Living in a houseboat is very cosy, but not very common. When we tell you that we live in a houseboat, we usually get a bunch of curious questions. They are usually the same questions over and over again, so we thought we would answer them here on the blog today! Is there perhaps something else you are wondering about?
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Does it swing?
The answer to this question is: Yes, it rocks. We live in a boat in the water, and the water moves. The houseboats in Pampas Marina sway differently depending on how they are built and how sheltered they are from the wind. Our boat always moves a little bit, but it's quite cosy.
Does it get cold in winter?
No, we are actually very warm in our houseboat. We have underfloor heating on the lower deck and in the living room, radiators in the kitchen and bathroom, and an air source heat pump on the lower deck. The walls are well insulated and we have triple glazed windows. We also have a stove, but it has to be almost 20 degrees below zero outside for us to be able to light it. Otherwise it gets too hot...
Is it damp?
No, we don't have humidity in the boat, but we have a dehumidifier in the boiler room/laundry room. Without it, it would probably be a bit damp there, not least because that's where we hang the washing ...
Where does wastewater go?
No, it does not go into the sea! Here in the Pampas Marina where we live, all houseboats are connected to municipal water and sewage, so it works just like a normal apartment. In some other places, houseboats may have large tanks that they have to fill and empty.
Can you drive away with the boat?
No, it is not possible to drive our houseboat. In the 1930s it was a fully functional passenger sloop, but it was converted to a houseboat a long time ago, and has since been rebuilt many times. We have no engine - in the old engine room is our washing machine ... In Pampas Marina only a few houseboats can be driven, but most houseboats in Stockholm can be driven as far as I know.
Do you have to take the boat ashore sometimes?
Yes, we should take our houseboat up about every seven years to check the hull and perhaps repaint it. It is quite cumbersome (and expensive) to lift a 32 tonne boat, but luckily the marina has cranes that can handle up to 50 tonnes. We had it up on land for about 10 weeks in the summer of 2014, when we both painted the hull and completely renovated the entire boat.
How much does it cost to live in a houseboat?
You buy your houseboat (or rent temporarily from someone who owns a houseboat). You then pay a monthly rent for the mooring. The cost varies from place to place, and in Pampas Marina the price varies depending on the size of the houseboat. Of course, if you own the boat, there is also the cost of maintenance!
What to do if you want to live in a houseboat?
To live in a houseboat, you need both a houseboat and a mooring. From time to time, houseboats are for sale on sites like Hemnet, and in the best case scenario, you can buy the boat and take over the contract for the berth. If you have a houseboat without a berth, you will have to find a berth, which can be a bit tricky. Of course, you can also keep an eye out for anyone looking to rent out their houseboat.
What are the rules for houseboat accommodation?
I'm not sure how it works everywhere, but everyone who lives here has at least been informed by the Swedish Tax Agency that we legally live in a "small house on unoccupied land". Solna municipality has allowed the houseboats to be included in the urban planning and we are registered here. Many other municipalities may not have made as much progress in organising themselves.
Doesn't living in a houseboat feel lonely?
No, not at all! Here in Pampas Marina there are 40 houseboats for year-round accommodation. The boats are quite close to each other and you often talk to the neighbours, much more than we did when we lived in an apartment! In addition, we have a seafood restaurant here, the subway nearby and Kungsholmen in five minutes walking distance ...
You might also like:
Houseboat in Stockholm - some photos from our accommodation
Being at home in the houseboat in Stockholm again
Houseboat life in winter - how we live in wintertime
Easter, preparations and alerts
Lifting a houseboat - this is what happened when our houseboat was lifted
English (UK) 
Svenska 
Deutsch 
Suomi 
Polski
Lina says:
So good to see!!! Nice you have!!! Does not it dare much?! Hugs L
10 March 2016 - 9:01
Jonas Sjöberg says:
Hi, we want a houseboat
Greetings
Jonas Sjöberg
22 November 2017 - 22:16
OnTrip.com says:
Exciting reading, which gave answers to some of the questions you may have. Thanks for that 🙂
10 March 2016 - 10:30
Dryden - Traveller's Edition says:
Great to have some insight into life on a houseboat! 🙂
10 March 2016 - 10:31
Goatfish says:
I assume you have a larger and more spacious accommodation than the largest Kabe Royal Hacienda caravan. Seems comparable to an apartment, but on water.
