5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
1771
40
3
Apr 6, 2026 9:12 PM
5ywjdPumpkinPrincess
1771
40
3
anarchoFeline
these exist in Seattle as well
filiuspelei
I bet the winters are not fun!
SubiBryant
I always thought Hanks's house in Sleepless in Seattle was pretty dope. Similar vibes.
CrocoSphinx
You could always rent one out to see if you like it.
BIC777
How does cost compared to similar size on land? I mean, you gotta be saving on buying a lot, but I imagine this kind of construction is more expensive. Then there's the question of water/sewage?
SarcasticComment
my other concern is the upkeep. take good care of a house and it will be there 100 years later. that often isn't true for boats or concrete in the ocean. Weather, waves, barnacles, and salt brings a lot of abuse. Will the houses still be there in 50?
BlootLoper
Minor point that they are in a freshwater lake, so waves and salt are less of an issue in Amsterdam.
vagabond80
Didn't know this was that rare. There's like 7 or 8 neighborhoods of this in Vancouver and I think Seattle too
whoopsidaz
Same with Des Moines
420supercoolusername69
Portland has a ton, too
SoItBegins
A local told me that these boats are not hooked up to city services. No water. No plumbing. No electricity. I too was interested, but this kind of put me off the idea
salunatics
I admit this post is not about Seattle but there are parallels in the style. In Seattle houseboat = no city services. You pay moorage and in those fees are typically "shore power" (a small 30A circuit) and facilities to pump out your waste tank and take on new water. Floating home = property taxes and City services with power water and sewer on flexible connections typically running under the dock.
kickahippie
We did a canal tour a few months ago. The more traditional house boats there pay for the slip permit that allows them to moor at any particular spot. Those slip leases are like taxi tokens in NYC in that they have all been allocated for a long time, and getting one can cost more than the actual boat. The canal boats have city water and electric hookups, didn't ask about waste water but I wouldn't be surprised if it was like an RV pump situation since a lot of them don't even have motors any more
SoftKleenex
How does sewage work? For electricity I can see solar doing a good chunk
Pilgrymm
Most likely they have to have a mobile service come drain their black tank occasionally.
SaturnineCult
Even though Venice has real houses, lot of the sewage goes straight to canals. So I suggest you try not falling from the gondolas.
Sherpafish
No city taxes, is why.
SoItBegins
Good point.
theworldcouldbeflat
Also pipes aren't flexible.
charondaboatman
Yes, they can be.