The World’s Most Creative (And Expensive) Floating Homes

Updated: Feb 6, 2022By Kate PrinceCars

©PHOTO JUNCTION/Shutterstock

It’s no secret that property prices can be ludicrously expensive in certain parts of the world. As such, more and more people are starting to look at alternate ways of living that might suit them. Houseboats have always been around but in recent years their reputation has undergone somewhat of a makeover.

In fact, some houseboats are so incredibly well-designed that they look like they’ve been pulled from the pages of Architectural Digest. Not all of them are low-cost alternatives. Some of them are just as expensive – if not more so – than land properties. Some are available to rent via while others are privately owned.

1. The Cosmic Muffin

Designed By: Dave Drimmer
What It’s Worth: $9 million*
Where It’s Docked: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

According to its website, the Cosmic Muffin knows it’s not the “prettiest” boat in the harbor, but that doesn’t take away from its uniqueness. The Cosmic Muffin is the first watercraft to be constructed from the remains of a downed airplane. The boat’s hull is completely rebuilt, but much of it comes from recycled parts of Howard Hughes’ plane.

The Cosmic Muffin @inhabitat / Pinterest.com

The Cosmic Muffin’s website says that it was “designed” to be reused, recycled, and recombined. The main goal of the boat is to promote less consumption of resources and to lessen the amount of garbage in the world’s landfills.

2. Floating Hotel Suites

Designed By: Capsule Hotel
What It’s Worth: $99/night*
Where It’s Docked: Paris, France

It was actually Japan who popularized the idea of the “Capsule Hotel,” though this company turned the concept into an actual boat, which docks in locations like Paris, France. The houseboat has all the basic amenities of an actual hotel—bed, sink, toilet, etc.—except it is floating on the water.

Floating Hotel Suites @Holland_IND / Twitter.com

The Capsule Hotel’s goal is to promote a “floating world.” Some capsule hotels are very cheap, costing only $9 per night, though the boat here costs a little more at $99 per night (though even that is cheaper than the rates of non-floating, land-based hotels). If you’re not prone to seasickness and want to try something new, one of these houseboats could be right up your alley.

3. Hobbit Houseboat

Designed By: Karma Kerala Houseboats
What It’s Worth: $165.40/night*
Where It’s Docked: Kerala, India

Fans of The Hobbit will enjoy this houseboat, as it looks like something that was pulled right off the set of that fantasy-action movie. The Kerala Hobbit Houseboat is docked in India, and it is built using traditional methods of construction, meaning that it was created without using a single nail.

Hobbit Houseboat @kerala.holiday / Facebook.com

The boat is spacious and has air conditioning. It sleeps up to four people in two cabins, and all the meals are locally-cooked. The Kerala Hobbit is available for cruises lasting one to three days. The houseboat is also quite eco-friendly, as it is powered by solar panels.

4. Railroad Houseboat

Designed By: Unknown
What It’s Worth: $300,000-$400,000*
Where It’s Docked: Sausalito, California

One of the more unique houseboats on this list is the Railroad Houseboat, and it was even featured on the HGTV show Extreme Homes. The Railroad Houseboat is part of a huge group of houseboats in Sausalito, California. It was created using an 1800s Pullman railroad car.

Railroad Houseboat @Bigscreenhomemakersonline / Facebook.com

The car was converted into a houseboat, but the original features and accoutrements of the car were kept as intact as possible. This means that the Railroad Houseboat truly does look like a floating railroad car. The houseboat is 2,000 square feet, and it stands out among the other 500 houseboats docked in Sausalito.

5. Trilobis Floating Apartment Concept

Designed By: Giancarlo Zema
What It’s Worth: N/A
Where It’s Docked: N/A

Designer Giancarlo Zema predicts that, one day, there will be floating suburbs and apartments. His Trilobis Floating Apartment Concept is proof of that. The floating, trilobite-like apartment is currently only a mockup on paper, but it could be more one day. The Trilobis 65 is a family-sized floating housing unit.

Trilobis Floating Apartment Concept @giancarlozema / Pinterest.com

It has a transparent dome that can house a family of six, and the 65.6-foot-long boat has four levels, making the houseboat surprisingly spacious. The four levels are linked together by a spiral staircase. The basement has an underwater viewing area, which lets you see into the ocean or lake where you’re docked. Hopefully, this cool concept is reality one day.

6. Yellow Submarine

Designed By: Mr L Pinch
What It’s Worth: $659/night*
Where It’s Docked: Liverpool, U.K.

“Yellow Submarine” isn’t just one of the most famous Beatles songs of all time; it’s also a real-life vessel, docked in Liverpool on the River Mersey. The Yellow Submarine is the ultimate experience for Beatles fans, as it has Beatles gold discs and Quadrophenia’s mod scooter.

Yellow Submarine @AmberFlewitt / Pinterest.com

The interior of the bright-yellow submarine comes with psychedelic furniture from New York and Paris. As one online review site said, this boat will make you feel like the “Summer of Love” is happening all over again. Interestingly, before this boat became a three-bedroom hotel, it was used in The Hunt for Red October, a Sean Connery thriller.

7. Sealander

Designed By: Sealander GmbH
What It’s Worth: $21,040*
Where It’s Docked: Anywhere (Commercial Unit)

Sealander’s motto is “Enjoy Freedom.” This is perhaps one of the tinier houseboats on this list, and the company that makes Sealander describes it as a “flexible mobile leisure home” that is a motorboat on the water and a caravan on land. On land, you pull it via car as a trailer. In the water, you steer it like a boat, thanks to its outboard motor.

