WOULD-BE houseboat owners are urged to seek independent professional advice so they don’t find their chances of happiness sinking along with their new home.

According to a recent survey, three in ten Londoners have considered buying a houseboat in the capital to get on the property ladder and enjoy a good lifestyle in the city.

But yachting expert Simon Phillips is warning life on board a houseboat may be anything but plain sailing. He says those who buy without any knowledge of boats may find their new dream home quickly turns into a nightmare.

Houseboats are becoming popular places to live, especially in London.   

The number of boats registered to be moored on London waterways has increased by nearly 60 per cent in the past five years, according to latest figures from the Canal & River Trust.

As many vessels are berthed at unofficial moorings, it may be far more than this.

Popular moorings in the area are at Harefield, Uxbridge, Cowley, Yeading and Brentford.

It is becoming increasingly common for people buy house boats, despite never sailing or having any maritime experience.

The lack of knowledge is causing all sorts of problems and stress for new owners who can be taken advantage of and left regretting their purchase.

Simon, a RYA Yachtmaster who runs Seaway Yacht Deliveries, is expanding a service he offers called Soft Landings.

The service is aimed at the houseboat market after hearing from people who have done significant damage to either themselves, their new boat or often just their bank balances having bought a ‘floating home’ they have no idea how to look after.

He said: “New boat owners have been known to struggle with everything from changing gas cylinders to tying their boats up safely so they do not get damaged.

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“But the biggest problems come when people underestimate the different skills and knowledge needed to live on a boat and do not research it properly or seek help.

Ten examples Simon has seen include:

New boat owners thinking when you move the boat you literally have to cut the anchor chain. Then, they are shocked to find they cannot moor the boat as the vessel does not come with lots of ‘spare’ anchors.

People colliding with other vessels when it’s time to move them to another mooring as they do not understand the rights of way, assuming they are the same as on the road.

Houseboat owners not understanding what kind of boat they have bought and taking out the wrong insurance.

People complaining there is something wrong with the suspension on the boat as it feels uneven and rocks.

Concern there is mould or some other substance in the boat as they feel sick on a frequent basis – which is actually just caused from motion sickness from being on the water.

People buying a boat in London having been told a permanent residential mooring would be easy to find but discovering that wasn’t the case and having to pay people to move it for them.

People finding they have had to moor their houseboat so far away they end up renting a room in a house closer to work and are left with double costs.

When moving moorings, finding the boat started to let in water from old damage to the hull, which hadn’t been noticed as they did not have it formally surveyed.

Buying a houseboat in the summer months, then finding themselves freezing cold in winter due to inadequate heating.

People being evicted from a boat as it was not deemed safe to live on.

Simon came up with the concept of Soft Landings to provide would-be boat owners with an independent service offering advice and practical support.

It can help with everything from selecting a suitable boat for their experience and planned use, to providing a 101-point owner’s report to make sure the boat is safe and everything is in working order.

Simon said: “Living on a houseboat can be a wonderful life choice, but to go out and buy a boat with no experience at all can be daunting and potentially dangerous as there will always be people who will seek to take advantage of you.”