I suppose that for many people, living on a boat will not be the first alternative form of housing that would come to mind. After all, we know quite well that boats could be very expensive. In fact, only those who are quite well off can afford a boat these days. So why are we suggesting boats as a form of alternative housing?
Have you ever heard of house boats? These are flat bottomed boats which are designed to hold cottage-like structures. If you like the water and you want to save on real-estate costs, then you might want to consider purchasing a house boat and calling one your home. What do you need to know about boat houses? MSN provides more information:
A 30-year-old, 40-foot houseboat may sell for as little as $8,000 to $10,000, but the maintenance to make or keep the vessel seaworthy can be daunting and costly. In any case, Morton suggests avoiding boats that are more than 25 years old because they are hard to finance and insure.
Boat loans are similar to RV loans — at least a point higher than mortgage loans for homes, nearly always requiring 20% down and limited to terms of 10 or 15 years. If you buy a $50,000 houseboat and finance $40,000 of the price over 15 years, expect to pay about $370 per month, assuming a 7.5% interest rate. As long as the boat has a galley and a head, the interest is tax-deductible, just as with a mortgage.
While there are certainly plenty of houseboats in inlets and bays near the ocean, inland lakes are prime houseboat territory. Renting a slip in an agreeable area that permits people to live aboard year-round costs anywhere from $300 a month for a no-frills slip on a lake to as much as $1,500 a month in a marina with ocean access. Unmetered electricity, including an air-conditioner, can run as much as $50 per month. And if more than two people live aboard, generally there will be a $25 or $30 charge for each.
Water is usually included, but sewage pump-out will be extra. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the annual cost of weekly pump-outs for a boat on which people live aboard to be $550.
Other costs include insurance and, if the boat is older than 10 years, an initial survey of its condition. Prices for the survey and the insurance are based on the value and size of the boat, but a ballpark estimate of insurance on a 30-year-old houseboat worth $50,000, docked on an inland lake is $600 to $800 per year, plus about $750 for the survey.
What do you think? Cheaper than maintaining a conventional house and lot?
I was watching a special on cable TV last night, and I was impressed at how some families created their own unique homes. One thing they have in common – the houses are all “smart” in the sense that they are energy efficient and generally earth friendly.
Did you know that you can do the same thing? While you might have to spend a bit more on some things, creating a smart home need not cost an arm and a leg. More so, in the long run, you will end up saving more. Here are some tips to help you get on your way.
Look for sustainable materials.
The trend is to look for renewable or recycled materials. This does not mean that your house will look shabby. In fact, using stone and other similar materials will actually give your house a unique look. Some ideas: cork, recycled glass, and formaldehyde free wood.
Make your fireplace more efficient.
Lots of heat is lost in the traditional midchimney throat damper. Instead of using this, why go get a chimney cap damper instead? It is akin to a storm door, but for the chimney instead. You’ll end up with more heat staying inside your home. More so, you might want to get a heat exchanger, will can increase the efficiency of your fireplace up to 65%!
Insulate, insulate, insulate.
This is particularly important for rooms such as the basement and attic. Check the edges for cracks and possible breaches in insulation. You will be surprised at how much you can save if you have proper insulation.
We have established the fact that one of the cheapest and yet most effective ways to spruce up your home is to embark on a painting project. But where do you start? If I were you, I would do the kitchen first. For me, it is one of the most central rooms of the house, where everyone gathers around for some good times. Choosing a color for your kitchen can be tricky though. This is especially true if you want to go out on a limb and try some other color aside from the usual white or beige. Here are some possible shades that you can try out.
Gray-blue mix
I was actually thinking about the robin’s egg color the other night on the way home. I am about to move to another apartment and I want to paint the kitchen walls a color other than plain white. I think that a grayish blue hue would be perfect for the walls. To add variety, I could paint the kitchen cabinets white.
Gray-green mix
This combination is similar to the one above except that it is going to be a lot darker. I am not so sure about it because the kitchen I am going to have is small. Then again, the darkness of the colors just might add a little more drama to the ambiance. More so, most of our furniture is dark wood and black leather. What do you think?
