A Peek At Modern Narrowboat Design

It's essential that you do your research properly before buying a narrow boat. It's a large investment, and you should make sure you know what you are getting into and doing before you buy. Many are looking for an alternative lifestyle and living on a narrow boat is becoming more and more popular. With many couples not being able to get on the property ladder buying a narrow boat is a great solution for first-time buyers. It also gives people the opportunity of living in locations that perhaps they couldn't afford if they wanted to buy a bricks and mortar home. It also has to be said that living on a narrow boat isn't for everyone. It is a lifestyle choice and may not suit everyone. It is a good idea to take a narrow boat holiday before purchasing to give you a taste of what canal life is really like. But if you are sure that this is for you then follow these simple tips to help with the buying process. Using a brokerage company will help you in lots of ways. Firstly you will be able to visit a variety of boats all in one location.

An established brokerage company will be able to help and advise you in the buying process, help make an offer, get a survey done and negotiate on your behalf after a survey is carried out if there is work needed on the boat for it to pass the survey. Spend time looking into the different styles of narrow boats, take into consideration when you are going to use the boat and how often. There are a variety of different lengths and layouts to choose from, depending on your taste and needs this will help you in the decision to which style and length boat is right for you. Be Patient! Don't rush things, this is a large purchase, and you need to make sure you get it right. There are plenty of boats on the market; it is very easy to get carried away and want to buy the first one you fall in love with. Don't! Shop around look at lots of boats before you make an offer. Use your head and don't follow your heart at this stage. There are various options open to you.

You can use a marine mortgage company, sell your home, release equity in your property, apply for a bank loan or go to the bank of mum and dad! Knowing your finances are in place will put you in a strong position when putting in an offer. If you are buying a canal boat, you are going to need somewhere to keep her. Finding residential moorings is more difficult than finding non-residential moorings so take time to look into this before you buy. You may find that if you buy from a brokerage company that they will offer you moorings if the sale goes through. Make sure you get the boat surveyed before you buy it. A narrow boat survey is carried out just like a house has a survey during the buying process. The survey is designed to highlight any problems the boat may have. You may be in a position to renegotiate the offer if problems should be found at survey stage. Make sure you get all your paperwork in place this will include a license from the Canal and River Trust, boat insurance, mooring contracts and any additional documents that are related to the narrow boat.