A Houseboat as a Small Home

Houseboats are pretty much by definition smaller than houses that are not boats.  I'm not sure what the square footage of this nice houseboat is, but I'm inclined to say it's considerably less than 500 square feet.

Houseboat exterior

Of course a houseboat doesn't have a yard in the common sense of the word.  They tend to take full advantage of any outdoor space, decks, roofs, what have you, to gain a little outdoor living space.  In this particular case, the outdoor spaces span many levels.  Stairs can eat-up a lot of space so ship's ladders are used to move between levels, both indoors and out.

Interior view looking toward dining area with kitchen and bathroom beyond.  Note the "ship's ladder" used instead of stairs.

Houseboat kitchens, or "galleys" tend to be quite small and feature compact appliances.

The galley

Houseboats in many ways are just small floating homes.  Many people make them their year 'round place of residence.  Since they tend to be small, the rooms within them are often small too.  People who design tiny homes often take inspiration from space saving techniques found in boats. 

Top level living area with sliders leading to outdoor deck.  Note that the ceiling is just high enough to accommodate the doors.  This is to keep the boat's center of gravity low, making it more stable.

Another view of the top level living area.  This direction also features sliding doors and yet another deck, this time with a ladder leading to a rooftop deck above.  It looks like there are sleeping bags stowed under the couch, suggesting that it doubles as a bed.

Dining table.  The vase and flowers are a nice touch.

Click here to see a previous post about a 750 square foot house boat.

Click here to see a previous post about ship's ladders and other space saving stair alternatives. 

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