3 Important Features To Look For In Used Houseboats For Your Lakeside Marina
Posted on: 24 October 2017
Whether you own and operate a large-scale marina or a small and quaint business, having houseboats available for rent is an excellent way to yield a reliable income through the year. However, investing in houseboats is not a low-cost endeavor, which is why many marina owners will go for used houseboats in the beginning. If this is your plan as well, you should know that you do have to be cautious about buying used houseboats because inheriting a list of problems with these floating abodes is not good for business. Check out some of the important features to look for in used houseboats for your lakeside marina.
Look for a houseboat with a fiberglass or aluminum base.
Steel-framed houseboats are actually still in production, but they are much more rare than they were a long time ago. This is because steel has proved to be incredibly prone to corrosion and problems with these boats if they are older is almost a guarantee. Unfortunately, this means that steel-framed houseboats can be hard to even insure, and some marinas don't even like to have privately owned steel-framed houseboats parked on the property because of it. Instead, look for houseboats that have a fiberglass or aluminum base, especially when you are buying used.
Look for houseboats that do not have carpet.
It is quite common for houseboats to be covered from end to end with some kind of carpet, whether it is low-pile carpet inside or outdoor carpet out on the decks. While carpet is a nice comfort, it is not a necessity, and carpet can hide some pretty ugly issues on a used houseboat. Plus, all that carpet will be harder to maintain when the houseboat will be rented out to multiple customers who may not care very well if they take care of the flooring on the boat.
Look for houseboats that have been stored out of the water.
This may seem like it shouldn't matter, but if the houseboat you are looking at has been commonly stored in a covered slip at a marina or otherwise docked in the water, it can be aged beyond its years. Boats stored in the water tend to show age faster all the way around because water takes a toll on the hull of the boat. It is a much better idea to go for houseboats that were stored either out of the water or in a storage facility during off seasons.
For more information, contact companies like Harbor Cottage Houseboats.
Share