A London couple claim they live for 'free' on a canal boat after swapping their expensive rented flat for a vessel they rent out at weekends, pocketing over £20,000 a year. Rosanna Irwin, 28, and her fiancé Killian Connolly, 31, were paying £1,700 a month on rent and bills and wanted to buy a fixer-upper property. Despite a £500,000 budget and six months of searching, they could not afford a one-bedroom flat anywhere in the capital.
Exasperated by the tough housing market, the couple decided to leave dry land for a more frugal life on water. Rosanna initially was not interested in living on a canal boat, thinking it would be 'tough and dingy', but after exploring one she was shocked at how 'gorgeous' it was. They bought the 60x12ft boat for £100,000 last summer.
The vessel is one long room divided into a laundry room, sitting room/kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Rosanna says they pay 'ultimately nothing' as their loan repayments are covered by weekend Airbnb rentals when they stay in their campervan. They sail along London waterways every two weeks and save around £20,400 a year.
Rosanna, currently moored in Hackney, East London, said: 'Living on the water, waking up and seeing the swans go by is pretty nice. It's really lovely and takes off a lot of stress, but the best thing is the amount of money saved. Ultimately we don't pay any rent.' She added that the boat is nicer than any one-bedroom apartment in London, though living on it requires a no-frills lifestyle, including a compost toilet.
The couple both work remotely, allowing them to move the boat as required by Canal & River Trust rules. They spend just £2,500 a year on insurance and fuel, plus a £100 boat licence. Rosanna said: 'My passion is tiny homes, I just find them so fascinating. We live in a world where we have all built these massive houses for no real reason other than because they can.'
