I dumped my house on a boat for life – it saves me £6,000 a year, but here are the four things I wasn't prepared for
A London woman has given up her house share and quit the rat race to live off-grid in a narrowboat – and says it saves her £6,000 a year.
Shannon Lane, 29, was fed up with paying £900 a month for a room in a three-bedroom apartment in Clapton, east London.
The artist said she was looking for a “more affordable” place with room for her and her pug Gilbert, two.
So she took out a loan to buy a £24,000 30-foot narrowboat, which she moved into in January 2023.
The Londoner says she now saves £500 a month, which equates to more than £6,000 a year, and travels around the Grand Union Canal – every fortnight.
A London woman ditched her house share and quit the rat race to live off-grid in a narrowboat – and says it saves her £6,000 a year
However, it wasn't all plain sailing and Shannon says she experienced 'boat blues' as she struggled in freezing weather, learning to move the boat, empty the toilet and refill her water.
The artist, who currently lives in Hackney, East London, said: 'I was paying £900 a month for a room, I thought “this is ridiculous”.
“I thought of other options that were more affordable and had space that me and my dog could live in comfortably.
'As soon as I saw the boat advertised I knew it was one for me, I spent £24,000 and found out my loan repayments are £300 a month.
“That's a huge difference from what I paid back in my house share and this is something I own now.”
Shannon lived in a shared house with two friends and was originally paying £900 a month until her landlord increased her rent to £1,000 a month.
She was walking around the Kings Cross Canal in October 2022 when she came across a narrowboat for sale.
Shannon said it was a 'no-brainer' to get on a boat and now save thousands a year.
Shannon Lane, 29, was fed up with paying £900 a month for a room in a three-bedroom apartment in Clapton, east London
The artist said she was looking for a 'more affordable' place with room for her and her pug Gilbert, two
She said: 'I saw the boat and thought 'what if?'.
'I texted the owner and we arranged a viewing for the following week.
'As soon as I saw the boat myself I saw that it cost £24,000 and I calculated that paying my loan from the bank to pay for it would be £300 a month.
“That's a huge savings from what I paid in my house share.”
However, there were things Shannon was not prepared for and found difficult in her new home.
She explained: 'It was a huge learning curve, I like to call it my boat blues.
“I thought it would be great and I would have all this freedom, but when it comes down to it, you have all this hard work.
'It was also January, so I was freezing, I didn't know how to move the boat, empty the toilet or refill water.
The Londoner says she now saves £500 a month, which is more than £6,000 a year, and travels around the Grand Union Canal – moving every two weeks
'The best thing about living on a boat is the community, it's so kind to each other. Without them, I don't think I could have done it.”
Shannon said she loves the freedom on the boat and her family wasn't shocked by her decision.
She said, “I am a spontaneous person, they were hesitant at first, but they trusted my judgment.
'That became even more evident when they came to visit and they said it was such a nice way of life.
“I've made some of my best friends in the community, it's the freedom you get. I love that I can travel whenever I want and that the summers are absolutely amazing.”
Now that she's had a taste of this way of life, the 29-year-old revealed she'd like to live on the boat for the rest of her life.
She said, “I don't like the idea of going back and paying traditional bills.
'Right now I just fill up with gas when I need it and my electricity comes from my solar panel.
Shannon explained, “I thought of other options that were more affordable with space that me and my dog could live in comfortably.”
'But in order to live with my boyfriend, I may have to do that, because I'm not sure if he wants to go on the boat.
'In a dream world I would live here forever, but I'm not sure if that's what my partner wants.'
And Shannon isn't the only one trading land for water: Amy Cross, 28, from Nottingham, and her partner, Wes Arthur, 30, were fed up with their 40-hour working weeks in Sheffield.
In June 2021, the couple left the 'rat race' to live off-grid and travel in their boat full-time – to 'take control of their lives'.
Deciding to choose their own hours and avoid overtime, they decided to overhaul their lifestyle, ditching their £675-a-month rented three-bedroom house and changing their jobs to have 'less responsibility and stress'.
They now work remotely from their boat, sailing around Britain, having traveled through Wales, the Midlands and the entire length of the River Thames.