And I understand that you find it more cosy to live on water than on land.
Thanks for the interesting info. 😀
10 March 2016 - 10:47
steel city anna says:
Nice to see more of how you live. Nice to see water from all the fonts!
10 March 2016 - 11:25
Jennifer - Swedish globetrotter in Helsinki says:
Very exciting to read about! And understand that the questions come again and again - you have very little insight into how it works 🙂 .
10 March 2016 - 11:25
Eva says:
Oh how wonderful but if I understand it correctly, you have a motorhome that you also drive around with? but you live here when you are at home * lovely and interesting 🙂 have a great day and thank you for a super fun post hugging
10 March 2016 - 11:27
Lennart says:
Nice reading about a nice accommodation!
10 March 2016 - 13:11
BP says:
If it wasn't for the rocking then;-)
Just kidding;-)
You have it great and your Freedom is really a great houseboat that you have renovated with so much care and love:-)
10 March 2016 - 13:43
Mr Steve says:
I have been following your blog for so long now that I thought I had answers to most of the questions.
You have a great time there on "your street" and a patio with that view helps make living there very bearable.
I hope you have recovered enough to start training again.
10 March 2016 - 13:08
Mita says:
Life with a houseboat seems very pleasant, interesting to know how it works. Although I would probably prefer a motorhome.
Hugs/
10 March 2016 - 14:58
admin says:
Lina, the marina is quite protected so most of the time it is quite calm. But of course it happens that it blows up 😉 .
Ontripdk, we get these very questions (especially some of them) quite often 😉.
Dryden, after all, it's not super unusual, and we usually get some questions 😉.
Geddfish, yes it is more like an apartment on water! 🙂
Steel city Anna, we love the view 🙂
Jennifer, I understand that too! I would certainly also have asked! 🙂
Eva, yes, that's exactly how it is! We live in a houseboat and travel in a motorhome 🙂.
Steve, yes it may be a bit repetitive for our most loyal readers 😉 We still snore and don't exercise yet, but it will come!
Lennart, glad you appreciated it! We like it here 🙂
BP, that's it! Lots of care and love 🙂
Mita, a motorhome is not bad either! But the houseboat is a bit bigger and warmer in winter 😉.
10 March 2016 - 17:18
Anna, Travel on a Cloud says:
Interesting reading! I'm glad you find the rocking cosy. A follow-up question on that: Do you get "sea legs" sometimes when you go ashore or do you need more waves for that? Maybe the sense of balance gets used to it?
10 March 2016 - 17:28
admin says:
Anna, in the beginning I got sea legs and thought the office was rocking, but now we've probably gotten used to it because it doesn't happen anymore... 😉.
10 March 2016 - 17:51
Ditte says:
You have really put a lot of work into your boat and she is so beautiful. Not only on the inside. I have difficulty with these "aqua villas" that I think are ugly. In any case, Freedom Boat looks like a boat and I think a houseboat should do that. Is clearly old-fashioned there.
In the city of Stockholm along the quays, houseboats must be able to be driven/moved by their own machine because they have to be inspected from time to time. And it is also important there from a fire point of view. In Stockholm City you apply for a berth, but they are few and far between, and are also registered on the boat as with you.
Since I am a boat person, I would not have a problem with a little rocking and you get used to it. And Pampas is quite sheltered.
Thanks for the nice info!
10 March 2016 - 17:57
admin says:
Ditte, thanks for the clarification on houseboats in the city! I also thought that was the case with relocation... Here, most boats can only be towed, but there are many other rules regarding fire safety.
