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Realtor- a Helping Hand in Deal of Real Estate

December 20th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

Whenever you want to deal in real estate and you need a helping hand you can seek the help of Realtor. You can arm yourself with information and take charge. Here’s what you need to know about house hunting, financing, closing and more. All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the National Association Of Realtor are properly called Realtor. Real estate proudly display the Realtor “®” logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature.National Association of Realtor (NAR) is founded in 1908; NAR has grown from its original nucleus of 120 members and these reaches to more than 1 million today. NAR is composed of Realtor who is involved in residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others who are engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry.All the members who belong to one or more of 1,700 local associations/boards and 54 state and territory associations of realtors and they can join any institutes, societies, and councils. Additionally, NAR offers members the opportunity to be active in our appraisal and international real estate specialty sections. Realtors are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Realtors New London ct are committed to treat all the parties and customers to a transaction honestly. Realtors New London ct subscribe to a strict code of ethics. They are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reports that 84% of homebuyers would use the some realtors again as they are good and easy to deal with.Today’s many successful Realtors such as Realtor Groton ct have already realized that consumers are using search engines to buy and sell real estate as they can get more and detail information on it. The technology and Websites provides by Realtor Groton ct from the front-end display to the extremely user-friendly backend technology and they are built to adhere to search engines’ best practices. “Search engine friendly” is not merely a buzzword at Real Estate Webmasters and it is something most of people live and breathe.Any profitable real estate website needs a few essential elements. Real Estate Southeastern ct begins with an appealing design that attracts more and more visitors’ attention, conveying a specific emotional tone and a highly professional aesthetic.1) Custom Web Design- Sometimes this happens that a ready-built solution doesn’t quite fit the bill. Then you can let Real Estate Southeastern ct Webmasters builds something just for customers’ needs.2) Solutions for Custom IDX – Real estate New London ct let it’s users search for properties by website using advanced features such as mapping.3) Template Solutions- This is built on an accessible, search engine friendly framework, templates of Real estate New London ct are designed to perform.4) SEO(Search Engine Optimization)- If you ready to take your web campaign to the next level and want to enlarge your knowledge, at that time experts can help you bring targeted traffic to your website.

real estate waterford ct

Housing Market News Nov 2009

December 19th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

Traditionally, spring is the season when the housing market picks up.

An increase in the number of buyers, helping boost the number of sales agree, points to a much stronger market in the coming months.

 

City bonuses have ignited the housing market in London.

Big houses are selling fast, often going to sealed bids.

In one case a property was reported to have attracted 33 bids.

 

Furthermore, the growth that started in the prime areas of London is showing signs of spreading out across the rest of the capital.

 

London continues to be the engine for national house price growth with values in the capital moving 1.2% higher over the month and by over 3% over the last quarter.

In contrast, growth in the regions away from the south of England has totaled less than 0.5% over the last three months.

 

The strong performance by London is down to an on-going mismatch between the number of homes coming to the market for sale and the growth in demand.

The Hometrack index shows the supply of homes for sale has grown by 14% over the last quarter, whilst demand has grown in excess of 50%.

 

Incomes are rising, interest rates are low, employment remains high, the demand for homes is growing with immigration and the creation of new households, and new house building still struggles to keep up with demand.

 

On the supply side, estate agents are reporting some increased levels of supply on their books as new sellers come to market perhaps encouraged by the recent upturn in prices.

 

But supply is still at a relatively low level and in spite of strong buyer interest, this, coupled with higher house prices choking off some demand, suggests that activity will fall towards its longer term average over the coming months.

 

Capital Economics’ Ed Stansfield commented: “There is clearly still some appetite for buying at these high prices and banks and building societies seem to be keener than ever to lend the money.

As long as interest rates remain low nothing too bad can happen.”

