Couple are evicted and don't have the money for a house: they buy a barge
We all dream of having our own home. There are people who manage to do this early in their lives, but there are others who have do wait a long time to achieve this dream. What stops most is the lack of funds, of course. So, what are the alternatives?
The subjects of this story found an original, economical solution to this problem. Check out their story below:
Dottie Turnbull and Tristan Van are an engaged couple living in the county of Cambridgeshire, UK. The two, aged 21 and 25 respectively, found themselves facing a significant challenge.
The young couple had been living in a small house for over a year, when the owner of the property told them that he intended to sell the house and they had 3 months to vacate. At first, this upset the couple: when they rented the house, it wasn't exactly in good shape and they had invested time and money to make it more livable. But now they were facing homelessness and had very little money. So, what could they do?
"I work in the world of marketing while Tristan is a barber and at that time we weren't doing well economically. Of course, we could have asked for a loan, but this wasn't an optimal option for us. Then, we had an idea. Ever since I was a child, I've always loved boats, but I never imagined, one day, I'd be able to live on one. So, 4 months after receiving the eviction notice, we transferred to a barge called Tanglewood," Dottie recounted.
The barge cost the couple £30,000 pounds. Before moving in, they had to do some renovation work, but looking at the photos, it seems to have been worth it. The interiors of the "house boat" are delightful and homely.
"We have completely transformed the barge - even the external areas have been redone: we have put down synthetic grass and placed a few chairs. Even the kitchen and living room have been overhauled and, from time to time, we add a few touches of extra color to our home. I love life on the boat. I like waking up every morning and finding myself immersed in nature. And everyday life has become extremely exciting. Every day is a new adventure and we can go anywhere on the cannels. Not to mention that everything costs much less than a normal house. We spend about £4 on gas, £20 on heating and £10 on electricity a month," Dottie explained.
In short, this move has worked out well for the couple. In the future, they plan to transform their barge into a bed and breakfast to allow others to experience house boat life.
Would you like to do this?
