Sailing is never a lukewarm affair. Whether you’re setting out on your starter boat or reflecting on many thousands of nautical miles, most of us are quickly hooked on the sea’s call to freedom and continue to be inspired by its invitation to embrace vitality. Once you fall in love with boat life, it’s not something you can easily let go of.
Yet many do wind up having to hang up their oilskins. Over time, between the costs of mooring, winter storage and boat maintenance, not to mention any upgrades, even a life’s passion can become difficult to maintain.
In fact, sailing costs can often rack up more quickly than many anticipate when starting out. In the initial excitement, it’s easy to dismiss comments from more experienced sailors about how financially draining it can be. At the outset, you could easily explain their feedback away, telling yourself that others are simply sinking unnecessary money into their boats but when antifoul rings in at £60 a pot, you quickly realise that your pastime is pretty expensive.
Vicky and Paul, 62 and 64, have been sailing since before their children were born. They met while on separate sailing adventures and the sport quickly became a shared love, something they together devoted their weekends and holidays to. They took a break while their children were very young but they soon passed on the sailing bug, offering their family much time together on the water.
Two years ago, they looked at their finances and made the heart wrenching decision to sell their 34-foot Westerly sailing yacht. Between travelling across the country to visit their grandchildren and various other commitments, they no longer felt that they were sailing enough to be able to justify their boat’s outgoings. They decided to take a break.
If time pressure limits how much you actually go sailing, then saying goodbye may start to look like the sensible, if remarkably unpalatable option. While the two best days of owning a boat may be the day you buy it and the day you sell it, wouldn’t you rather avoid the latter if you could? Holiday rental sites have become the gateway for many to do just that.
Money shouldn’t hold you back. So many of us sail to embrace life. We clearly prioritise time and experiences over acquiring material objects which can’t be taken aboard.
Still, realistically, most of us are not in a position to recklessly sell everything to set off on our travels. We’ve worked hard for what’s saved in our bank accounts and while we’re ready to play hard on the sea, we know that having some stability makes all the difference between sailing in well-deserved style and feeling like we’ve travelled back in time to be a gap year stowaway.
So many people are beginning to find creative ways to keep their boats off the market without sacrificing financial security. By renting out their homes to holiday makers and moving on board during the summer months, they’re making a whole lot more of their two biggest investments: their boats and their homes. Every night spent on the marina could give you returns back at home.
Many are finding that, by signing up with trusted holiday rental site HomeAway, the process couldn’t be simpler or more immediate. As on of the world leaders in holiday rentals, industry expert HomeAway brings together everything you need to effectively and painlessly turn your home into an additional income. That way you don’t have to flinch at your next sailing bill. Find out how much extra money your home could be making you with their online earnings calculator.
Taking the leap to turn time on your boat into a fund for your boat can be daunting. This is your home we’re talking about so you need to be sure of who’s renting it, when and for how much. Additionally, to make the most of your time on the water you’ll want to be able to flexibly set your home’s availability.
That takes a platform that’s fully equipped to keep you in control of the process, which is exactly what HomeAway offers the boat community. They’ve been in the game since 2005, longer than any of their competitors and have holiday booking down to a fine art. Their online dashboard makes them a one-stop shop for everything you need to get started on tapping into your home’s hidden earning potential. They supply easy-to-understand analytics and all the vital information you could ask for on holiday renting. Nothing is left uncovered.
If you want to spend more time on the water and less time working through the details, they can also take care of everything on your behalf. You decide what works for you. HomeAway even offer 24-hour support so you’re never left on your own. With the HomeAway mobile app, you can set up and manage it all from wherever you are.
For this to be a viable option, you’ll want to turn your home into a significant income so you’ll need to put our listing in front of as many eyes as possible, ensuring that you’ll attract the right guests. You want holidaymakers who are looking to stay in a property just like yours.
We often don’t think of our homes as holiday destinations. Whether you live in an area of natural beauty, in easy reach of woodland and coastline, or smack dab in the middle of a city with access to theatres and museums, your area holds holiday potential for someone else. Chances are, you’re living somewhere that’s more popular than you realise.
As part of the Expedia group, HomeAway makes sure your listing has unparalleled visibility. At the same time, you’ll be covered with HomeAway’s liability insurance so you can head off on your own trip without any headache.
You’d rather be out on the water so doesn’t it make sense to capitalise on the time when your home is empty? Thousands of homeowners are already boosting their finances by signing up with HomeAway. Whether we’re talking about a few weeks’ holiday or a few months, it’s enough to make your boat more than a just a fun investment.