 

 

 

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Purchasing A Lake Home – How To Do It Right

December 19th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

So you have finally made decisions to purchase a house on a lake. Whether you are thinking about building a house or buying an existing one, several things should be considered before moving forward along with your lake house plans. At the outset, know the right goals when buying the waterfront property. Make sure to know, if you are looking for seclusion, some place to unwind yourself from the hectic job in cites, or if you plan upon entertaining your family and friends within your new retreat. Do you prefer spending long and lazy summer noon dangling feet off the pier or dreaming the entire day away? Are you any fisherman or boater?
Most of such activities would make difference in the ultimate choice of the lake house. You must carefully consider about the lake home and the lot along with its surrounding areas. When one is looking for seclusion, they would perhaps want the lake property removed from others. New developments with many of the neighbors around would not essentially work for you. Conversely, those who desire some social lifestyle near the lake might find some perfect waterfront property in the new development.
Along with current concerns about environment, the owners of various lake homes are gradually becoming stewards of shoreline and the water. There are no more natural lakes which are being made. However, there are constantly many people who wish to live on lake-fronts. This could lead to destruction of qualities which essentially draw people towards the lake at the threshold place. But these days, most people are opting not to buying or building in areas where the waterfront property is overdeveloped. Any kind of over development could affect levels of nutrients in the lake water and also the wildlife. This could destroy the natural vegetation too. And let us face that the over development would ruin scenic quality of the lake. This quality is the main thing for people to go about buying lake homes.
More and more homeowners of lake-front property today look for a carefully managed and maintained site or development. They are aware of the fact that even small structure built up on the waterfront property could have huge impact on health of the lake; endeavoring to tread light up on the part of earth.
A thing that you could do is being aware of the structures which are located at the lake shore, like the boathouses or the docks. It is a good notion to take looks at the potential property from the water when possible, before you buy. Would the boathouse or dock stand out dominating the entire lake shore by the property? If this is the case, it is a good bet that the structures are affecting quality of lake water along with its scenic aspect. When you are building the house, always keep the boat house size very small. You may also tuck it in some discrete spot so that it would not dominate the landscape. This is true with the dock, too. Most homeowners today would prefer a more rustic sort of look which blends with the look of the lake front property. When you are buying pre-existing homes and things about it, it seems perfect except shoreline structures; they are relatively easy with inexpensive things to change.
With a little bit of forethought on what you wish about a lake house and some research would make the search for the waterfront property more like a breeze.

London Real Estate Hot Spots for High Net worth Individuals

December 19th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

London is the real estate hot spot for high net worth individuals today even though it is the world’s most expensive place to buy property for residential purpose. Price of properties is as high as over two thousand pounds or over four thousand dollars a square foot! The hike in prices can be attributed to the purchasing capacity of high net worth individuals as clearly indicated by the steep rise in central London properties. Property industry is flourishing, with landmark buildings being sold at premium rates. One such building is the HSBC head office at Canary Wharf which fetched the highest ever price in Britain.
London being the global financial capital, the demand for office spaces is on the rise and attracting buyers from all over the world. Such properties have been fetching high returns for their commercial worth. The rental yields of such property are extremely high. With commercial property prices escalating, residential prices too are on the rise, making the luxury property prices go through the roof. Flats in London cost as high as over four thousand pounds per square foot. The really high prices of luxury apartments in Knightsbridge have turned London’s penthouses into the most expensive residential properties. Another prize address is the Hyde Park area where costs of smart homes have shot up by about fifty percent.
Some of the prize residential places would be featuring bullet proof windows, purified air and even “panic rooms” to take care of security. A squash court and spa would be added attractions in the much luxurious and prestige residences now being made available in central London. The London hot spot real estates for high net worth individuals are a class of their own.
Clients are making a grab for these very prestigious places in the heart of London city, without even viewing the showcased property. Such places are being identified by Russian oligarchs and Arab princes and the prices are booming. The rise in interest rates along with the rise in prices have not deterred the high net worth individuals who seem even more determined to buy such prize property knowing its value in tomorrow’s world.
Considering the rise in prices, it is predicted that home prices in the capital will escalate still further as the demand is outstripping the supply. The only thing about this excessively high range of prices is cordoning off areas as being areas of the ‘rich’ and the high net worth individuals and the other more affordable houses as the ‘poor’. People love the mix of the affordable and the very rich lifestyle.
All said and done, London has become the most prized and expensive place in the world to buy luxury property at the new price record of four thousand pounds a square foot. It is attracting buyers from Russia, India and Asia because of the attractive tax structure which enables them to reside in another country without paying taxes on the money kept there. Bonuses earned by those working in the financial service industry are ploughed in to buy larger and more luxurious homes.

