Houseboat Living Cost and Expenses

For most people in love with the good life, permanent residence on a houseboat and living right on the water is a lifestyle that is not only pleasurable but equally exciting.

Waking up every day to the beauty and goodness of nature all around you is usually a great feeling but along with this and the other benefits you get, there is always a financial price you have to pay right from the cost of ownership of the houseboat down to the other recurring expenses you’ll have to bear.

Whether you’ll be able to put up with this is what you need to find out.

How much would houseboat living cost you on average? How expensive is it to live on a houseboat? What does a houseboat cost on an average and how fast do houseboats tend to depreciate on average?

You’ll need to have berthing in place, how much would this cost you whether in Asia or other parts of the world? These are some of the questions you’ll want to ask if you’re on the verge of taking the plunge and splashing out on your own houseboat.

Want to find answers to these? You’re in the right place!

What does a houseboat cost?

If you’re dreaming about a life at sea, it would make sense to understand at what price this will come.

It will all come down to the particular type of houseboat you’ll need to suit your lifestyle. Depending on the size, the age, and a few other factors, you can find houseboats ranging in price from as low as USD200, 000 to more thanUSD1,000,000 in Asia.

A houseboat, boathouse or liveaboard may have different meanings depending based on where you are in the world.

A houseboat to an Australian means something else to someone from Hong Kong. Continental differences are also there. For example, a houseboat in the USA can be very different from a houseboat in Europe.  Lake houseboats can also be quite different from marina houseboats and seafaring houseboats or liveaboards.

Boats in the range of USD20, 000-100,000 would usually look like trailer homes floating on the sea while those in the range of USD400, 000 and above can exude the same beauty and brilliance as impressive luxury yachts in their glory.

Houseboats or liveaboards can also come in smaller sizes like a 40-footer for a couple or a larger 75 footer for larger families with kids or to simply accommodate more occupants.

The size is one of those factors that will greatly influence the cost of the houseboat.

Related: how much are electric boats cost?

How expensive is it to live on a houseboat?

Looking at it, it can be more affordable to live on a houseboat than in some metropolitan areas. You can expect to spend a few bucks on maintenance, mooring, slip rental, sewage disposal, and several other expenses.

While the country and location play a big factor in how much it costs to live on a houseboat (for example boat maintenance is generally less expensive in Thailand than say, Singapore).

Costs to berth your boat are usually calculated by the length, so the bigger it is, the higher the monthly fees.

Often electricity that you pay to a marina is more expensive than a house as they’d usually add a profit margin to the power bill.  You can expect to spend upwards of $6,000 annually as expenses associated with your houseboat living.

The slip fee would usually include applicable annual boat club membership fees which at most would not be more than USD200 each month.

Water use and utilities will also need to be paid for each month depending on the size of the boat.

The amount varies, depending on the country. Residing on a liveaboard boat or houseboat in Singapore, for instance, can cost you about SGD4-500 per month. Other factors such as the size of your houseboat and for example, how much air conditioning you use will also play a role.

Sewage disposal can be as low as a paltry $20 each week among other inexpensive expenses.

We have a useful expenses spreadsheet that can help provide you with more information. You can drop us an email for this, in case you’re interested.

Some owners also prefer going fully off the grid by fitting their houseboats with solar systems and composting toilets. All of these would also play into the cost and expenses associated with the ownership and maintenance of a houseboat.

You should know though that these expenses still cannot compare with the pleasure and benefits that come with living on a houseboat.

 

How fast do houseboats tend to depreciate, on average?

Houseboats, liveaboards and boat values often tend to depreciate.

While it will depreciate by about 20% within the first year alone, annual average depreciation rates afterward will be between 5 to 10%. Much of this has to do with the boating industry – the fact that boats are not appreciating assets like brick and mortar houses.

This is one advantage a conventional home can boast in comparison to houseboats.

 

How much is it to own and park/berth a houseboat in Asia?

In Hong Kong much like the other parts of Asia, houseboats range in prices from HK$1,000,000 to HK$6,000,000 or higher depending on what the size and age of the houseboat is and whether it comes with moorage.

It is one thing to buy a houseboat but you’ll still have a few recurrent expenses one of which is the berth is a major issue. Mooring fees in Singapore, for instance, can be as high as $2000 each month, depending on the boat size.  A boat of 30 feet in length would be much less than this figure.

This fee is a significant portion of the expenses associated with houseboat living.

The dream to live on the waters in your own houseboat will definitely make much sense to many people. You should know that this does come at a price.

Although there are very many affordable houseboats you can buy in the markets, you should still consider what will be involved as far as expenses are concerned.

You’ll have to pay for the slip; you’ll have to pay for access to water and electricity.

If you want, you may decide to go off the grid with your own solar power.

You’ll also pay berthing fees to park your houseboat in Asia and the rest of the world.

While the cost price of the houseboat will come as a lump sum, a rough rule of thumb in the boating world is that annual expenses would cost about 10% of the total purchase price of the boat.

Although most of these expenses won’t be there if you’re going for conventional homes on land, you still won’t have to pay property taxes after your purchase of the houseboat.

For most fans and lovers of this lifestyle, the expenses involved still cannot compare to the quality of a boating lifestyle and the benefits present.

If you’re contemplating buying your own houseboat, you may want to go ahead and take the plunge.

There are a lot more happiness and satisfaction than any possible regret.