Can you picture yourself living here? (Picture: BNPS)
A quirky and luxurious houseboat based in London’s Regents Canal has gone on the market for £600,000.
The average London house price has now reached£735,648 in the last 12 months according to Zoopla – and £534,781 for flats over the same period.
Nicknamed The Mothership, the vessel has a permanent private mooring that can be transferred from one owner to another, which is incredibly rare in England’s capital city.
The catch is that the boat cannot be used as someone’s full-time residence, it would need to be the buyer’s second home. The new owner would also have to pay £12,900 a year in mooring fees.
Thehouseboat is in a prime location in the centre of London (Picture: UniquePropertyCompany/BNPS)
‘There are very few left in London, let alone in central London,’ Danny Brewer of the Unique Property Company said.
‘The Mothership commands that rarest of things – a permanent and transferable private mooring in the heart of the city.’
One of the bedrooms (Picture: UniquePropertyCompany/BNPS)
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The boat measures up at under 6ft wide and has 391 sq ft living space. But every inch of the boat is utilised.
There are two bedrooms and two shower rooms at either end of the boat, and it has a living area with lots of built-in storage and a fold-out dining table.
The Mothership has a permanent and transferable private mooring (Picture: UniquePropertyCompany/BNPS)
Meanwhile, the kitchen boasts individually crafted cabinetry and storage, an electric oven/microwave combo, gas hob, fridge freezer and a breakfast bar.
There is another 379 sq ft of space on the top deck, which is accessed through a sliding hatch door.
This couple live in London ‘for free’ thanks to their houseboat
Rosanna Irwin and her fiancé Killian Connolly had been spending £1,700 a month on rent and bills, but struggled to find a good one-bed flat in London.
The couple manage to save around £20,400 a year (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)
So, they opted for something a bit different and bought a houseboat.
The couple now say that they pay ‘ultimately nothing’ as repayments on the loan they took out to buy the boat are covered by weekend Airbnb rentals.
‘The boat itself is really high spec, it’s basically a brand new boat,’ Danny adds.
‘The kitchen is all bespoke, both ends can shut off or left open plan, and the main area can be a living room or dining room.’
‘It doesn’t have an engine, so you can’t move it without a tug boat, but why would you want to? It’s on the end of the mooring so it’s more private.’
‘You are tucked away with the best views and a jetty space you can use like a terrace for wine and cheese or your morning coffee.’
The catch is the boat cannot be used as someone’s full-time residence, it would need to be the buyer’s second home (Credits: UniquePropertyCompany/BNPS)
The location, Danny adds, is ‘absolutely amazing.’
‘It is right opposite Regents Park,’ he said. ‘You can get to Camden in ten minutes, you can cycle along the canal and get to King’s Cross within 15 minutes.’
The vessel is under 6ft wide and has 391 sq ft living space. (Picture: UniquePropertyCompany/BNPS)
So, why would anyone consider living on a boat versus a flat on dry land?
‘Being on the water in a permanent mooring is almost like owning a freehold, even though you are paying fees,’ Danny adds.
The new owner would have to pay £12,900 a year in mooring fees (Picture: UniquePropertyCompany/BNPS)
‘You’re essentially buying the mooring. A like for like flat on land in the area would be a similar price but you get a generic box studio apartment. With a houseboat like this you get more bang for your buck. It’s got the wow factor.’
He continued, ‘I think it will appeal to someone from out of the city, who needs a base, but looks at the fees for managed concierge properties and doesn’t want to live in a standard studio at that price.’
‘This is something quite cool, it would be a great place to entertain.’
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The narrow boat offers a quirky pied a terre for a similar price to what someone would pay for a bland studio flat.