A WOMAN who couldn’t afford to get on the property ladder has taken an alternative route.
Daisy, from the UK, decided to stop renting a house and bought a narrowboat instead.
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Taking to social media, she said: “POV: You can’t afford your dream house so you create your dream boat instead.”
She put her savvy DIY skills to the test, transforming the entire interior of the boat to her own likes.
She took viewers around, showing off the boat she made her home.
Inside, she used dark theatrical interior design; the kitchen was panelled with a dark purple hue and she made the most of the space by placing hooks around the sink and stovetop to store pots and pans.
She had lots of vintage paintings in gold frames on the countertops, adding some character to the area.
She revealed in another clip that she could not hang them up as the walls were slanted.
In the bedroom, she opted for dark greens and navy hues, using an art-deco style wallpaper to decorate.
The front room used lighter colours to bring in the sunlight and she added a lilac sofa for comfort.
While the bathroom was small, she made the most of the space by using a small wooden storage unit as the sink basin and fitted it with bottle-green tiles for a modern look.
In another clip, Daisy went on to break down the monthly costs of her narrowboat.
To moor in her area, she paid £388.91 and it also includes council tax, water, parking and waste disposal.
Gas was £9.33, electric was £50, £25 on coal for the fire, insurance was £23.58, river license was £88.75 and £300 for the boat itself.
In total, she spent just £885.25 for all of her bills and her boat mortgage.
The clip posted on her TikTok account @daisyontheboat went viral with over 138k views and people were in awe of her home.
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
One person wrote: “Owning a house isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, I’d buy a boat if I had my time again instead lol.”
Another commented: “Love how you’ve styled it… looks great.”
“It’s looking fab,” penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “The dream, must be so peaceful.”
“Lush boat, mine is a right tip,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “Amazing. Love narrow boat living. Not brave enough to go for it.”
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