September 5th 2023.
When Shannon Lane's rent increased from £950 to £1020 per month, and the landlord allegedly suggested adding another tenant to the one-bed home, she knew it was time to check out other options. She took a stroll along the London canals and came across a 'For Sale' sign on a narrowboat, and fell in love with the idea.
The 28-year-old freelance producer from Buckinghamshire, UK, 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. 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.”
Despite not knowing anything about the boating community, Shannon took the plunge and purchased the boat for £24,000 earlier this year, by taking out a loan. She said: “I was just basically done with renting. So I took out a loan and bought the boat on the spur of the moment. I didn't know anyone who lived on boats. I just thought it was something that people in the countryside or older generations did. I didn't know people in my generation could do it. But 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.”
Now Shannon pays around £350 a month for her narrowboat home including utilities – compared to the £1,100 she was spending before. When first purchased the boat it required some TLC and she had to fork out for a few other costs – including the annual price of blackening the bottom of the boat £100 and a license fee of £800 a year.
Nevertheless, the 28-year-old loves the freedom her new lifestyle gives her, although it does have one down-side. She revealed: “The best thing about it is the travelling. I'm a free spirit – I just love being able to go wherever I want. The worst thing is definitely the toilet. I have to empty my toilet. It's basically a giant well. You have to take it to this disgusting point and empty it out, and sometimes it's full or clogged up. I've had to do that on a hangover.”
Shannon has now settled into her new boating community, living off-grid on London's canals between Notting Hill and Mile End with her two-year-old pug mix, called Gilbert. She loves the quirky community of people her age, and the freedom of travelling wherever she wants. Although, if there's one thing she could do without, it's having to empty her toilet.
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