Modern Design Fans, This $3.2M Houseboat in Seattle Will Float Your Boat
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Living on the water might seem glamorous, but most houseboats are low on luxury. We're thinking faded carpets, half-size kitchens with old-school fridges, and tiny bedrooms with just a porthole for a window.
But there are a few floating residences that come with all the frills, like this two-bedroom $3.2 million unit floating in Seattle's Lake Union. The 2,000-square-foot home is a modernist masterpiece, with sharp lines, white walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
"It's the most expensive houseboat we've seen in the last 10 years," says listing agent Courtney Cooper of Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Group.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}High-end finishes throughout make the space a floating resort. In the full-size kitchen, chefs won't have to fight for space to chop and dice -- wraparound quartz countertops and a large island provide plenty of prep space.
Living on the water requires an appreciation for indoor-outdoor living, and this home makes excellent use of its outdoor space. A small patio downstairs is perfect for barbecuing and relaxing, but the roof deck is the coup de grace. There's more than enough room for a veritable fiesta -- and there's even a faux-grass lawn to make lounging by the water that much more comfortable.
Despite the home's stunning architecture, the surrounding blue water is the star of the show.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You see seaplanes taking off and landing and people kayaking by," says Cooper. "It's the orientation on the water first, then a home second."
With a built-in dock and moorage for your "companion boat," buyers can do more with the water than just stare at it. You can take a jaunt to Lake Washington or go for a quick swim.
Because the neighborhood operates like an HOA or condo association, the houseboat is treated like a home for property tax purposes, unlike many other houseboats. But the small, close-knit gated community of Wards Cove is a huge benefit, says Cooper. It's a "floating home community" that hosts wine nights and offers a neighborhood watch.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You can be a retiree and travel and not worry about the maintenance of your home and the yard or people breaking in," says Cooper.