Flanked by rolling mountains and lush green forest, Fontana Lake is an introvert’s paradise where the only distractions are chirping birds and waves lapping against the reservoir edge.

It was total isolation that drew Sarah and Brandon Jones to create their dream life here in the depths of North Carolina, in a tiny home in the middle of the lake bordered by Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Joneses renovated their slant-roofed slice of paradise over the course of two months, gutting the ‘dilapidated boathouse’ and transforming the interior with new floors and windows, and solar panels for light and heat.

The boathouse floats on a platform for most of the year, until the chill of winter creeps in and forces the couple to tow their home to more a suitable position in a sheltered cove.

But their semi-nomadic life isn’t without challenges.

‘As the lake drops, the water literally starts draining from the cove so we have to move out to avoid running aground,’ Sarah (@keepingafloatwiththejoneses) explained in a recent TikTok video.

For safety and stability, they’ve anchored the house at four corners, and use a pulley system involving four ropes to haul themselves to protected positions around the lake.

The couple have a boat that carries them to and from shore – a 1996 MasterCraft Prostar 205 they bought in a barn the summer they first met and fell in love in southern Alabama.

It may come as a surprise, but they aren’t remote workers; they still go to their offices, using their beloved boat to reach their car at the marina’s parking area each morning.

The Joneses’ TikTok fans were puzzled about the boat’s plumbing system. But fear not, the house has a holding tank that’s pumped weekly via a mobile pump boat – batting off concerns that their waste went straight into the lake.

The self-sufficient property is energy self-sufficient, powered entirely by solar panels, but its attached to the mains for water supply.

The Joneses might love their isolated existence, but the same can’t be said for the postman – he’s not willing to paddle across, so they rely on a PO box.

The couple pay an annual mooring fee of $2,800 (£2,210.85), which they describe as their rent – a cost they feel is ‘pretty cheap.’

‘We don’t pay real estate taxes in the same way that anybody that is renting property wouldn’t. We do not own any land and we don’t own the water, we just own our house so we pay taxes like you would on a boat or car,’ Sarah explained.

So, would Sarah and Brandon ever want to live anywhere else? For now, they say no.

They love the easy access to water sports such as wakeboarding, kayaking and paddleboarding, as well as fishing, which they consider a huge part of their lifestyle.

‘It just feels like a dream come true having all those things so easily accessible right from our front door,’ Sarah recently shared.

Likewise, the pair love the ambience that a water-based existence affords them, noting that a considerable number of studies show that ‘just looking at a body of water can be physiologically soothing and good for your mental health.’

‘Man do I feel that! Living here has been an absolute gift to our nervous systems,’ Sarah added.

Financial motivation is also keeping the couple where they are, at least for now. When they first started researching similar types of beachfront houses, they assumed they were a ‘luxury for the wealthy elite’ – but found the opposite to be true.

‘These are way cheaper than similarly sized and aged houses on land in the same area. Our house cost us as much as a trailer on a small piece of land would,’ Sarah explained.

‘Our monthly expenses are down almost 70% from when we lived on land. We’re able to put most of our paychecks into savings now, which is an amazing feeling.’

This article was first published on November 28, 2024.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Flanked by rolling mountains and lush green forest, Fontana Lake is an introvert’s paradise where the only distractions are chirping birds and waves lapping against the reservoir edge.

It was total isolation that drew Sarah and Brandon Jones to create their dream life here in the depths of North Carolina, in a tiny home in the middle of the lake bordered by Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Joneses renovated their slant-roofed slice of paradise over the course of two months, gutting the ‘dilapidated boathouse’ and transforming the interior with new floors and windows, and solar panels for light and heat.

The boathouse floats on a platform for most of the year, until the chill of winter creeps in and forces the couple to tow their home to more a suitable position in a sheltered cove.

But their semi-nomadic life isn’t without challenges.

‘As the lake drops, the water literally starts draining from the cove so we have to move out to avoid running aground,’ Sarah (@keepingafloatwiththejoneses) explained in a recent TikTok video.

For safety and stability, they’ve anchored the house at four corners, and use a pulley system involving four ropes to haul themselves to protected positions around the lake.

The couple have a boat that carries them to and from shore – a 1996 MasterCraft Prostar 205 they bought in a barn the summer they first met and fell in love in southern Alabama.

It may come as a surprise, but they aren’t remote workers; they still go to their offices, using their beloved boat to reach their car at the marina’s parking area each morning.

The Joneses’ TikTok fans were puzzled about the boat’s plumbing system. But fear not, the house has a holding tank that’s pumped weekly via a mobile pump boat – batting off concerns that their waste went straight into the lake.

