Home vs Boat

[stubones99]

Try this one on for size?
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2005/hampton-558-pilothouse-3180600/

 

[Zoar]

i bought the 40 goot albin trawler today. it will be our "second home". my plan is to have both land home and aqua home paid off by next autumn. So insurance, dockage cost under $12,000 a year plus alocating $14,000 for maintenance costs for both should be under $30,000 a year.

 

[Comodave]

i bought the 40 goot albin trawler today. it will be our "second home". my plan is to have both land home and aqua home paid off by next autumn. So insurance, dockage cost under $12,000 a year plus alocating $14,000 for maintenance costs for both should be under $30,000 a year.

Congrats on your new boat. Enjoy it.

 

[Donna]

A house has one distinctive disadvantage, someone has to watch it when you are not there.
One advantage, the house appreciates whilst a boat depreciates. Let's hope one offsets the other.

Why does someone have to watch it? Close it up and go.

 

[OldDan1943]

Why does someone have to watch it? Close it up and go.

Easier to do with a condo.

 

[rslifkin]

How much watching a house needs will depend on the house and the location. A house in the middle of winter somewhere cold and snowy will need a bit more monitoring than one in a more temperate climate.

 

[Mako]

OldDan1943 "A house has one distinctive disadvantage, someone has to watch it when you are not there."
Donna "Why does someone have to watch it? Close it up and go."

Houses are easy. I lived 8000 miles away from mine for years and only visited a couple months a year. A condo would have been even more secure and "easier." Remote security cameras, thermostats, lighting... all controlled from your iPhone. Pick a home in a relative good neighborhood, etc.

 

[ben2go]

I'm a cheap house sitter. I can't believe some people actually get paid to house sit. I'll do it though. The better the location the better the price. Cabins 100+ miles from the nearest residence are free for the first week and discounted for each additional week.

 

[BandB]

I’m going to weigh in on this subject. For the past few years I have been considering moving onto a boat as my full time residence. It has been a dream of mine.

My current boat, a 36’, 44’ OAL, and is comfortably fit. However, I would not be comfortable living full time on her, so I would look for a larger vessel.

When it came right down to it, I have looked at new boats and new homes. I have decided to keep Southerly and use her for continued jaunts to the Bahamas and up and down the coast.

I am in the process of selling my home, building a new one and using my boat as a weekend/vacation getaway. It was a really hard decision.

Wifey B: I hope those considering read what you've written carefully. The first and most important thing I pick up from your post is you don't know, you only think you know, until you actually try it. Continuing that line is that the amount of time you intend to be on a boat changes your comfort considerably and quite typically the longer the time, the bigger the boat needs to be.

You've given it all careful consideration. You've even entertained and discussed it with alligators at your home. Then, after the experience, you've decided what is right for you at this stage of your life.

Other factors enter into the equation for all considering it. Any work requirements, spouse or partner desires and likes and dislikes, what you're use to, where you like to be, friends and family. It's a major life decision.

That's why I get scared when I read someone with no boating experience, no experience living aboard, and they just say they're selling their home and going to buy a boat to live on. They can try to make it work, but better have a good plan in case it's a dismal failure or anywhere in between.

 

[ssobol]

Reminds me of a couple I know. They decided that they wanted to do the RV thing. Sold their house, bought a brand new RV, and set out. After 4 months they'd had enough (actually she did). Sold the RV (I'm sure at a noticeable loss) and bought another home a few blocks from their old house.

I'm sure the same thing happens with a lot of boats.