Dreaming of living on a River Murray houseboat? Joanne Grey has a warning for you
A White Sands houseboat buyer offers her advice about some of the pitfalls she has experienced since she downsized earlier this year.
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Amid a cost-of-living crisis, Joanne Grey thought it sounded like the perfect solution: sell her house and downsize to a houseboat.
But the Riverglen Marina resident has a warning for anyone tempted by the same thought.
Be aware of what you’re getting yourself into.
Her floating dream home has become a nightmarish money pit as she has become aware of issues you wouldn’t ever think of when moving into a house on land.
Now she’s appealing for help from the wider community, and hopes to save anyone else from ending up in the same predicament.
Even more so than most, Ms Grey’s past few years had been challenging.
She had been living in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, and had already suffered through a breakdown related to the loss of her father, when her partner died suddenly on December 20, 2019.
He left no will, and Ms Grey had to fight for her share of his estate.
She wound up selling their family home, paying off what was left on the mortgage and moving in with her brother to save money, while also going from working in her own dog grooming business, to bus driving, to unemployment benefits.
At the same time, she was dealing with depression, an ADHD diagnosis and the aftereffects of a gastric bypass operation.
She was rejected by a home buyer assistance program on the basis that her living expenses were too high, despite her arguments that she had needed to buy new clothes and more nutritious food – she had just lost 60 kilograms.
Four days later, she saw what looked like a way out.
“There was an ad for this houseboat on (Facebook) marketplace,” she said.
“So I go and contact them, organise to see them the next day, and it did look really good – it was all painted, well presented, de-cluttered.
“I’ve got two dogs and a cat, and I thought, ‘It’s better than a caravan’.”
An old inspection report, ordered by the previous owners, suggested everything was ship-shape.
“The general overall condition is good and … the vessel is presently compliant for gas/electric/EPA,” it read.
So Ms Grey decided not to fork out for an inspection of her own before signing on the dotted line.
After all, the report had been completed by a well credentialed professional only a few years earlier, right?
That decision is now her biggest regret.
Houseboat life can be more complicated than it looks
Since moving onto the boat earlier this year, Ms Grey has found all kinds of problems, including:
- a missing greywater tank, a requirement for all houseboats since 2015
- warped and cracked cladding which allows rain and pests inside
- a non-functioning engine in a rusty engine bay
- a battery, horn, anchor and navigation lights which were all unusable, and flares which were expired
A range of maintenance issues have become apparent to Ms Grey. Photos: Peri Strathearn.
She relocated the boat to Riverglen from Hindmarsh Island in early April, but is now stuck there until she can meet the cost of repairs.
Those costs will likely run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
There isn’t much advice available for would-be houseboat buyers from the likes of Marine Safety SA or the Boating Industry Association of SA; but houseboat brokers, marine surveyors and other River Murray houseboat owners can all be a source of useful advice.
Houseboat life can be very appealing: you can live right on the water, with the flexibility to move your home from one place or another if you choose, and a boat typically costs much less than a bricks-and-mortar house.
“Because of the housing crisis … a lot of people in my age bracket really are struggling, have to downsize and really don’t want to get caught with another mortgage,” Ms Grey said.
“It could be a way to live if you like doing things yourself.”
But before getting serious, you may want to think about:
- A pre-purchase inspection: Brokers, insurers and marketplace websites alike all strongly recommend hiring an accredited marine surveyor to inspect any boat you are considering; this may involve having it put up in a slip and checking out its hull, engines, electrical and water systems, and safety equipment
- Ongoing costs: Mooring fees, insurance, fuel and maintenance mean you’ll pay more year-to-year than you would in a conventional home – perhaps up to 10 per cent of your houseboat’s purchase cost each year
- Legal requirements: Registration, up-to-date safety gear, and a boat licence – you don’t need one if you’re on holiday, but you do if you own your own houseboat
Since finding out all of this, Ms Grey has launched an online fundraiser to help her stay afloat, literally and figuratively.
In the meantime, she hopes others will avoid falling into the same traps she has encountered.
“Don’t trust the first thing you read; go and get a second and third opinion,” she said.
“Ask (the vendor) for receipts for the work that has been done, so you know it has definitely been done.
“And any communication with them, get it in text or email, so that when you do have a problem, you’ve got proof.”
- Donate: www.gofundme.com.
