{"id":180600,"date":"2023-10-06T12:15:44","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T12:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/?p=180600"},"modified":"2023-10-06T12:15:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T12:15:44","slug":"thrifty-couple-reckon-theyve-found-the-secret-to-living-in-london-for-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/lifestyle\/thrifty-couple-reckon-theyve-found-the-secret-to-living-in-london-for-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Thrifty couple reckon they've found the secret to living in London 'for free'"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A couple say they now live for \u2018free\u2019 after ditching their home for a canal boat and renting it out on weekends. <\/p>\n
Rosanna Irwin and her fianc\u00e9 Killian Connolly had been spending \u00a31,700 a month on rent and bills and were keen to buy a \u2018fixer-upper\u2019 property of their own.<\/p>\n
Despite a budget of \u00a3500,000 and spending six months scouring listings, they found themselves unable to afford a one-bed flat anywhere in\u00a0London.<\/p>\n
Exasperated by the tough housing market, they started to consider living on a boat.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old wasn\u2019t interested in the idea initially, believing it\u2019d be \u2018tough and dingy\u2019. But after she and her partner explored the inside of one, she decided it was worth a shot.<\/p>\n
The couple bought a \u00a3100,000 boat, which measures 60ft x 12ft, last summer and haven\u2019t looked back.<\/p>\n
The vessel is one long room divided into a laundry room, a sitting room\/kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom \u2013 proving to be a compact but multi-functional space.<\/p>\n
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk’s <\/strong>visit\u00a0Metro’s London news hub.<\/em><\/p>\n Rosanna claims they now pay \u2018ultimately nothing\u2019 as their loan repayments are covered by weekend Airbnb rentals \u2013 when they stay in their campervan.<\/p>\n Even better, they manage to save around \u00a320,400 a year.<\/p>\n Rosanna, currently moored in Hackney, East\u00a0London, said: \u2018We wanted to buy somewhere in\u00a0London\u00a0because we were sick of renting.<\/p>\n \u2018After looking at apartments, we realised there was no way we were ever going to be able to afford one.<\/p>\n \u2018One day we were out on the canal and we saw a canal boat go by, he offered us a look inside his boat.<\/p>\n \u2018For ages we had thought canal boats were a bit tough to live on and a bit dingy, but this was so gorgeous.<\/p>\n \u2018Living on the water, waking up and seeing the swans go by is pretty nice. It\u2019s really lovely and takes off a lot of stress, but the best thing is the amount of money saved.<\/p>\n \u2018Ultimately we don\u2019t pay any rent. We pay back a loan each month but it\u2019s much, much cheaper than paying rent.<\/p>\n \u2018It was the only way we could purchase something of our own in\u00a0London, there was no other way.\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They think their vessel is nicer than any one-bed apartment in\u00a0London.<\/p>\n Rosanna said there are some less glamorous realities to boat living, though.<\/p>\n \u2018You need to be a certain type of person to live on a boat.<\/p>\n \u2018We don\u2019t have a kettle or toaster, I don\u2019t use a hair dryer or straighteners.<\/p>\n \u2018We just have a compost toilet, you need to be not-so squeamish. There are more jobs than a regular toilet, you don\u2019t just flush and forget about it. It\u2019s a separator toilet.\u2019<\/p>\n The lifestyle suits the pair as both work remotely, so they have the time and flexibility to move their boat as necessary.<\/p>\n Canal & River Trust tells boaters they need to move every two weeks (or sooner depending on the mooring sign).<\/p>\n Along with their \u00a3100 boat licence, the pair spend just \u00a32,500 a year in total, including on insurance and fuel, and see no reason to live in a house.<\/p>\n Rosanna said: \u2018We generally stick in and around\u00a0London\u00a0but we\u2019ve gone up to Watford and Stansted before.<\/p>\n To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5video<\/p>\n \u2018I think it\u2019s because they don\u2019t want the same people to be taking up the best spots in\u00a0London\u00a0and so it disperses everyone every two weeks so everyone has a chance at getting a nice spot.<\/p>\n \u2018My friends and family definitely think it\u2019s quirky, everyone does come on the boat and realise it\u2019s much nicer than they thought it\u2019d be.<\/p>\n \u2018My passion is tiny homes, I just find them so fascinating.<\/p>\n \u2018We live in a world where we have all built these massive houses for no real reason other than because they can.<\/p>\n \u2018I love seeing how much you can add into a tiny space. I love cabins, street houses and canal boats, they\u2019re definitely so much cosier.\u2019<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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