10 March 2016 - 18:38
Ama de casa says:
A heavenly delicious accommodation in every way! And especially when you have spent so much time and care to get it just the way you want it ðŸ™'
10 March 2016 - 18:44
allotment says:
Wow what a nice boat!
It must be wonderful to live like that. And I certainly don't often see neighbours who live in apartments.
You are guaranteed to have much more fun with your neighbours! Especially in summer, I can imagine you sitting outside and cosying up.
Hugs to you both! 🙂
10 March 2016 - 19:20
admin says:
Ama de casa, yes the accommodation means even more when you have put in so much blood (literally!), sweat and tears 😉.
Kolonilotta, thank you! We think it's great to live like this and we look forward to spring and summer in the houseboat 🙂.
10 March 2016 - 20:03
FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:
Looks really super cosy!!!
10 March 2016 - 20:24
Comsi Comsa says:
So fun to read .... 🙂
The lifestyle you have chosen seems appealing, I could very well imagine living that way if I could go back a few years. 🙂
Hugs ❤
10 March 2016 - 20:32
Matts Torebring says:
It looks quite "cuddly" where it is in the harbour.
10 March 2016 - 20:46
Caroline King says:
How wonderful to live in a houseboat! It will be a bit of a holiday feeling even though you are at home 🙂 we have thought about it and almost bought one when we lived in Gothenburg before.
10 March 2016 - 23:17
Yvonne says:
Thank you for all the info about living on a houseboat... how nice you have it!!.......................................... ANSWER:You can find a lot on the web about the difference between men and women. Sometimes it is true 🙂 .
10 March 2016 - 23:14
admin says:
Fantasy Dining, it's cosy! 🙂
Comsi Comsa, it's a cosy way to live 🙂 ).
Matts, haha that was a different description 😉.
Yvonne, thank you, we love it here! And yes, the internet is a goldmine for most things 😉 .
Caroline King, yes it can actually be a bit of a holiday feeling!
How nice that you have considered a houseboat at some point! 🙂
11 March 2016 - 8:39
Anna in Dubai says:
Do you have a mailbox or just bottle mail? Or you don't get mail anymore in Sweden... Maybe just email. In the Middle East there have not been street names for very long, so places are usually named after something nearby, e.g. the TV roundabout in Doha is named because Al Jazeera is next to it,
and letters are delivered to the office.
11 March 2016 - 15:18
Jessica - The Shetland Wife says:
Must say hello! Have visited your blog before when you were out in Europe. It sounds very cosy to live on a houseboat! Maybe you should invest in it instead 🙂
12 March 2016 - 12:16
admin says:
Anna in Dubai, yes we get mail ... at least bills 😉 Everyone who has a houseboat has a mailbox inside the marina where we can pick up our mail. Everyone has the same address, but "a" at the end if you live on pier a and "D" at the end if you live on pier d 😉.
Jessica, how nice that you want to look in again! 🙂 Houseboat is cosy!
12 March 2016 - 17:23
Lots of other stuff and some concrete says:
Oh, it sounds lovely to live on the water! So much to look at.
But....I still enjoy my garden so much that I'll probably stay on land for a while longer.
Greetings Agneta
12 March 2016 - 23:05
admin says:
A lot of other things and some concrete, it's lovely to live on the water, but if you like to do gardening, it's certainly cosy enough! Wishing a continued nice weekend!
13 March 2016 - 9:08
Inga Magnusson says:
I can't help thinking that it looks like your houseboat is going to sink at any moment. The railing is practically at the waterline! I realise that's not the case, but it looks dangerous to the uninitiated. Have a good Sunday!
13 March 2016 - 10:20
Deciree says:
You really have a nice home. You are so good at making it nice:)
13 March 2016 - 10:36
admin says:
Inga Magnusson, no, the hull is painted in two different colours only. Where the white colour ends, the black colour begins. So the hull continues well above the white edge 😉.