How To Start Flipping Houses

December 18th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

 

If your dream is to step into the real estate market and make money flipping houses, you either need extremely deep pockets or be prepared to work hard for many weeks to make it happen. In this ‘Before a Flip’ section, we’ve covered who, what, when, where and why of flipping, as well as market environment and financial considerations of flipping a property. If you’re looking to get started investing in real estate by fixing and flipping houses, you’ll want to know what type of property to buy.

1. Understand Your Market Getting started with house flipping is like stepping into a new career, not only are there new people to meet, but new policies and budgets to learn, Rehab funding costs more but you can purchase with no money down and also get the money to fix the house. Because this type of financing is more difficult to obtain, consider purchasing your own home or a second/vacation home to get started. Each real estate market has unique possibilities and limitations.

2. Get your credit in order. When you first start out in your real estate “flipping fixers” business, you’ll want to look for houses needing only cosmetic work. If your credit rating is strong, you may be able to persuade your bank to take a chance on your ability to make house flipping work. Once you’ve purchased the house that you have personally inspected and liked to flip, plan on the renovation works and estimate the repair cost. Keep balances low compared to the credit limit. You need a score over 680 to get the best financing–over 720 is even better.

3.Know When “Ugly” Means “Pass” The vast majority of houses that come on the market at a price that will allow you to make a profit by flipping have issues that have made them difficult to sell. Once you’ve observed an expert or secured a mentor to shepherd you along, watching a property flip from start to finish is the best form of experience-based education a person can engage in. if you’re getting itchy to start your own house flipping business, just calm down first and don’t rush things.

You can make a fortune fixing nasty houses. Learn your market. It may not be that easy at first but if you persevere and dedicate yourself to this endeavor, you will succeed. It’s best that you stay employed so you can easily avail of loans.

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How I Learned To Sell My House Fast, Even In This Slow Housing Market!

December 18th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

I had been trying to sell my house for over two long years before I discovered how to sell my house in 7 days or less. I had a house in another state in which I no longer lived. In addition to the house I lived in, I was paying a first and second mortgage, utilities, taxes and outrageous rates for vacancy insurance month after month while my house sat empty and unsold. The house was bleeding my bank account to death, especially when the real estate and credit market started to go downhill.

Before I moved, I tried to sell my house myself “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO) with no luck. I had no idea how to effectively market my house to generate buyer interest, how to get them financed, how to complete the purchase and sale paperwork and the like. After I failed to sell my house myself, I listed the house with 4 different Realtors for six months each. They told me the that my house was beautiful, that they could sell my house fast and get top dollar. They promised me that they would market my house in the paper, magazines, on the MLS and do multiple open houses and more. In reality, they barely lifted a finger. They listed my house on the MLS, put a sign in the yard and forgot about my house. They did no open houses as promised, advertised in no magazines and never showed the house. I lost two years worth of mortgage payments, taxes and utilities that I will never recover.

Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. Perhaps you are making two house payments, trying to sell an ugly house, in foreclosure, bankruptcy, going through a messy divorce, dealing with the death of a loved one, lost your job, had an extended illness or just can’t afford to make your house payments anymore. Perhaps you too have tried to sell your house on your own or through a Realtor with no luck. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to sell your house fast, there is a better way to sell without trying to sell your house yourself or listing through a Realtor. You can sell your house in 7 days or less and here’s how…

I was searching the Internet one day looking for yet another Realtor to list and sell my house when I came across a local company that claimed to buy houses in 7 days or less. Perhaps you’ve seen some of those local “We Buy Houses” people or companies in your neighborhood. I called the home buyer and he said that they were indeed a local, professional home buying company that buys houses in any area, condition or price range, in 7 days or less, for investment purposes. He said they could pay me all cash, take over my mortgage payments and close quickly if needed. He said that if my house qualified, they could buy my house fast allowing me to sell my house in 7 days or less!

We made an appointment for him to come out and inspect my home within the next 48 hours. He loved my house and said it was exactly the type of home that he and several of his customers were looking for. He made me 2 different offers to purchase my home on the spot. One was an all cash offer to buy my house below current market value. This offer would have netted me about the same amount I would have made had I listed and sold through a Realtor. The second offer was to give me some cash now, take over my mortgage payments and cash me out of my mortgage and remaining equity later when he was able to resell my house to a new buyer. This offer would give me a higher sales price, some cash now, immediate debt relief from my mortgage payments and the rest of my cash later. If I had not been trying to sell my home for two years, I would have taken the 2nd offer. However, because I had been trying to sell my home for so long, I took the cash offer and netted the same amount I would have likely made if I had sold through a Realtor. The home buyer handled all the paperwork and we closed later that week with a local real estate attorney. My house was bought and sold in 7 days or less! Man, I wish I had met these guys two years ago!

