A woman who lives aboard a tiny narrowboat says she took the “ultimate leap of faith” by buying it – and it’s paid off.
Eleanor Sutcliffe was dealing with the end of a relationship, and had moved out of the home she’d shared with her ex, when she came across the boat on sale via Facebook Marketplace.
During the sale of her house, the 28-year-old says she couldn’t afford another home in the area where she works.
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“I needed to think outside the box, and I’d always wanted to live on a narrowboat,” Eleanor, who is originally from North Wales but now lives in the Birmingham area, told What’s The Jam.
“My parents have always supported any weird ideas I’ve had, and my dad said he would help me renovate one if we needed to.
“Neither of us had ever been on a boat before, but he is great at DIY and I’ve always been quite practical and love to learn new skills.”
Eleanor, a firefighter, said she is making savings by living on her boat compared to buying or renting a home in Birmingham.
She added: “I find the cost is much better – my overall boat costs including mooring fee, license, insurance and fuel come to just under £500 a month.
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“For context, to rent a flat near to where I work, I would be looking at around £750 or more for rent alone.”
Eleanor bought her 50ft-long 1986 Dartline boat in May 2024 for £15,000 and then took out a loan to complete the renovation works.
She added: “I fell in love with my boat the first time I saw her.
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“She was a bit of a mess, but I loved the thought of trying to restore her back to her former glory.”
Although the boat needed a full revamp, Eleanor moved in around October 2024, as her house had sold.
She said: “I lived in it while we were still building the walls!
“The boat has had a full internal renovation – we took it back to metal, treated it and laid new insulation and ballast.
“We then put in new walls and flooring, new floorboards, built a kitchen, new internal walls, a fitting bed with storage, re-fitted the hearth and log burner….the list goes on!”
Eleanor shares updates on the renovation – currently focused on the bathroom – with more than 31,000 followers online.
In one video, Eleanor called buying and living on her water-bound pad the “best decision” she’s ever made.
Her budget for the interior renovation is £10,000 and she’s already spent around £8,000 so far.
She added: “The outside will need a full repaint which I was quoted over £10,000 to have done professionally, so we will also be tackling that ourselves but from a separate budget.”
She’s also faced a number of challenges throughout the process, particularly during the winter months.
Eleanor admitted: “It gets cold in the winter!
“This year I had my first snowstorm whilst aboard and it was a struggle.
“Hosting can be difficult – I’ve been known to serve dinner on the roof, because we’ve run out of space inside!
“Trying to navigate a renovation project whilst working full time as a firefighter has also been difficult but I wouldn’t change it.
“I’ve learnt so many new skills.”
Eleanor’s boat is currently moored in a marina while she completes the renovation, but she says she plans to start cruising more once it’s done.
She added: “I love that I have the option to move my home if and when I’d like to – I find the boating community is brilliant as well.
“Everyone is incredibly helpful and will go the extra mile to give you a hand if you need it.
“It’s a really lovely way to live a bit closer in touch with nature. You’re far more aware of the waste you create and the resources you use.
“It’s definitely taught me to take everything less for granted and to be far more grateful.
“Sharing my journey online has been lovely as well – a lot of people are curious about the lifestyle.”
She added: “I’ve been incredibly lucky that my mum and dad were more than happy to come and help me with any DIY projects where I needed help.
“None of us are qualified tradespeople. If anyone wants to follow my renovation journey, I post renovation videos on TikTok under El_Sooty_”.
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