house boat questions

shawn dooley

Senior Member
I am thinking about buying a house boat to live on. My question is what do I need to look for when buying a house boat. How hard are they to maintain. I will be looking for a used one. Thanks shawn
 

natureman

Senior Member
First, do you have a place to put it. Its a big no on Corps of Engineers lakes. My brother in law lived on one for a while in Florida and he never complained about maintenance. He just took a big loss when he sold it.
 

divinginn

Senior Member
Watch out for steel bottom boats unless they have been redone lately,have seen more than a few sink from rust holes.
 

Grub Master

Senior Member
Stay away from the steel bottom boats and single engine boats. I am on my houseboat right now, beached in a cove for the next day or so and getting ready to flow for awhile. There are several folks that live on their houseboats on our dock and while it's not legal they haven't had any problems. If you can get a good boat for a fair price it should not depreciate very much as the boats that are being made today are very large and expensive. You should be prepared to pay $70-120K for a live aboard. Slip fees range from $500-700 a month plus electricity. I lost $2,000 on my first boat and have made money on the other 3. Insurance and taxes will cost $1500 and up. Repairs aren't that bad. Keeping 2 motors and a generator up can be a little expensive. If you aren't taking it out they don't really matter. You will need someone to pump out the waste tanks if you don't have a pump-out facility. We pay $45 every 2-3 weeks to have ours pumped out. A cabin in NG would be cheaper but we like it. If we want a change of scenery we just crank it up and move, kinda like a camper.
It's not an investment, but for us it's like a vacation every week.
What lake are you looking at?
 

rospaw

Senior Member
Some good advice on old steel hulls! First one i bought in the 90's was a 50' single steel with basic fly-bridge. Was a good starter boat but after 2 years it was time to move up. Sold it for a slight profit..... if you take out all the blood, sweat and Boat US bills!
Went to a lazy days 58' 12.5 wide alum with twins and full fly- bridge. (Strange size, I know) kept it for 12yrs plus. Many great days /nights on the lake.
Lots of folks lived on the boats in my marina (holiday) with no one ever saying anything. 3-6 boats / folks on my dock alone over the years. Always about 3 boats were full time.

Look at the roof very well for soft spots/damage.
Alum is the way to go. I don't think if someone gave me a steel hull that i would take it.
I never had a issue with a single screw but double is what i would prefer. Make sure you have the rubber boots checked on the out-drives. If it starts leaking the boat has to come out of the water. (well, it does for most ... not me lol! I did it in the water)
Wiring in a lot of the older boats need to be looked at. Heck even some of the newer ones. Check the panel, shore hub and switch gear.

The winter is ruff on the lake staying on the boat for long periods in the marina. Spring,summer or fall not so bad. If you like to read, a winter rainy night on the lake is fantastic! When it gets dark at 6 make for a long cold night then throw in some bone chilling wind while walking 400' with groceries.
Pick a good dock. Some docks have folks that just like to complain or have nuts up all the time. Makes for having a nice peaceful lunch / dinner hard to do.
Filter the water!
 

Grub Master

Senior Member
There are a lot of full timers on Lanier and plenty of houseboats to choose from. If you buy from a broker or dealer you will have to pay sales tax, vs no sales tax when buying from an owner. Some brokers will help you get around this. This isn't the best time of the year to be looking. The colder the better. We have a covered slip and most of the Lanier slips aren't covered. Uncovered is more wear and tear on the boat. Each dock is like a small neighborhood. Some are good and some aren't. They call our dock "God's Waiting Room" because it's quiet and laid back. The next dock over, parties every weekend.
An inspection isn't cheap. Most insurance companies require one.
Vicky at Holiday Boat Sales is very knowledgable and helpful.
How many people will be living on it and what size are you looking at?
 

ryanh487

Senior Member
Keep in mind if you live on it full time, and it's a COE lake, you cannot legally have any firearms onboard, even with a GWL.
 

Gaducker

Senior Member
Keep in mind if you live on it full time, and it's a COE lake, you cannot legally have any firearms onboard, even with a GWL.

Hows that? we can duck hunt coe lakes?? There is a steel hull on west point for 3k. 50 plus feet.
 

bilgerat

Senior
I lived on a few over the years and it all sounds great but theres a few drawbacks, keep in mind you will have to have it hauled every five years and service and do maintenance on the drives and hull, , Depending on the age of the boat and the length and width it can cost from 5 to 8K to do this, plus all the other cost mentioned above, living on a house boat sounds like fun but they are expensive to dock and maintain and they aint insulated or built like a house, they can get mighty cold in the winter.
 

rospaw

Senior Member
I lived on a few over the years and it all sounds great but theres a few drawbacks, keep in mind you will have to have it hauled every five years and service and do maintenance on the drives and hull, , Depending on the age of the boat and the length and width it can cost from 5 to 8K to do this, plus all the other cost mentioned above, living on a house boat sounds like fun but they are expensive to dock and maintain and they aint insulated or built like a house, they can get mighty cold in the winter.

Forgot about the BONE CHILLING nights! Wasn't all that bad for me but the wife FROZE!
 

bilgerat

Senior
and those long winters with the water on the docks shut off is a hasel, power is iffy in storms too
 

ryanh487

Senior Member
Hows that? we can duck hunt coe lakes?? There is a steel hull on west point for 3k. 50 plus feet.

They allow them for active hunts only and have stricter rules than WMA about when the gun can be loaded. No guns otherwise in vehicles, boats, or on your person. And unlike WMA or national forest land, even if you have a GWL you cannot carry a defensive handgun while hunting.
 
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