The self-sufficient property is energy self-sufficient, powered entirely by solar panels, but its attached to the mains for water supply.

The Joneses might love their isolated existence, but the same can’t be said for the postman – he’s not willing to paddle across, so they rely on a PO box.

The couple pay an annual mooring fee of $2,800 (£2,210.85), which they describe as their rent – a cost they feel is ‘pretty cheap.’

‘We don’t pay real estate taxes in the same way that anybody that is renting property wouldn’t. We do not own any land and we don’t own the water, we just own our house so we pay taxes like you would on a boat or car,’ Sarah explained.

So, would Sarah and Brandon ever want to live anywhere else? For now, they say no.

They love the easy access to water sports such as wakeboarding, kayaking and paddleboarding, as well as fishing, which they consider a huge part of their lifestyle.

‘It just feels like a dream come true having all those things so easily accessible right from our front door,’ Sarah recently shared.

Likewise, the pair love the ambience that a water-based existence affords them, noting that a considerable number of studies show that ‘just looking at a body of water can be physiologically soothing and good for your mental health.’

‘Man do I feel that! Living here has been an absolute gift to our nervous systems,’ Sarah added.

Financial motivation is also keeping the couple where they are, at least for now. When they first started researching similar types of beachfront houses, they assumed they were a ‘luxury for the wealthy elite’ – but found the opposite to be true.

‘These are way cheaper than similarly sized and aged houses on land in the same area. Our house cost us as much as a trailer on a small piece of land would,’ Sarah explained.

‘Our monthly expenses are down almost 70% from when we lived on land. We’re able to put most of our paychecks into savings now, which is an amazing feeling.’

This article was first published on November 28, 2024.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

From putting in your offer to finally getting the keys, buying and selling a home can end up being an arduously long process.

There’s room for all kinds of speed bumps along the way, as one Redditor unfortunately found out after she was the subject of a trick slammed as highly ‘selfish’ and even ‘immoral.’

Following the death of her husband, @annacosta13 planned to sell her house to a cash buyer – someone who has the funds to purchase a property outright without a mortgage – and move abroad. And because of this, she was on a strict timeline.

‘After three months of f*****g around, my buyers owned up and told my EA [estate agent] that they weren’t cash buyers as they told us, but in a chain,’ she wrote in the HousingUK Reddit thread.

‘Realistically we could have set an exchange date for next week but since they’ve lied and haven’t sold their house yet or exchanged there is zero chance we will move with this awful situation any time soon.

‘They knew I was in [a] pretty horrible situation as my husband was terminal (sadly he passed away two weeks ago) and wanted a no chain for a quick sale. I’m thinking of pulling out and looking for a new buyer.’

According to research from Home Selling Expert, a whopping 31% of house sales fall through at least once before they’re completed. Most commonly, sales fall through when buyers or sellers alike change their minds, but it also happens when the chain is broken.

Anna isn’t alone, as in the comments section, one Redditor noted that the exact same thing had happened to them. Luckily, @12000milespa found out ‘early enough’ and ‘dumped them’ – but it didn’t stop there.

‘Another said they had the cash and proved it to the estate agent as part of due diligence. Later, they were delaying and blaming [the] mortgage providers and saying they can’t get the full sum,’ they detailed.

‘I pointed out it was a cash sale for the full value, and it was the estate agent who came back regarding the ‘misunderstanding.’ I realised then that the agent was in with the lenders and was trying to get me to sell it off more cheaply for a cut.

‘They got an ultimatum – full price, cash in seven days or they both get ditched. I got what I wanted.’

Similarly, @queenofdesertrock had a prospective buyer claim to have the cash to buy outright. Naturally, she’d lied about it and was actually waiting on the sale of a property she’d inherited.

‘She tried to undermine my sale price by thousands of pounds and got very pushy when I stood my ground on it and how much I was willing to negotiate,’ they detailed.

‘She also no-showed on viewing my house twice and didn’t bother to apologise or give any reason why she didn’t turn up.’

And in @Extra-Permission6701’s experience, the exact same happened after they lost both their husband and daughter.

‘My buyers backed out on the day of completion. I waited a couple of months and sold my property for much more,’ they wrote.

Naturally, there are legal ramifications for lying about your situation when buying a home. And as CEO of Yopa Verona Frankish tells Metro, homeowners could have a strong case for compensation if they’re actively deceived by a new buyer.

‘If you find that a buyer has lied about their position within the market, for example being a cash buyer and therefore chain free, you may have a very strong case for misrepresentation,’ Verona explains.

‘This would allow you as the seller to pursue compensation via legal means, but the strength of your case will depend on the severity of the deception and your ability to prove that they have deliberately lied.’