If you too have an unwanted house you need to sell fast for any reason whatsoever, I recommend you contact one or more local, professional home buyers in your area before you list your house with a real estate agent or try to sell “For Sale by Owner”. You owe it to yourself to see what these folks have to offer before you lock yourself into a six month listing agreement with a real estate agent and end up waiting two years and thousands and thousands of dollars later to sell your home for the same amount you would have likely netted to begin with. I found my local professional home buyer at www.WeBuyHouses.net and you can too. Just visit their website and complete their online questionnaire to contact a professional home buyer in your area. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by talking to these folks. By selling to a professional home buyer is how I sold my house in 7 days or less and how you can sell your house fast too!

London Fashion Week 2009 – A Comprehensive Guide

December 17th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

The fashion industry is eagerly awaiting the London Fashion Week this year. Leading fashion designers are gearing up with their unique collection for September 2009. The fashion world is ready to make the show. Fashion retailers are looking forward to London Fashion Week because they know that despite the recession there is a class of people who will continue buying designer clothes. They understand well that refreshing window display is the right strategy to attract customers. So they are longing to discover fresh fashion with one of the world’s best fashion weeks.The world will witness the London Fashion Week from 18th to 22nd September. The wonderful setting of the Somerset House off the Strand will complement the gorgeous fashion week. The venue remains over crowded with fashion designers as well as general audience from all over the world.Ahead of the Paris and Milan fashion week and following the New York Fashion Week, the London Fashion Week will witness abundance of designer clothes, flashy jewelries and branded accessories. This biannual event holds a very important position for the fashion industry.Media and Trade jump at London Fashion Week to enjoy the vibrant fashions on the catwalk and at the same time to find out the latest fashion trend. It is time to discover which trend will adorn the leading fashion showrooms and which one will disappear with just a glance.London Fashion Week is organized by the British Fashion Council. This premier event is a great opportunity for British designers to showcase their works to a worldwide audience. This fashion event has various financial schemes to support the brightest young talents to promote their designs and come to a deal with the leading fashion houses.One of the most popular schemes is BFC New Generation. It is sponsored by Top Shop to support the newcomers in the fashion arena exhibiting their collection in London Fashion Week. Another interesting scheme is Estethica which is sponsored by Monsoon. This scheme supports the designers whose collections are based on ecological, organic or ethical principles.Sponsored by Westfield London, Fashion Forward is also a good scheme. Instead of supporting the young talents this scheme supports the designers who have already made their own place in the fashion world. Many of UK’s top fashion designers have been supported by Fashion Forward.London Fashion Week showcases the collection of individual fashion designers at specific catwalk shows. If you want to avoid the venues overcrowded by Trade and Press you can attend these specific shows.London Fashion Week will exhibit the works of nearly 200 fashion and accessory designers. Besides the British designers it is a great opportunity for the international designers to reach the world wide audience. The designer wears exhibited in this fashion week is often seen in various red carpet fashion events as well.London Fashion Week will be followed by the London Fashion Weekend which is no less popular than the former event. If you wish to get personal with top fashion labels don’t miss this opportunity. Latest designer clothes are available for slimmed down prices in London Fashion Weekend.London Fashion Week not only offers a glimpse of the upcoming fashion trend but attending this fashion week will be great fun.

Live in a Luxury Hotel Not in a House – The Dream Of The Decade

December 16th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

More than forty years after the building of a skyscraper hotel in one of the world’s capitals comes a novel about hotel living: “The Dream of the Decade – The London Novels” by Afshin Rattansi, former BBC Today Programme Producer.

The location of novel is the London Hilton skyscraper in Park Lane, finished in 1963 and designed by William B. Tabler Architects. The protagonist, a 1980s working-class-man made-good is a millionaire – but what about others who have chosen to live in hotels instead of buying property?