Red-orange mix
I really like this idea – it bold and fresh and will certainly add a flair to the kitchen. I am not sure if I can find the right hue, though. It will look good with dark kitchen cabinets, I think.
Any input?
If you have been a homeowner for a long time, the chances are that you have gone through at least a couple of mortgages. More often than not, homeowners change mortgages or refinance their homes. This action could be due to a variety of reasons – none of which are relevant to this post. What I want to bring up today is the question of storing mortgage papers.
Of course, it is but natural and sensible to keep copies of t hem in storage. It is utter nonsense to throw papers away that have something to do with your ownership of a house or property. But what if you have had several mortgages over the years? Naturally, the first, second, and even third mortgages may be outdated and not applicable to your current situation. It is only the most recent mortgage – the one that you are actually paying off that matters.
Given this situation, would it be safe to assume that the old papers can be disposed of? Now why would I be asking such a question? Why not just keep all the mortgage papers and records in one safe place in case you might have need of them in the future? That is a good point BUT what if you do not have enough space to store all that junk? Would throwing them out be an option then?
The answer is yes. Once you have paid off the older mortgages (which is normally the case when you refinance or get a new mortgage), then they do not apply anymore. That means that the papers are not good for anything – except for the recycling center, perhaps.
What do you think?
Summer is here, and I am sure that some of you are already feeling the heat. The air conditioner will probably we working over time pretty soon, but you know that high electricity costs might bother you more than the heat. One solution is to make use of ceiling fans as an alternative. Having air blown gently from the top creates a wind chill effect, making it cooler than it seems. Here are some considerations to bear in mind when choosing a ceiling fan to help you beat the heat.
Materials. You can find ceiling fans made of various materials. Make sure that you choose those which do not warp and are rust free. This is especially important if you live in a coastal area.
Size. Ceiling fans come in various sizes as well. The best choice would be the biggest possible for the room you are going to place it in. The size is measured from the tip to tip of two opposite blades.
Height of the ceiling. You have to consider how high the fan will be from the floor. The best height would be around 9 feet from the fan to the floor. If your ceiling is much higher than that, consider getting an extension rod that will lower the fan.
Lighting. You might want to incorporate lighting into the fan. This is not a problem since a lot of ceiling fans have built-in lighting.
No matter what you choose, rest assured that you can cool your home without having to pay much in terms of electricity. More than that, you can add a bit of beauty to the house.
So you have checked your doors, entry points, roof, and interior walls. You have even carried out the necessary repairs. Are there any other things that you should take a look at? Definitely.
How about the floor?
This is perhaps the part of the house that experiences the most wear and tear. After all, the floor is what is in contact with a lot of things the most. Check if your tile floor has any loose or cracked tiles. If you have vinyl flooring, you have to check for discoloration. The bottom line is this – no matter what kind of floor you have, you have to make sure that it is in top condition.
Odors and smells
One of the first things that I notice when I enter a house is how it smells. If you have been living in your house for a while, though, you tend to overlook the smell – I guess you get used to it. But if you smoke inside the house or you have pets that live inside the house, the smell tends to cling to the walls, carpets, and other furniture. Even though you may not be aware of this, first time visitors will certainly do and you wouldn’t want to turn off potential buyers because of how your house smells, would you?
Furniture
If your house is equipped with built-in cabinets, such as those in the kitchen and bedrooms, then you might want to check their surfaces to see if they are scratched. This is a minor consideration but you want to give off the best possible impression, don’t you?
It is true that it is not the best of times to sell homes today but there is still a market, no matter how small. And if you are thinking of selling your house, there are some things that you have to do. Here are some things you should look at before you even get in touch with your real estate agent.
Doors and other entry points
If you have screen doors, check if they are in pristine condition and not sagging. Check the condition of your doors as well. Other things that are easily seen upon entry should be at the top of your list. What you want is to make a good impression when people check your house out for the first time. Look at your fence, your paint, your yard, and everything else that a stranger would see first when they come to check your house out.
