There are various kinds of houses on this planet. Humans have changed a lot over the years when it comes to places to live. People have built houses for residing on plains, mountains and even on the water. For residing on the water, there are houseboats. For the people who don’t know, a houseboat is a floating boat that has been designed for people to live in. Houseboats are mainly for short term usage but can also be used to live in as well. Houseboats have all the basic amenities that are required by people for all of their day to day life. Living in a houseboat can be quite expensive, so the question which arises here is, are houseboats worth it?
Whether houseboats are worth it or not is ultimately a very personal decision. If you are single or a retired couple then a houseboat can be an amazing choice. If you are a young couple with a few kids or looking to have kids in the future then a houseboat is probably not the best choice for you.
Below we will give you seven important things to consider when trying to determine whether a houseboat is worth it or not.
Since you won’t have lots of room to spare you will have to have very little “extras” and clutter is something that you won’t have space for. After spending some time on a houseboat you will quickly learn to give up the majority of your possessions and to get by with a minimal amount of things.
You will definitely learn about making a life with the things that you’ve got instead of constantly increasing the number of things that you have. A simple lifestyle is a must if you are going to be living on a houseboat.
After spending some time on a houseboat you’re sure to be conscious about nature and the ill effects that many humans are having on the environment. You’ll learn to reduce the waste that you produce and will probably learn about how to recycle and reuse things a lot. There are many things in your daily life that can be used in some way or the other instead of going to buy new things.
Moreover, you will probably also learn about being dependent on naturally available things in place of man-made things such as electricity, paper, etc. In addition to all this, you’ll also have to learn to conserve the necessary survival items like water, food, fuel and others especially if you aren’t at the dock. Being on a houseboat will make you think twice about whether you actually need to use something or not.
3. Get over the traffic
One of the best parts about living on a houseboat is that you don’t have to deal with the never-ending traffic jams and endless lines of traffic everywhere. You’ll find that most of the people living on a houseboat will often walk to work as well as shopping. If not walking then you’ll find them using a bicycle or a motorcycle but rarely more than that.
You will not have to deal with the unnecessary honking of vehicles and the constant shouting of people at each other. You’ll find that life will become far more peaceful when these things get taken out of the equation.
If you work from home or are retired then you might only have to leave the serenity of your houseboat once every few weeks for food so you will get to enjoy that peacefulness all the time.
4. The calmness
This is one thing that you should try to imagine right now. Just close your eyes and try to imagine yourself being rocked to your sleep every single night by the waves and natural motion of the water. In addition to all this, there’s no shouting from the neighbourhood, no loud noise of a TV and no sound of the traffic. All that you will hear is the calm and soothing sound of the water flowing, the sound of the trees rustling with the slow breeze, the occasional sound of insects buzzing around the water.
This calmness will likely help you have the best sleep of your life and will certainly help you have a lot less stress!
5. The view
If there’s one thing that you can’t get enough of while living on a houseboat, it’s the beautiful and marvellous views and scenery that you are surrounded by. Your day will start and end with looking at the most amazing sunrises and sunsets of your life. People usually take vacations to get an opportunity to look at these beautiful natural views which you will get to witness on a daily basis.
You can sit for as long as you want just gazing at the beauty of nature and never get bored of it (assuming you don’t have work or school to get to). The water flowing endlessly will be one of the sights that you can spend hours watching. There won’t be any buildings or traffic to hinder your view of the water especially if you are anchored and not at the dock.
You will certainly see tons of wildlife as well including birds, fish, deer, and more on a daily basis. Spending hours just watching a mother duck and her young will be something that you can do all of the time!
6. Saves money
Houseboats are cheaper to purchase and live in then a normal home so buying a houseboat will save you money on your monthly expenses. In many areas of the world where rent prices have skyrocketed you can even live on a houseboat for cheaper than you can get an apartment for!
Long term a houseboat isn’t as good of an investment as a house as houseboats will depreciate over time while houses will normally appreciate. However if you are saving several hundred dollars a month on expenses and if you put that into traditional investments then a houseboat can compare quite nicely with a traditional home even over the long term.
One of the best things about living in a houseboat is the lifestyle that you’ll be getting. You will have no pressure to do any kind of yard work and you won’t have any snow to shovel either. In addition to this, you will get to enjoy the serenity of the amazing natural surroundings. If you are planning to live on a houseboat with your partner, then believe us you’re going to enjoy one of the best times of your life.
Nothing can match the romanticism of the environment that you will get when living on a houseboat. You can spend endless time sitting with your loved one gazing at some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets or simply sleep in late and enjoy fishing only steps from your bedroom!
Living on a houseboat is the ideal life for many people as you also get to “unplug” from the world around you. You will often find yourself sitting and looking at nature or having meaningful conversations rather than watching TV all day!
Conclusion
Living on a houseboat is one of a kind experience which every one of us should experience at least once in our lifetime. It’ll be one of the most memorable and amazing experiences that you could ever have.
You’ll get a wide range of feelings when living on a houseboat. You’ll experience the adventure as well as a very unique sense of freedom. In addition to all these, living amongst the scenic beauties of nature is one experience which you’ll not be able to forget for a very long time.
If you are thinking about taking a family vacation on a houseboat or are just curious how safe it is for toddlers then this article is for you!
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