In New York: The Carlyle – “Though hotel residents come in varied shapes, sizes and ages, the population tends to skew older and toward a high tax bracket, said Marcie Lieberman, hotel manager at The Carlyle. “It’s usually an upper-echelon person. People who have gotten used to a certain convenience and who like living in an environment where those things are available,” she said.

Combine that with the right amount of pampering, and you’ve got the answer to a hotel dweller’s prayers – all ending in amenity. The Ritz-Carlton on Central Park South, for example, offers inclusive and a la carte services for any situation from wanting a massage to needing diamonds at a moment’s notice.” (Daniel Bubbeo, Newsday)

In London: “John Petch, sales director of boutique hotel group, GLA Hotels (owners of the Lancaster in Paris and the Cadogan Hotel in London) began his career with the Savoy group in the early 1980s. Back then, the fifth floor at Claridges was reserved for long-term guests. But by the early 1990s, he says, hotel residency was dying out. Even the wealthy regarded long stays as uneconomical and turned their attention to affordable second-home investment opportunities.

But the tide is turning; both the Lancaster and Cadogan have three long-stay residents who use the hotels as their city bases. “People are moving back into hotels because of the security and service,” says Petch. Boutique hotels also excel at providing a home- from-home atmosphere backed up with personalised service. “If you have a flat, you might have one person to look after you,” he says. “Here you have all of our staff on call.”" (Tracy Hoffman, Financial Times)

Hotel-living Names:
Geri Halliwell – The Lanesborough, London
Bobby Hashemi, founder of Coffee Republic – Claridge’s, London
Ruud Gullit – Malmaison, London
Chris Evans – Langham Hilton, London
Richard Harris – Savoy, London
Rupert Murdoch’s courtship with Wendi Deng – The Mercer Hotel, New York
Ken Hom – The Dorchester, London
Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland; Richard Burton and Liz Taylor – The Dorchester, London.
Coco Chanel – Ritz, Paris
Marlene Dietrich – Hotel Lancaster, Paris
Greta Garbo, – Fairmont Miramar, Los Angeles
Howard Hughes – Desert Inn, Las Vegas
Salvador Dali – Hotel Meurice, Paris
Peter Bogdanovich – Stanhope Hotel, New York
Claude Monet – Savoy, London
Cate Blanchett – Covent Garden Hotel, London
Christina Ricci – Covent Garden Hotel, London
Diane Von Furstenberg – Carlyle, New York
Frank Sinatra – The Waldorf Towers, New York
Cole Porter – The Waldorf Towers, New York
Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald – Lowell Hotel, New York
Madonna – Carlyle, New York
Madonna – Home House, London
William Burroughs – Beat Hotel, Paris
William Burroughs – Chelsea Hotel, New York
Sid Vicious – Chelsea Hotel, New York
Dylan Thomas – Chelsea Hotel, New York
Arthur C Clarke – Chelsea Hotel, New York
Bob Dylan – Chelsea Hotel, New York
Tim Burton – Portobello Hotel, London
Francis Ford Coppola – Portobello Hotel, London
John Lennon – Hilton, Amsterdam

The title novel in the quartet, The Dream of the Decade, may end in disquieting circumstances but one only has to look at the tragedies of the famous who have died in hotels to know it isn’t uncommon. ends

How I Sold My Buford Georgia House in Days and How You Can Sell Your House Fast Too!

December 16th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

Everyone has heard the news on the current deteriorating state of the economy, the severe credit crisis and the declining housing market. Fox, CNN, MSNBC, other news outlets and even the President remind us of our pain daily. The peoples fears and perception have not become reality. Home foreclosures are at an all time high even in my neighborhood in Buford Georgia with many more foreclosures likely to come. The unemployment rate in Georgia is growing daily and is the highest it has been in many years. Housing resale values are at all time lows with no end in sight. Even the banks are going bankrupt as are many Americans who no longer qualify for credit.

Because of the recent credit crisis, many people don’t qualify for a new loan to buy a house right now, despite the incredibly low housing prices. Many home sellers can’t sell their unwanted houses because they owe more than their house is worth because of the falling house prices. Many sellers can’t even rent their houses our for enough to cover their mortgage payments, taxes and insurance resulting in severe negative cash flow that bleeds then dry month after month. To make matters worse, many tenants end up trashing the house when they move out making it even more difficult and expensive to sell. If they list their house with a real estate agent, their house will likely sit on the market for a long, long time waiting to sell since the buyers seem to have magically disappeared. Even if the house does finally sell one day at a greatly reduced price to get it sold, the owner has to pay a 6% real estate commission plus the majority of the closing costs. This often results in the seller writing a big, fat check at the closing table to finally get their house sold.