Luckily, cases like these aren’t super common, as most ‘legitimate’ estate agents should fact-check the buyer’s situation through account checks, proof of funds and mandatory anti-money laundering processes.

‘If an oversight does occur and you find your buyer has lied about being chain-free, the first thing to do is consult a solicitor as they will be best positioned to advise you on your legal options,’ Verona shares.

‘If you do decide to proceed with the legal route, gather as much evidence as possible to support your case, such as emails and texts, where your buyer states they are a cash buyer and or chain free. 

‘If you have grounds for misrepresentation, you could claim compensation for the time and money wasted dealing with the buyer, such as the cost of conducting surveys.

‘You must also be able to prove that you relied on the buyer’s claims of being chain-free when proceeding, so it’s also advisable to provide evidence of other interested buyers and that you opted not to proceed because they were already in a chain.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

From putting in your offer to finally getting the keys, buying and selling a home can end up being an arduously long process.

There’s room for all kinds of speed bumps along the way, as one Redditor unfortunately found out after she was the subject of a trick slammed as highly ‘selfish’ and even ‘immoral.’

Following the death of her husband, @annacosta13 planned to sell her house to a cash buyer – someone who has the funds to purchase a property outright without a mortgage – and move abroad. And because of this, she was on a strict timeline.

‘After three months of f*****g around, my buyers owned up and told my EA [estate agent] that they weren’t cash buyers as they told us, but in a chain,’ she wrote in the HousingUK Reddit thread.

‘Realistically we could have set an exchange date for next week but since they’ve lied and haven’t sold their house yet or exchanged there is zero chance we will move with this awful situation any time soon.

‘They knew I was in [a] pretty horrible situation as my husband was terminal (sadly he passed away two weeks ago) and wanted a no chain for a quick sale. I’m thinking of pulling out and looking for a new buyer.’

According to research from Home Selling Expert, a whopping 31% of house sales fall through at least once before they’re completed. Most commonly, sales fall through when buyers or sellers alike change their minds, but it also happens when the chain is broken.

Anna isn’t alone, as in the comments section, one Redditor noted that the exact same thing had happened to them. Luckily, @12000milespa found out ‘early enough’ and ‘dumped them’ – but it didn’t stop there.

‘Another said they had the cash and proved it to the estate agent as part of due diligence. Later, they were delaying and blaming [the] mortgage providers and saying they can’t get the full sum,’ they detailed.

‘I pointed out it was a cash sale for the full value, and it was the estate agent who came back regarding the ‘misunderstanding.’ I realised then that the agent was in with the lenders and was trying to get me to sell it off more cheaply for a cut.

‘They got an ultimatum – full price, cash in seven days or they both get ditched. I got what I wanted.’

Similarly, @queenofdesertrock had a prospective buyer claim to have the cash to buy outright. Naturally, she’d lied about it and was actually waiting on the sale of a property she’d inherited.

‘She tried to undermine my sale price by thousands of pounds and got very pushy when I stood my ground on it and how much I was willing to negotiate,’ they detailed.

‘She also no-showed on viewing my house twice and didn’t bother to apologise or give any reason why she didn’t turn up.’

And in @Extra-Permission6701’s experience, the exact same happened after they lost both their husband and daughter.

‘My buyers backed out on the day of completion. I waited a couple of months and sold my property for much more,’ they wrote.

Naturally, there are legal ramifications for lying about your situation when buying a home. And as CEO of Yopa Verona Frankish tells Metro, homeowners could have a strong case for compensation if they’re actively deceived by a new buyer.

‘If you find that a buyer has lied about their position within the market, for example being a cash buyer and therefore chain free, you may have a very strong case for misrepresentation,’ Verona explains.

‘This would allow you as the seller to pursue compensation via legal means, but the strength of your case will depend on the severity of the deception and your ability to prove that they have deliberately lied.’

Luckily, cases like these aren’t super common, as most ‘legitimate’ estate agents should fact-check the buyer’s situation through account checks, proof of funds and mandatory anti-money laundering processes.

‘If an oversight does occur and you find your buyer has lied about being chain-free, the first thing to do is consult a solicitor as they will be best positioned to advise you on your legal options,’ Verona shares.

‘If you do decide to proceed with the legal route, gather as much evidence as possible to support your case, such as emails and texts, where your buyer states they are a cash buyer and or chain free. 

‘If you have grounds for misrepresentation, you could claim compensation for the time and money wasted dealing with the buyer, such as the cost of conducting surveys.

‘You must also be able to prove that you relied on the buyer’s claims of being chain-free when proceeding, so it’s also advisable to provide evidence of other interested buyers and that you opted not to proceed because they were already in a chain.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.