A WOMAN who saves hundreds on rent living in a narrowboat, says she has to sleep in the living room but she’s “smitten”.
Kat, who goes by Gentle Lentil’s Green Life on YouTube, explained in a recent video how she lives on her 20-foot-long, six-foot-10 wide micro narrowboat.
Talking about her 1989 Springer narrowboat, Kat said: “She really is tiny and cosy and I am beyond smitten.
“I don’t own very much, everything I own is on the boat, it’s enough for me.”
The bedroom, come living room, is where Kat enjoys relaxing with Ernie, her nephew, when he comes to visit.
It can be a double bed, single bed, or two sofas, Kat explained.
“It’s really great because it’s dual purpose”, she added.
Kats books also have their very own named area in this room, known as “the hole”.
Essentially, a horizontal slot in the wall to fit her books.
She also has a little frog collection just above “the hole”.
“Everything I own is now on the boat and I’ve got loads of space still,” Kate explained.
The tiny homeowner pointed to her tiny multi-fuel wood burner she plans to use later in the year, and just beside that is her stove.
She continued to explain her plans for her kitchen come dining room.
The home-owner is a vegan and loves to cook food from scratch, but she tends to find it hard to open cupboard in the kitchen due to the lack of space.
“I have two hobs and a gas line. I haven’t used the oven yet, I have a grill too. and it also doubles as storage for my pots and pans,” she said.
A spice rack hangs above the stove and Kat forages a lot of food herself, from blackberries to mushrooms.
However, she doesn’t have a fridge or freezer yet, due to power issues.
“It won’t be hot enough to need a fridge now, but maybe in the spring I will replace the fridge,” Kat explained.
She has a tiny dinette, with seating area, that can also double as a single bed by adding wood slats.
With plenty of plans for the future, Kat hopes to move her current steps that lead to out of the boat, to free up space next to the kitchen cupboards.
The home-owner told how she’s saved money where she can such as using a 50p single duvet and making her own curtains.
However, each morning, Kat typically shares her breakfast with a friendly visitor, a moorhen.
As for her bathroom, it is yet to be installed, as the boat was previously used for weekend outings – not to live in.
“She’s too small for most, but for me this is plenty. I will have a compost toilet and then a little shower, bidet, just to conserve water,” said Kat.
The renovation adds will be completed when Kat can upgrade her batteries and solar power.
Where and how to buy a houseboat
Living on a houseboat can be a cheaper alternative to living in a house, however, it comes with challenges, such as having to empty your toilets and do lots of hand on maintenance.
Houseboats are exempt from stamp duty, and if you have a residential mooring, you will pay the lowest council tax banned, which is often included in your mooring costs.
Many people buy houseboats with cash instead of getting a mortgage, as they can’t be registered with the land registry.
You can get a specialist “marine mortgage” but they need at least 25% deposit and come with higher interest rates and a shorter repayment term.
You can find houseboats for sale on sites such as Zoopla, or on brokerage websites like Apollo Duck or Whilton Marina.
On the plus side, Kat is currently based in a marina which she says she feels very safe in.
Kat also has a lovely rooftop garden she hopes to grow salads, carrots and cucumbers as time goes on.
“I’m so passionate about it because it’s my home,” she said.
“I’ve never owned anything before in my life so got a lot to say.
“One thing I had to downsize was my clothes. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze. I have to be very organised and tidy, only stuff I really life or that’s really practical.
“Eventually she will look like a totally different boat but at the moment I’m just living in her as it is.”
It comes after an artist shared what it’s like to live off-grid in a canal boat where she can save £600 a month.
Shannon Lane, 29, ditched her room in Clapham, London for a 30ft narrowboat which she cruises in with her pug, Gilbert.
She decided to move on the water after learning her landlord was raising the price of her rent to £1,000 a month.
Ever since Shanon moved, her mental health has improved and she no longer suffers from “bad anxiety and depression”.
Meanwhile, one couple who were fed up with the rat race of their “mundane” lives packed up everything into a tiny home on wheels.
Dave and Emily felt disillusioned with the monotonous routine of waking up early, stressing about work, and skyrocketing bills.
And, a man who made the bold move said he loves the freedom of going off-grid – and escaping the cost of living crisis.
Paul, aka, The Off Grid Nomad, was fed up being left with just £100 to play with at the end of every month amid soaring bills.
The proud “lorry life” community member now travels across the British countryside in his ex-military converted truck.
Elswhere, another couple converted an old van into their dream tiny home on wheels.
Tom and Iz, known as the Lost in Transit duo on social media, share what life is like living on the road.
