I bought a BOAT to save money after my landlord demanded £1k to rent a ROOM – now I pay just £350 a month | The Sun
A WOMAN who was forking out over £1,000 a month on her London flat revealed how she pays just £350 by moving onto a narrowboat.
Shannon Lane, 28, ditched her drab one-bedroom accommodation after her landlord increased her already eye-watering rent from £950 a month to £1,020.
The freelance producer splashed out £24,000 for her new home but now pays a paltry average of £350 including utilities.
Shannon was inspired to take the plunge after observing houseboats sweeping London's canals.
She said: "I was living in a flat in Clapton, and my rent was around £950 a month for one room.
"The landlord wanted it to raise that price by around £70 and put somebody else into the flat.
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"They wanted to build a fake wall and get someone else in the dining room and make it a windowless bedroom, which I'm pretty sure is illegal.
"I was just basically done with renting. So I took out a loan and bought the boat on the spur of the moment.
"I was actually walking down the canal and saw the boat I currently live on. It had a 'For Sale' sign on it, so I looked around and fell in love."
Shannon has quickly adapted to the boating way of life – involving herself in a cosy network of boat owners between Notting Hill and Mile End.
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She pays £300 a month for the cost of the boat loan, around £20 a month in winter for coal and wood heating, as well as gas on an as needed basis.
She added: "I've had my eyes opened. There's lots of people my age living on London's canals and they've helped me settle into boating life.
"I've always struggled to make friends. I've never had so many friends until now. Everyone's a free spirit and slightly quirky. It's great."
While the home was in decent condition, some minor renovations were needed before Shannon moved in.
She explained: "I just needed to get some paint, replace the doorknobs to make it shinier and glitzy, and get some nice soft furnishings.
"It didn't cost me much at all.
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