‘We spent life financial savings to purchase our house on Facebook earlier than catastrophe struck’
A pair who swapped their metropolis centre flat for a £45,000 houseboat have been left heartbroken when it sank throughout a storm, simply weeks after they moved in.
Keith Gray and Niall Senior had given up their rented Manchester house to reside off-grid on a narrowboat in New Islington Marina, just for their new house to finish up on the backside of the marina with all their belongings inside.
After discovering a narrowboat on Facebook Marketplace, Mr Gray and Mr Senior used their financial savings to purchase the vessel and had it moved from Sussex to Manchester, M.E.N studies.
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They spent the primary month adjusting to their new life-style earlier than visiting household over Christmas. However, their vacation pleasure became despair once they have been advised on Boxing Day that their house had tipped over on account of dangerous climate.
(Image: Keith Gray)
Mr Gray returned to Manchester however might solely watch as their house sank to the underside of the marina. “People were filming it,” he stated. “I was embarrassed and humiliated. It was like experiencing every emotion at once. The worst possible thing that could happen has happened a month in. I couldn’t stop crying.”
“Everything was damaged. All our possessions and treasured belongings were on the boat.” Among the ruined objects was recording tools belonging to Mr Senior, who’s a musician.
Despite having insurance coverage, the couple declare the corporate is “refusing to pay out” as a result of the boat was “not fit for purpose” and should not have been offered to them.
(Image: Keith Gray)
Since then, Mr Gray and Mr Senior have arrange a GoFundMe web page, which has raised over £1,200 to restore and refit the boat. The local people has additionally supplied assist. The couple are presently staying on one other boat on the marina after its proprietor kindly supplied to assist them out.
Mr Gray is ready on fixing it up once more. With the assistance of a neighbour, Tom Dixon, they’ve already lifted the boat from the water and are working laborious to restore it.
“Everyone has come together to help,” Mr Gray shared. “We are starting from scratch and trying to scrape whatever money together.
“Its all the things, our cash, our dream, all our possessions. We do not actually have the posh of strolling away. We are utterly homeless. All we wish to do is get a roof over our heads.”
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