Deciree, thank you for thinking so! 🙂
13 March 2016 - 15:04
Mr Rolf Bergqvist says:
Hello everyone!
The City of Västerås rents out moorings for residents on houseboats!
The houseboat must be CE marked and manufactured in accordance with the EU Recreational Craft Directive.
Furthermore, the boat must be equipped with an approved water treatment plant for BDT water.
Regards Rolf Bergqvist Västerås.
Mobile 0732-009930
17 April 2016 - 9:55
Anna says:
Is it possible to live in a houseboat in and around Gothenburg/Kungsbacka?
08 March 2017 - 19:02
Elin says:
Yes, the possibility exists but I don't know how easy it is to find. Our houseboat is on Ringön in Gothenburg, but since we rent, I can't tell you how everything works.
07 May 2017 - 9:19
Otherwise says:
Hi Elin,
We have a larger boat (a Colin Archer) that I am looking for space for and we are looking for space in Gothenburg to live on board if possible. Do you possibly know who to talk to in your harbour to investigate the availability of places? Right now we are in Frihamnen, but we are not allowed to stay on board there.
Basic necklines,
Otherwise
06 July 2017 - 12:03
Elin says:
How do you deal with the internet? Me and some friends are moving to a houseboat ourselves in three weeks and the internet is the only thing we can't get organised...
07 May 2017 - 9:14
Helena says:
It's great that you're moving to a houseboat! We have a router with a sim card and an internet subscription.
09 May 2017 - 19:31
sack says:
what is the minimum cost/operating cost per year approximately? (berth, rent, electricity, sewage)
11 June 2017 - 0:42
Helena says:
Where we live, you buy the houseboat (when someone who already has a berth is for sale - it is not possible to move houseboats here). What you then pay is rent for the berth including sewage, rubbish collection and shovelling (about 3500 - 5000 SEK per month) plus electricity. Plus any loans and insurance. Then of course there are maintenance costs, like when you have a house.
11 June 2017 - 5:47
sack says:
okay 🙂 me and a friend were thinking of renovating a houseboat but we don't know where we can place it in stockholm while we are working on it, are there different zones marked on a map so you can easily contact the respective private or municipal owners of the quay/boat berth? where do you start looking for a houseboat site in stockholm?
11 June 2017 - 21:21
Helena says:
Hi Sacke. Sorry, I missed your question earlier... But unfortunately I can't answer. I am not aware of, and would not believe that there is such a map. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to do it. Maybe check where there are houseboats, and check with those particular municipalities/associations/marinas?
06 July 2017 - 18:27
Alma M Bäcklund says:
Hi Helena and Peter!
I wonder if you can recommend us a good insurance for our houseboat in Pampas Marina. We will soon move there ( 1 Nov. )
Thank you for your help
Alma Milena Bäcklund
19 September 2017 - 11:10
Helena says:
I answer emails!
19 September 2017 - 20:01
Lisa says:
Hello!!! We are also moving to a houseboat and cannot find an insurance company that wants to insure us, what do you have?
15 November 2017 - 15:18
Helena says:
Hi Lisa! We will email you.
16 November 2017 - 7:25
Kristina Eriksson says:
If you buy a (slightly more expensive) houseboat and live in it, will it count as owning a property in some way?
23 January 2018 - 21:18
Helena says:
If you buy a houseboat that is not urbanised, it will not be counted as a property, Kristina. Here in the marina where we live, the houseboats are counted as single-family houses on vacant land, but that is because they are urbanised in the municipality. Otherwise I would think it is a boat.
23 January 2018 - 21:22
David L says:
Thank you for sharing your experience.
26 September 2018 - 10:14
Conny says:
Hi! I have seen your boat when you were renovating it, it was very nice I had a berth in Pampas ... Now I'm wondering another thing what kind of insurance company do you have? I have a larger bobboat in the city but it is not so easy to insure them... Regards Conny
14 January 2020 - 17:03
Helena says:
I answer emails!
14 January 2020 - 18:20