Sealander @sealandercaravan / Facebook.com

The Sealander is customizable too. You can choose your sound, upholstery, light, and color. To turn this trailer into a houseboat, just drive your car backwards into the water, the way you would with any other boat.

8. Floating Rock Home

Designed By: Unknown
What It’s Worth: Unknown
Where It’s Docked: Unknown

This houseboat looks like something you’d find on The Flintstones. Someone spotted this mysterious rock houseboat docked in the water, and the photo quickly went viral, though not much is known about the owner, price, and whether anyone actually lives there.

Floating Rock Home @roberthomier / Pinterest.com

Judging from the design, it looks like something Andrea Zittel, an American artist, would create. Zittel was responsible for “Indianapolis Island” and “Pocket Property,” two art installations. Pocket Property was a forty-four-ton concrete island that was anchored off the Denmark coast. Indianapolis Island was another public display—it’s an inhabitable mini-houseboat made of white fiberglass in the 100 Acres Lake.

9. ArkaBarka Hostel

Designed By: ARKABARKA Belgrade
What It’s Worth: $33/night*
Where It’s Docked: Belgrade, Serbia

This very unique hostel costs just $33 per night to stay in. Docked in the Danube River in Belgrade, Serbia, the ArkaBarka Floating Hostel comes with a terrace, snack bar, and barbecue. The hostel has large windows and colorful walls, and there is even free WiFi.

ArkaBarka Hostel @Hostelworld / Facebook.com

The ArkaBarka Floating Hostel was designed by ARKABARKA Belgrade, and, judging from the reviews, this unique location is very well-liked. Hostel World gave it a 9.4/10, while Booking.com ranked it an 8.7/10. The floating hostel comes with a separate hotel. Both accommodations are just fifteen minutes away from a metro station that will take you to tourist sites like the Belgrade Fortress.

10. Bravada Atlas V Series

Designed By: Bravada Yachts
What It’s Worth: $499,000* Base Price
Where It’s Docked: Anywhere (Commercial Unit)

Bravada Yachts calls this the “new generation” of water living. This luxury houseboat, the Atlas V Series, is sixteen feet wide by seventy feet long at its base, though larger models see the Atlas V Series grow to 22 x 75 feet. The houseboat has 2.5 levels, with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two cuddy cabins, and one helm.

Bravada Atlas V Series bravadayachts / Instagram.com

There is a fire pit with custom seating on the second level, and it appears that the second floor is the fun floor, as it has a rear waterslide and sun deck with daybeds. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances that include a range microwave and ice-maker.

11. The Orca Houseboat

Designed By: Unknown (For Sale with Special Agents Realty)
What It’s Worth: $275,000*
Where It’s Docked: Lake Union, Seattle

This modern houseboat is a must-see. The Orca has a $275,000 asking price, and it is docked on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington. The houseboat is just 212 square feet, which is small even for a floating houseboat. Though the asking price might be surprising, the houseboat actually has extremely low maintenance costs that pay off over time.

The Orca Houseboat @SeattleHouseboat / Facebook.com

The new steel hull lowers maintenance costs, and the interior has built-in shelves and wood panel walls that make the most of the space. The floors are made of bamboo, and the cabinets are hand-built. Both sides of the houseboat open out to Lake Union, and you can climb on the roof for more outdoor space. It was originally built in the early 1980s, but its revamp was completed in 2017.

12. The Nautilus Hausboote

Designed By: Nautilus Houseboats
What It’s Worth: $128,000* Base Price
Where It’s Docked: Germany

Nautilus Houseboats is a German company that has designed more than thirty houseboats so far since it was founded in 2010. The Nautilus Hausboote is one of four types of boats that this company offers. The Nautilus is a home, but it can be registered as a recreational craft. The boat can change size, based on where you are.

The Nautilus Hausboote @Marie Bour-Hutchinson / Facebook.com

The gangways are foldable and the roof system convertible. The Nautilus Hausboote can travel under low bridges and through narrow locks. When you are able to stretch out, you can extend the living space up to 926 square feet. The company is currently expanding into Scandinavia.

13. Ome

Designed By: Atoll Floating Islands
What It’s Worth: $400,000*
Where It’s Docked: Dubai, UAE

Donald Starkey Designs and Palmerstone formed a joint venture called Atoll Floating Islands, and this unique houseboat concept came from them. The houseboat, which would be docked in Dubai, is called Ome. Ome would maneuver between the coast of Dubai and Nakheel’s The World.

Ome @luxatic / Pinterest.com

Ome is on a monocoque structure, and it comes with five bedrooms, large living spaces, and a 98.4-square-foot pool. Ome will first be built in Dubai, but, if the project becomes popular, more Omes will be built in Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and anywhere else that wants the floating home. Best of all, Ome uses renewable energy.

14. Butt’s Clermont Houseboats

Designed By: Unknown
What It’s Worth: $100,000*
Where It’s Docked: Lake Dal, India

For those looking for a vacation that’s off the beaten path, there’s the Butt’s Clermont Houseboats in Lake Dal, India. At first glance, these floating homes don’t look like they’re up to much. However, step aboard and you’ll be transformed to a land that time forgot.

Butt’s Clermont Houseboats ©Mike Prince / Wikimedia.org

With ornately carved woodwork and traditional fixtures and fittings, the Butt’s Clermont boats offer up a unique experience to the traveler that you won’t find anywhere else. Plus, its serene location and local culture mean you won’t be stuck inside your hotel room watching Netflix.

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