Inside a ‘floating home’ with 120 years of history

If Australian house prices are getting you down, it might be worth checking out the market in Europe. 

A characterful home is for sale in the Netherlands for the price of a Sydney parking spot. 

But there’s a catch – the house has no foundations, no backyard, or even a mailbox. 

The property is a 120-year-old cargo ship that has been transformed into a quirky houseboat. 

It is currently moored on a canal in Leeuwarden, a small city about two hours east of Amsterdam. 

From the outside, the houseboat looks unassuming. With its long, low profile, it’s hard to believe anybody could live here.

But inside, it’s a different story. The boat has been transformed into a cosy home with everything you need for life on the water. 

The entrance hatch leads to a kitchen and living room with cheerful yellow wallpaper, timber ceilings, and clever joinery that hides a wealth of storage space. 

A small dining table is the perfect spot for dinner on rainy nights. 

When the weather is fine, there is another table on the sundeck where you can drink your morning coffee. 

Skylights and a few small portholes bring light into the hull of the boat. 

Elsewhere, there is a double bedroom, a shower room and a study nook.

Currently, the houseboat comes with a hookup to mains power and water, but the listing states there is potential to add solar panels to create an off-grid home. 

The canal boat is on the market for €166,500 ($300,450). 

The low price may be partially due to the fact the boat is being sold without a mooring. 

“Please note! The Klipperaak is sold without a permanent mooring. Mooring can be requested from the council,” warns the online listing.

The City of Leeuwarden offers around 200 mooring permits for residents who wish to live on a boat full-time. There is a waitlist for new applicants. 

Mooring permits are only available to heritage vessels built before 1940 that are well-maintained and less than 30 metres long.

It costs €277.13 ($500.12) to be added to the waitlist, and €590.28 ($1065.24)  for a long-term mooring permit.