Boat Homes

While the terms "houseboat" and "floating home" are sometimes used interchangeably, not everyone realizes the distinction.

A floating homesits on a slab in the water and won’t be going anywhere, while a houseboat is capable of propelling to distant lands and moorings.

World travelers may have seen (or even stayed in) the antique wooden boats of Srinagar, India, (pictured here) or the canal dwellings of Amsterdam, but this list also includes modern and green aquatic abodes and quickly escalates to boats nicer than many primary homes of landlubbers.

Although the following floating homes might not all be used as permanent residences now, a boat home does have its appeal to those concerned about rising sea levels due to global warming. One day, owners of buoyant homes may be extra grateful they made the investment.

On a lighter note, they look like a lot of fun to anyone who has sea legs.

By Colleen Kane
Posted 30 March 2012

Location: Amsterdam
Price: approx. $437,700
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms: 1
Length: approx. 95 feet

Anyone who has visited the Netherlands has witnessed the many houseboats on the canals of this sub-sea-level country, where they’re called woonschips or woonboots.The website AmsterdamHouseboats.nl estimatesthe number in the city at 2,000. At first, they were cheaper than traditional apartments, but no more.

The barge-type boat pictured here is 15 minutes from Amsterdam’s city center. You might not guess from the ship’s circa-1927 steel exterior that such a modern, loftlike, yet private five-room living space exists inside. The wood-burning stove andheated floors make it gezellig (cozy). While this is a home on a boat, the engine has been removed—but it’s still more potentially mobile than a cement slab floating home.

Location: Jammu and Kashmir, India
Price: see below
Bedrooms: varies
Bathrooms: varies
Length: varies

The state of Jammu and Kashmir, located far north in the Himalayans, is famous for its wooden houseboats, many of which are stationary and are rented out as hotel suites.

Kashmir houseboats have a front porch, elaborate hand-carved cedar-paneled walls, a sitting room, dining room, pantry and bedrooms. Recent rates for a top-ranked houseboat in Srinagar, the state’s capital, run around $138 - $208 per night.

Location: Peoria, Ariz.
Price: $499,000
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 1
Length: 93 feet

This remodeled Sumerset houseboat has all the makings for a seafaring party. The air-conditioned indoor space features a kitchen with granite counters and stainless appliances, and there are hardwood floors throughout.

The master bedroom has a king-size bed and Jacuzzi, and the three other bedrooms have queens. There’s also a sleeper sofa to accomodate further passengers.

The party deck has evaporative cooling (swamp) air conditioning, a misting system, flatscreen TVs and a spa. The outdoor kitchen on this level has a built-in barbecue station with granite countertops, multiple fridges, a soda gun system and an ice maker.

If for some reason there aren’t enough diversions on the first two levels, the top deck has a bar, table and lounge seating.

Location: Nationwide and international delivery
Price: see below
Bedrooms: none (open plan)
Bathrooms: 1
Length: 35 feet or 48 feet

"I wanted it to be like an updated Frank Lloyd Wright home but with an open New York Loft condo style mixed with a mid-century Eichler home post and beam style," wrote MetroShip creator David Ballinger Jr. on the company website.

His creations, a unique and highly customizable line of houseboats, are built in the U.S. from aluminum and steel, plus single-piece roofs and high-quality doors and windows. They also come with a W Hotel bed, a Danish sound system, Viking appliances, HDTV projector and an LG steam washer/dryer.

He designed the ceilings to be high so no one feels cramped.

Pricing starts at $75,000 for a 35-foot MetroShip and at $120,000 for a 48-footer.The company is also planning a 110-foot "Mega MetroShip" yacht.

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Price: $2,195,000
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 8
Length: 112 feet

This vintage Benetti is refurbished but retains plenty of classic style, especially in the wheelhouse with its old-school captain’s wheel and looks fit for stylish nautical intrigue or adventure. (Please dress accordingly.)

It sleeps 10 passengers and seven crew members, with a master stateroom, a VIP stateroom, and a king-size stateroom, as well as two with double-sized beds, each with their own "heads" (to use the old Navy term). The galley has a fridge, oven and a gas cooker, and there’s a washer and dryer on board.

Location: Dubai
Price: N/A
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Length: approx. 65 feet

This architectural houseboat is constructed from two catamaran beams, stainless steel and glass from the Dubai firm X-Architects in collaboration with its owner, interior decorator/architect/designer Leen Vandaele, who might use the O as a prototype for a floating hotel.

The vessel can be used as a weekend home or an event space. It has bedrooms, a hidden kitchen, a dining area and a spiral staircase to a sun deck.

Location: concept only
Price: see below
Bedrooms:N/A
Bathrooms:N/A
Length:N/A

This over-the-top tropical floating island is a fantasy dreamed up by Yacht Island Design, which planned it as a private luxury yacht to accommodate 10 guests with about 57,000 square feet of usable space. Director Rob McPherson estimates it would cost “several hundreds of million euros to build.”

The company also provides sketches and renderings for several other fanciful floating creations, such as one called The Streets of Monaco and a futuristic sea-pod called Project Utopia. In the works are aquatic projects titled Oriental Chuan and Eastern Promise.