Mooring value Pangbourne to Wallingford

mcanderson

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We are looking at properties along this stretch of the Thames and some of them come with a mooring. Obviously the estate agents tell us this is worth £10,000s, but as we boat in the Med, it is not much use to us for now. So what is a berth worth if I sub-let it? 10m no power.
 

PilotWolf

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I have no experience of this. But one thing comes to mind is access for any one who sublets. Would it not give them the right to access across your property? And what happens if they injured in cells doing so? I wouldn’t think your household insurance payout as I think this would be classified as a commercial operation.

I am sure there are others here who can give you more accurate advice on the subject but they are the things that will probably worry me.
I am sure there are others here who can give you more accurate advice on the subject but they are the things that will probably worry me.

W
 

Chris_d

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I've always had private bankside moorings in the past and they are very cheap, but you have accept the risks and inconvenience's.
Either both parties agree and keep quiet or the price goes up accordingly, at which point you may as well go to a marina and pay market rates.
Personally for the land owner unless you have room for many boats it wouldn't be worth the hassle and risk.
 

mcanderson

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I'm just after a counter point to the inevitable estate agent chat that the mooring is worth X and I can go back with true, but only if you want a mooring and actually its is worth Y to me if I can sublet it which is dubious.
 

Chris_d

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I'm just after a counter point to the inevitable estate agent chat that the mooring is worth X and I can go back with true, but only if you want a mooring and actually its is worth Y to me if I can sublet it which is dubious.
The mooring and being riverside will put 10/100,000's on the value of the house for sure, but not because of the potential income.
 

oldgit

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Ground rules.
Need to think about boat owner coming through you property at 06.00 on sunny Sunday morning (with his mates) while you are prancing around in the lounge in your satin Calvin Kleins .
Is OK for him to come round at all hours of the day or night.
Whats the procedure for evicting him when things go wrong and he has nowhere to move the boat.
 

The Glassman

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We live in a riverside property on that stretch - and have a private, 30ft mooring, with power & water. The property is (very long) leasehold and the lease expressly forbids any subletting - mainly for the reasons mentioned above.
I reckon it has saved us well over £60k in mooring fees over the 20yrs or so we've kept our boats here. Were subletting to be allowed, I'd value the mooring at about £1.5-2k pa.
We must have paid a good premium in the purchase price for the mooring facility but would expect to get it back (plus) when we sold. Yer pays yer money....
 

Scapegoat

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If you have any structure over/in the river an “accommodation licence“ from the EA is required - not expensive. The licence is for personal use by the riparian owner so subletting is not allowed - but no idea if this is enforceable/enforced. You also acquire responsibilities as a riparian owner - more info on EA site.
Make sure you check out any mooring as maintenance and repairs by river contractors is not cheap!
If you do get a mooring, best advice is to get a boat and enjoy poodling around on the river - the Thames is a rare delight!
 

mcanderson

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If you have any structure over/in the river an “accommodation licence“ from the EA is required - not expensive. The licence is for personal use by the riparian owner so subletting is not allowed - but no idea if this is enforceable/enforced. You also acquire responsibilities as a riparian owner - more info on EA site.
Make sure you check out any mooring as maintenance and repairs by river contractors is not cheap!
If you do get a mooring, best advice is to get a boat and enjoy poodling around on the river - the Thames is a rare delight!
Thanks. I think I have all my questions answered now. I just need to start a 'what about a small river boat' conversation with my wife now.
 

Outinthedinghy

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There are some quite interesting properties around pangbourne. The "seven deadly sins" houses on left side going up above Whitchurch lock have "moorings" but as there is a road between the house and the River the mooring is completely detached.

I don't know how ownership works for these type of moorings but another possible approach would be simply to sell the freehold of the mooring if it was owned.

If you definitely didn't want it and were keeping the house this could in theory work quite well.

Not very good for a Riverside garden but a detached mooring it might be an option.


I'm intrigued about legal title on thes sorts of riverbank moorings. One wonders if it belongs the the house or if it has just been "adopted".
 

Big John

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I am sure Old Crusty can add a bit of knowledge but I thought the EA would only allow you to moor your own boat on your river frontage.
 

Old Crusty

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I am sure Old Crusty can add a bit of knowledge but I thought the EA would only allow you to moor your own boat on your river frontage.

As mentioned above by Scapegoat, you are correct. That said, the EA doesn't check whose boat is moored at the end of anyone's garden so perhaps that's something else DE can latch onto to make an honest quid out of.
 

Outinthedinghy

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For £3 you can check the legal title here: Land Registry
Yes I have used that service a number of times.

As for boats you don't own being moored to your land... How could it be anything to do with the EA?

I know they have some powers around moorings and especially structures in the River but could they -really- prevent people having boats moored to their land which were not owned by the land owner?

That seems incredibly improbable.
 

Old Crusty

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Yes I have used that service a number of times.

As for boats you don't own being moored to your land... How could it be anything to do with the EA?

I know they have some powers around moorings and especially structures in the River but could they -really- prevent people having boats moored to their land which were not owned by the land owner?

That seems incredibly improbable.

The rule prohibiting mooring of boats that do not belong to you applies to accommodations such as piles, pontoons, jetties and landing stages. If your mooring is the end of your garden and the end is also the line of the river bank, this rule does not apply.

Thems the rules but in reality, nobody either knows, cares or checks (except a few of us).
 

Outinthedinghy

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Yes that makes sense, to prevent inappropriate developments.

Everyone with any sense will agree with this.

When we had a house by the River in Hampton Wick years ago we did pay the EA a license fee for the jetty and received a nice little blue and silver aluminium rectangle with a number stamped into it to attach to the structure.

However we only every had our own boats there never any intention of taking money from people for moorings.
 
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