A romantic alternative to buying a house?

With first-time buyers increasingly priced out of the property market, houseboats seem a cheap and romantic alternative. But beware hidden expenses.

"More than 60 million people are now packed onto the decks of SS Great Britain," says Richard Morrison in The Times. "And according to the Express the entire population of Romania is about to move here as well." Where will Britain go to find some peace and quiet, "far from the madding crowd"?

The answer for many already priced out of the housing market could be houseboats. Relatively cheap compared to their land-dwelling cousins, a second-hand narrow boat costs around £20,000, says Sharlene Goff in the FT. "It is not surprising this alternative lifestyle has caught the eye of first-time buyers." That's the marketing pitch, anyway.

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