Sarah and Brandon Jones were having a hard time making ends meet with monthly bills. It took some work, but they eventually found the answer to their problems.
"It can be inconvenient in some ways," said Sarah, according to Marketplace. "But on the other hand, in our free time, we can hop in a kayak right off the front porch or a paddle board. We can hop on the boat right off the front porch. We can just jump in the water off the front porch."
It turns out that floating homes aren't just picturesque — they're affordable too. The North Carolina couple bought their first floating home for $22,000 and spent about another $30,000 in needed renovations. Even with all of the work, it was still a better price than living on land. The median price of homes in nearby Bryson City was $400,000, as noted by Marketplace.
Once they were moved in, the couple ended up paying about $373 in utility fees monthly, as they noted on their Keeping Afloat with the Joneses YouTube account. The couple put lots of work into making their houseboat, reducing what they would otherwise have had to spend on labor.
Sarah and Brandon lived on Fontana Lake, which is peppered with floating homes as the land itself is all federal parkland. The biggest challenge with Fontana Lake is that it is subject to dramatic rising and falling of water levels, requiring the couple to move where they're anchored as water levels go down and up.
The homes that are stationed on the lake are grandfathered in, and licenses for new homes aren't being given. That guaranteed the couple would be able to enjoy lots of seclusion and privacy. The lifestyle also meant skipping many modern conveniences of city life.
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"You don't just say, 'I'm gonna run down to Starbucks,' or 'I might go down and get a burger,' or 'I'm gonna stop by the gas station,'" said Brandon. "There is none of that."
Self-sufficiency was necessary given how detached the homes are, so Sarah and Brandon included a solar panel electrical installation during their renovations.
Sarah explained why all this work was worth it.
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"When it comes to having fun on the water, the options never end," she said on their YouTube page. "You can play behind a fancy, fun boat, or just buy a two-dollar float from Wal-mart. … Whatever your flavor, the water has something for everyone."
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