So what are my options to sell my Buford Georgia house fast in this depressed economy and housing market when many folks can’t get a loan? By trial and error, I discovered the following 3 alternatives to try to sell my Buford home quickly…

So I scheduled the appointment with the Buford home buyer and he came out and inspected my home. He said it was just what they were looking for and that he had several buyers looking for a similar home. I was ecstatic! He made me several offers to buy my house as promised. I chose the offer that best suited my needs and we scheduled a closing the following week with a local real estate closing attorney. It was that fast and that simple to finally sell my house in Buford! I still can’t get over it. After waiting two years trying to sell my house on my own and through a licensed agent, I was able to sell my house in less than 7 days to a local professional home buying company!

How to Live in One of The Most Expensive Cities in The World For Less Than £1000 a Month?

December 16th, 2009 HowToPurchaseHouse No comments

Option 1. Tow a luxury caravan behind a vehicle to use for your living accommodation and keep moving from location to location in the city.

Option 2. Have your home fitted to your own specification by a top of the range couch builder with all the mod cons to your hearts content. Then park it either permanently or semi-permanently , you simply rent a small plot of land either in the city or in one of the suburbs just outside the main city.

Option 3. Since River Thames runs through the heart of the London city, you can buy yourself a small boat for three people, a luxury one for more people or go for the long river boat with a lot of living space. In this article, we discuss this option in detail, its merits and benefits:-

1)First of all you need a boat and there is a huge number and sizes to choose from.

Consider this scenario and the savings.

” The Cheyne Walk home has very prestigious address as well as a good view of the embankment but the asking price is £6.5 million. If you opt for the house boat instead, you will have acquired for yourself virtually the same prestigious address and a saving of £6.5 millions or near that point”.

What sort of boat do I need? Here is an example of a house boat moored in Chelsea with mooring rights till 2020 at the rate of £9,000 per year or £750 per month. This is very cheap when you compare this cost to rents of £500 per week being charged in the same area for traditional home living.

The most common house boat is the narrow one; it stretches 45 to 50ft in length and about 6 feet in width. There is ample living space for a couple and occasional guests. You can buy a brand new narrow boat for about £90,000 but used ones are available for about £25,000 to £30,000.

Buying a house boat is no different than buying car or a home. You need to have your future possession/home checked out properly for value and major defects if any. It is recommended that you have a detailed survey carried followed by a thorough safety inspection. The safety inspection is an absolute must.

2)Mooring costs? Mooring costs range between £4,000 and £8,000 per year. These costs very much depend on the location where your boat is moored. The due diligence in respect of mooring rights is important, advised and is highly recommended. Visit the potential mooring site and ask questions of the existing river boat residents. River people are a very close knit community and will help you in your decision making process. Ask them all the questions which you feel need answering. For example, you want to make sure that you can stay there for as long as you want. Therefore, having a 25 year lease will give you the security and the peace of mind. It is advised for you to check that your mooring rights are not for a short period. And, if you are taking over a lease which has a tenure of 3 years still to run, you want to make sure that you have the option to renew it in its present state without any alterations to any of the existing covenants.

3)Are there any additional costs to take into account? You are treated no different than a ordinary resident so far as the local government taxation is concerned. For London, the council tax is between £900 to £1,200 per year. The river licence will add another £1,000 per year to your cost of living. Insurance costs in respect of your possessions and the boat itself amount to £800 per year. There are maintenance costs of around £4,000 every 4 years. So, set aside a £1,000 per year to pay for these essential costs when the time comes to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Finally, this is flexible living indeed because you can move to another place up or down the river. Buying a boat and then paying for everything else does amount to a lot of money it would appear. But, these costs are much less than you would have to pay if you were to buy a house in London. Can I get a mortgage to buy a boat? There are lenders willing to lend although it is a much more risky proposal and therefore attracts a slightly higher interest rate. The point of the exercise is that for about £1,000 a month, you can be living in the heart of the London city where other people are paying a whopping £1,000 per week.