Living on the water in London: the best houseboats for sale on the River Thames now

Because the summer time months method with lengthy evenings and sunshine, there turns into one thing ever extra interesting about dwelling on a houseboat or canal barge in London, surrounded by the pure world however nonetheless within the coronary heart of the motion.

It is a bohemian way of life that has lengthy been romanticised on the silver display, from Anchor and Hope and Tides to Discovering Your Toes and Miss You Already. Extra not too long ago Tom Hardy’s character stashes his household away in a canal barge to maintain them secure from mobsters in Man Ritchie’s newest London-based collection, MobLand.

And in sensible phrases it could seem to be a really cost-effective answer to the capital’s ongoing housing disaster, not least since you don’t should pay stamp responsibility to purchase a ship.

However, until you wish to transfer each fortnight, then you’ll have to pay for a everlasting mooring, which may value tens of hundreds of kilos a yr in central London.

Tim Vooght, director at way of life and interiors PR firm Maison, jumped on the probability to reside on a houseboat when he first moved to London. “I considered it as a unusual tackle couch-surfing due to a pal who floated hers up and down the Regent’s Canal,” he explains.

“I used to be extremely grateful to have a spot to remain and it felt splendidly bohemian at first. The sense of group alongside the canal was genuinely particular, too.”

The downsides? “When the temperature dropped – throughout what turned out to be one of many coldest winters on report – the romance started to fade. Each merchandise of clothes ended up smelling just like the log-burner and the mornings had been bitterly chilly.

“The actual trick to houseboat dwelling is securing a everlasting mooring, which, from what I can collect, is each uncommon and costly. On paper, it sounds idyllic, however the actuality will be robust.

“That stated, folks do handle to create lovely, characterful properties on the water, typically in areas the place property on land is much much less attainable.”

Listed below are a few of the most lovely and characterful houseboats and canal barges at present on the market within the capital – however you’ll must get your flippers on and transfer fast if you wish to be in for the summer time.

Speak about additional. This £1.5m houseboat in Imperial Wharf, Battersea, includes a hanging polyhedron mirrored exterior sculpted by artist Cyril de Commargue that has fully remodeled a Fifties Dutch grain barge.

Relatively impressively, there’s 1,688-square-foot of dwelling house with 3.69-metre-high ceilings in some locations, whereas the architectural masterpiece lays declare to 2 bedrooms, two loos – one with a freestanding brass tub – and an extravagant reception room full with dazzling chandeliers.

It’s no surprise the artist has lived on-board himself for the previous seven years.

Listed with Savills for £1.35m, Lambhay is a four-bedroom houseboat that lays declare to a uncommon freehold mooring at Prospect Quay – adjoining to Wandsworth Park – and entry to underground parking.

It comes with a big open-plan kitchen and eating space with charming picket flooring, a kitchen with beneficiant storage and built-in home equipment – not a given – and a spacious reception room that includes skylights and floor-to-ceiling home windows with views over the River Thames.

From right here, double-doors open onto a rear terrace on which to get pleasure from al fresco dinners.

Beneath deck, accessed through a hanging oak staircase, you’ll discover a cosy sitting room for film nights, three bedrooms, lavatory and the principal ensuite bed room.

Remarkably, there’s a separate utility room to maintain ugly home equipment conveniently out of sight (and thoughts, maybe?), however the crowning glory needs to be the 65-square-foot roof terrace for entertaining and sunbathing.

Higher nonetheless, you’ll get entry to the gymnasium and pool on the close by Prospect Quay Growth, whereas the houseboat is linked to the mains.

You wait ages for a ship… after which two come alongside without delay. Additionally on Lightermans Stroll, this three-bedroom houseboat has a barely punchier asking worth at £1.65m, however you actually get lots of bang in your buck with 1,977-square-foot together with an open-plan front room that seamlessly blends a lounge, a contemporary kitchen with all of the bells and whistles and a eating room to make for one hell of a floating occasion pad.

The principal suite is on the decrease deck with its personal personal lavatory and walk-in wardrobe, two further bedrooms, a household lavatory, a examine for WFR (working from River) and a devoted utility house.

However, actually, it’s all in regards to the twin decks on the bow and the strict – plus the roof terrace – with views out over the Thames and Wandsworth Park.

Higher nonetheless, the houseboat comes with an computerized boat launcher, making it simple to bask in watersports, whereas the mooring is gated for safety, you’ll get a share of the freehold and the utilities are linked to the mains. Tick, tick, tick.

Not all home boats are rickety outdated vessels which might be clearly exhibiting the indicators of riverside put on and tear. Take, for instance, Caracoli: she’s been beautifully-designed, as she must be for the asking worth of £2m, with home windows on all elements, loads of pure gentle and a couple of,605-square-foot of glamorous dwelling house.

There’s a characteristic fire in the lounge with direct entry to one of many solar decks, a whopping eating space with a desk for 10 of your nearest and dearest, and a kitchen with built-in fridge/freezer, wine fridge for all of the bottles you’ll be popping and enormous central island round which everybody can collect.

The staircase results in a 55-foot-long solar deck up-top whereas there are six bedrooms on the decrease deck, plus a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathe room for the principal, along with a examine and utility room.

Alternatively, for these after a bit of maritime historical past, this beautifully-converted Thames Tug from 1946 is an actual conversation-starter.

The waterborne equal of a personality property, the boat comes with a 23-year renewable lease and a personal residential mooring at Kensington Wharf that’s accessed through a safe personal pier.

It’s the proper mix of heritage – retaining options like its riveted metal hull – and luxury, full with front room, three bedrooms, solar deck and mains electrical energy, water and sewerage.

It’s been meticulously-designed inside with crisp white paintwork and loads of wooden – the proper bachelor pad and yours for £625,000.

Extra floating dwelling than houseboat, this £200,000 vessel was custom-built 10 years in the past on the water in Thames Ditton.

Its distinctive fashionable façade is characterised by clear strains, black surfaces and floor-to-ceiling home windows that seamlessly mix inside and outside, whereas it gives 1,250-square-foot of cleverly-designed dwelling house.

The open-plan dwelling space is positively large, comprising lounge space and fully-fitted kitchen, along with three double bedrooms, two of which include en-suites, and plenty of built-in storage that imply it actually can be utilized as a main residence reasonably than a vacation dwelling.