Couple spend £42,000 buying and renovating a houseboat

First-time buyers who couldn’t afford their dream starter home reveal how they saved money by spending £42,000 buying and renovating a houseboat instead. 

Small business owner Sylvie Doleman, 25, and her boyfriend Ben Lount, 25, a joiner, wanted to move in together but said they couldn’t afford a mortgage on a house and didn’t want to live in a flat. 

Instead the Derbyshire couple bought a 55ft narrowboat for £18,000 and spent a further £24,000 finishing and decorating it over the course of a year, keeping costs down by sourcing second-hand items and doing most of the handiwork themselves.

Sylvie and Ben’s completed boat finally left the dock in August 2020 and since then, the couple have enjoyed seeing countryside scenes along the Trent and Mersey canal, the Shropshire Union canal, and the Staffordshire & Worcestershire canal system.

‘We both wanted to move in together and we also wanted a project as we’re quite creative,’ Sylvie said.

‘We couldn’t afford a mortgage and we didn’t want to spend money on a small flat that we couldn’t make our own.

‘We love to travel to new places, so a narrowboat seemed like the perfect idea. We had the boat built from scratch so we could design where we wanted everything such as the windows.

‘Within the first month of receiving the boat, we had the windows in, the batons and ballast completed, the spray foam insulation installed and at this point, we moved in. 

‘The next job was getting the fire in as it was pretty cold. From there, we followed up with electrics, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom. 

‘Living aboard during the DIY process was a challenge – and getting the materials through a tiny door. As it’s a small space, as soon as you start doing something, everywhere is a mess.

‘We made everything from scratch in Ben’s workshop – sourcing materials second-hand. The panelling was an old church floor, the fire was from a farmhouse, and the engine was from an old fishing boat.

‘In August 2020, we finally left the boat yard to become continuous cruisers around the network. It’s a scary time taking your home which you’ve poured so much love into out into the world.’

The couple bagged electrical equipment, including solar panels and an inverter, for £3,000, a stove for £250, a £250 cooker, and a £450 Lister ST3 engine. 

They also had to splash out on furnishings and building materials including wood, insulation, bathroom fixtures, kitchen fixtures, paint, tools, utensils, decorative items, and soft furnishings.

The couple managed to keep costs down by sourcing second-hand items and by doing much of the handy work themselves – except for the spray foam insulation. 

For now, to adhere with lockdown restrictions, the couple are unable to pleasure-cruise and are situated along the Trent and Mersey in Derbyshire.

When the current rules are eased, Sylvie and Ben hope to travel around the Welsh and Northern canals – and couldn’t recommend narrowboat living more.

‘Boat living gives you great freedom,’ Sylvie said. ‘If we want to do something different, we untie our ropes and move our home.

‘We’ve both also become much more grateful for things like water, wood, coal, heating and sunny days – so we can put on our record player – which we used to take for granted. We have to fill up with water around every two weeks.

‘Enjoying the countryside during the pandemic has been a benefit. We usually have to move every two weeks but with the lockdown, we can’t pleasure-cruise. We just travel to the next facilities station.

‘If you have a dream of wanting to live alternatively, go for it. There is a massive community out there with lots of helpful and supportive people.

‘It’s been the best decision we’ve made. We live a conscious life and we’re more eco-friendly now.’