buy coal in the summer next year I hope to be buying my own Narrow boat so I mite be seeing you at some point, excellent video by the way as always really enjoy watching your video's there Awesome ☺👍
Thanks so much Charlie! We are hoping it will be cheaper next year but we are installing new solar panels so that’s a big spend already 💜 xx
@@CruisingAlba Hi the solar panels may be a big spend but in the long run save on diesel, I all ways be leave in speculate to a cumulate and the solar system is definitely a worthwhile spend, looking forward to watching more of your Awesom video's 👍 ☺
Hi I jumped to the end and wondered where u had got that figure from .note to all this isn't about cost of living on a boat ..this is cost of paying a mortgage etc....I should of watched whole video my fault but wow 12000 a year
The cost of a loan to buy boat isn’t of any consequence to anyone as each individual afford a boat their own way some will sell a hose to buy boat others buy a fixer upper and get a loan and so on ......
I believe the cost of living on the boat should include all things applicable to all boaters such as crt licence marina if wanted. Cost of food isn’t applicable as u may like caviar and others prefer beans on toast and a Sunday roast ..if u take a look at the majority of people’s cost on a narrow boat I personally can’t remember anyone paying that much. Any clubs fitness centres etc are a personal thing . I can only imagine that the cut offers plenty of opportunities to exercise your to ones heart content.... without the need to join a gym,club ...gin club yes I’m in
Hey! If you don't mind me asking, I'm looking at this option when I return back to the UK. I'm a video editor too, and looking at the options at working online. Do you mind me asking what you do for work and how you found that work? I've always found it difficult to find online edit work, but that's what I'd like to do, so if you know of any resources to find any I'd really appreciate it!
I am sure there is a split of people some think its cheap while others see it as expensive.
this may be more down to were you live and how much wages you earn.
some figures do seem a lot. my house insurance with contents is £12 a month but really yours in house insurance and vehicle insurance combined
for hot water is gas and the size of the gas bottle got the cheapest method to get hot water.
would adding more solar and a few more batteries help reduce using motor to get electric if you look at the cost of a unit of electricity made by using the motor
This doesn't reflect the true cost because you haven't factored in depreciation on the boat. No matter how you pay for it in the first instance, it will lose value as an asset over time. So, for example, if you paid 90k and you keep it for five years, it might only be worth 50k when you come to sell it on. That'll cost you 666 quid month. In real terms, you're total monthly outlay with your expenses would 1694. These might not be the exact figures but you get the idea.
Nice .
Quite expensive on the whole but very informative thanks
Don't forget $450 a month for boat loan =5400 a year - that is $6536 a year about
So where do you dispose the compost waste from your toilet? You should cut the repayment of loan out as that is a personal thing for you.
If you added up living and maintaining a house like this, leaving nothing out itd be tripple. It only seems expensive because you have added everything. Those scrubbers down the canal aint spending 1k a month. They are doing this for half that.
I'm surprised you have only 180w of solar. Any plans to put more on? How does your monthly costs compare to your previous flat costs?
Hi Rob, yes we are waiting for the new panels as we speak! 👌
The thing about living on a boat you can still carry on working what difference does it make getting on a bus or train from where your boat is moored maybe I’m wrong but I don’t see a problem
An apartment in Portsmouth NH will cost you $2,800/mo. - that's JUST rent! Add $380/mo car payment, $150/car insurance, $$300/mo food, $250/ petrol, $60/mo renters insurance, $50/mo heat and electric...YEAH....$4,000+ for 1 person - $50k yr.
Luckily, I live in a house...but my TAXES are TRIPLE + what you pay to Canal fees...
Which is WHY I'm selling and moving...to England to do narrow boat! 🤣
Holy moly , that are no peanut costs
What do you both due for work? Enjoyed the video
Hi Richard, thank you for watching! Watch these videos and all your questions will be answered:
th-cam.com/video/sdC5bMtJrLo/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/OHP0P8TP9-0/w-d-xo.html 💜
👍👌🇨🇦❤, new sub, nicely done
EE is the only way to go. Expensive but nothing comes close to signal. We have had O2, smarty and voxi EE blows them all out the water Still have a voxi for the VoIP phone as won't work on EE
WOW HOW MUCH?
I don't spend any where near that a year on my boat...... oh you have a loan, fair enough.
How do you keep your car nearby as you move around the canals? Do you pay to keep in a car park and then get a taxi to it? Move it every so often as you traverse the canals?
Hi Wes, we move the boat first and then get on electric scooter or a foldy bike and go get the car. Usually we don’t go too far. Both scooter and bike fit in the boot, then we move the car. We only had the car on the K&A and found parking very easy. A little bit of research and google maps work wonders. The car stays in one place for weeks, it’s been fine so far, no regrets! Most of the time we find free parking spaces, there are plenty around. Hope this helps! 💜 xx
We spend $4000 per month to live in a house in south Florida per month and we live frugally!
Thanks y’all do you ever have to pay to use the locks or is that the license ??
Hi William, it's part of the license, no need to pay for the locks, thanks for watching! 💜 xx
That's actually not so bad as compared to living in a house then you also have to have a car. Lots of expenses there. Although this girl had to use Google to convert pounds and quid US $.
BTW, this girl lives in Texas
If take boat loan off it about $6936 a year pretty good
Hmmm looks all appealing to me. I’m a bit jealous
Ive had new boats too. Guess what? Even new boats have problems. All kinds. I actually had less problems with my used boat than i did the new!
Where can we get a canal map book please.
Most chandleries would stock them 💜 xx
Where does the income come from to pay all the bills.....
This is made with cinema 4D right? 🤗. I've been working on similar videos and probably you should visit. I'm kinda sure you'll find see a lot of useful info on this topic on my channel too.
Wow, I will be staying on land.
This is legitimately more expensive than a mortgage and costs of a house...so whats the point? Yes you're in a unique, nature filled surrounding. But you'll he freezing in winter, roasting in summer....total waste of resources its too expensive
How much would it be if you insulate a Narrowboat from inside and triple glazed Windows and doors , a good back boiler stove and some radiators , floor heater throughout the boat , i want a Narrowboat , but i would rebuild renovate an old on or go for a sail away . If you start from beginning what would you do ? Would it be easy enough to operate a Narrowboat as single crew or do i need an second person ?
Hi Chris, best to call up a boat yard and get a quote. We've never done it. Yes you can totally operate narrowboat singlehanded, many people do that. Good luck! 💜 xx
no cost of running a car included ?.
Hi Glen, all cost provided in the video are boat related, car is totally optional.
@@CruisingAlba thanks for the reply love your vids. most of the narrow boaters i watch have a car, but no one seems to mention this in detail. would love to know how you feel about leaving your car in strange places. would it be cheaper to use taxes/trains / buses when you take into account the tax, insurance, fuel and risk of damage to your car and inconvenience of having to retrieve your car. i think you two would make a great blog on this subject.
Wear do you get the money from to pay for it
Marina and Miles said in the video that they are both able to work online from the boat.
Hi Jim, watch these videos and all your questions will be answered:
th-cam.com/video/sdC5bMtJrLo/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/OHP0P8TP9-0/w-d-xo.html 💜
Hi Alba move to a small house it will be cheaper for u
We don't do it for cost of living reasons. We love the lifestyle
You guys don't have a TV on board? No mention of a licence :-)
Hi Steven, no we don't have or watch TV, thanks for watching 💜 xx
A lot cheaper than running a house!
Just FYI, it's a licence, not license.
Jesus enough with the jumpy editing. Gave me a headache.