Roof
The roof is one very important aspect that buyers look at. They want to know that they would not need to deal with leaks and loose shingles when they settle in a new house. As such, check for those problematic signs in your roof and gutters and quickly have them fixed.
Interior walls
Throughout the years, you probably put up pictures, posters, and other things up on your walls. That means nail holes, screw holes, peeling paint, and more. Before you decide to show off your house, plug in those holes and retouch the interior paint.
(to be continued)
by David on June 9th, 2011 in
Renting
In my previous post, I shared some things that you can do in order to help you find a new apartment and bring your pet (or pets, as the case may be) along with you. Here are more of those tips.
Offer to shell out extra in deposit.
Now there are two significant words in this sentence: offer and extra. Whether or not you have a pet, you will certainly have to give a deposit for the apartment. To give you extra leverage AND to show the landlord that you are quite confident that there won’t be any problems caused by your pet (or that if you do, you are willing to take responsibility for it), volunteer to add to the deposit. If you do not have that much money on hand, you can offer the landlord to pay the additional deposit in installments.
Buy renters insurance and let the landlord know you have it.
This is protection for yourself and the landlord, and is especially important in cases where the pet might cause some harm to others. It is quite important, for example, if you own a big dog. While you might be sure that your pet will not harm a fly (much less another tenant), you just never know when he might become a little too rough when being playful. The landlord will certainly appreciate the fact that you are covered by insurance if something averse happens involving your dog. More so, this really is good protection for you since the person who gets injured will probably go after you and not the landlord.
by David on June 2nd, 2011 in
Renting
Renting is not always the easiest option. This is especially true if you have one or more pets that live with you. While there are some apartment buildings that accept pets without any questions, there are more that do not. In many cases, building owners might allow pets but on a case to case basis. If you are looking for a new place to live and you have pets, here are some things that might help you convince the landlord that you are a worthy tenant.
Be an excellent and responsible pet owner.
The truth is that this should be a given. Whether you live in an apartment or your own house, you have no right having a pet unless you are a responsible owner. You can never really emphasize this enough, however, and if the landlord sees clearly that you can take care of your pet, your chances of being allowed to live in the building will be higher.
Understand the landlord’s point of view.
There are various reasons for landlords not to allow pets, and even in those cases wherein they do allow pets in some circumstances, you really have to empathize with the landlord. Why are they averse to having pets in the building? Perhaps you can work around these reasons and assure them that whatever it is that they “fear” will not happen AND make sure that it doesn’t.
Put together some references.
Much like you ask for references for a job interview, you can gather some references for your pet. Ask former neighbors and landlords to help you out with this. If you have a good track record with your pet, then you should not have any problems. More so, your prospective landlord will appreciate this information.
(to be continued)
So you’ve decided to knock down walls or install French glass doors instead. Are you happy with the space you’ve created now? Or maybe, there are other things that you wish your house had…things that would entice you to stay and stop looking for another place to live in. Here are more tips to make you love what you’ve got.
Let there be light.
One thing that many homeowners want these days is a space where they can enjoy both the outdoors and the indoors at the same time. You know what I’m talking about – a porch or a sunroom wherein they can be “safe” from the natural elements while at the same time enjoy the natural light. So why not consider starting a project that will give you just that? It might cost a lot, but imagine the rewards of having a sunroom to lounge in when you just want to relax!
Install doubles.
How many arguments have you had in your family because one person takes too much time in the bathroom? Perhaps your partner brushes his teeth for so long; or you spend too much time washing your face. Little things like these may seem trivial, but imagine how much better things would be if you installed two sinks. You know, a his and hers sink. If you have the money AND the space, you can even create another bathroom, or even a powder room to accommodate everyone, especially if you have a large family.
Upgrade rooms.
This one is the ultimate luxury. If you have the money, why not turn your master bathroom into a spa? How about upgrading your kitchen? I am sure you can think of something to upgrade – and you’ll be loving your house for it!
I suppose that for many people, living on a boat will not be the first alternative form of housing that would come to mind. After all, we know quite well that boats could be very expensive. In fact, only those who are quite well off can afford a boat these days. So why are we suggesting boats as a form of alternative housing?
