If you've been following our blog for a few years, you probably remember when we bought and renovated our houseboat. It was an absolutely hysterical job we embarked on, and in retrospect it seems almost unlikely that we managed to complete it. Here's a little summary of the first part of the renovation - the one we did while the boat was still in the water.
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Urgent need for renovation
The houseboat we bought is not very similar to the houseboat we have today. It was charming, but it was in dire need of renovation. The panelling was rotten in places and whenever it rained, water leaked in and settled in the hull. The top floor was totally uninsulated and cold air blew in through large gaps. The boiler room was a jumble of old pipes and cables, only half of which worked, and the large sewage tank leaked ...
New on the lower deck
We started renovating the interior of the lower deck, while the houseboat was still in the water. We put in a new floor (pergo) and covered the walls with a different kind of pergo. This job alone took a huge amount of time because both the floor and the walls are rounded, and because there are almost no straight lines. To get a bit of an "old" feel, Peter also hammered hand-forged nails into the walls.
As if that wasn't enough, we closed the exit in the bow, repainted the walls white, installed several types of lighting, installed a hot air pump, and set up a wardrobe with sliding walls.
Renovation of boiler room
The renovation of the boiler room became urgent one day when the sewage tank burst and sewage sprayed all over the place... The boiler room is not many square metres in size (and no more than 1.60 in ceiling height) but there was still a lot to do!
We tore out all the unusable pipes and cables, installed a new automatic drain tank, got a new water heater and a new heat pump, and repainted and built shelves.
We also bought a small combined washer/dryer that we had to hoist down through the exit in the bow (before closing it).
Kitchen and bathroom renovation
The guy who had the houseboat before us had just renovated the kitchen, so we essentially left that alone. However, there was no tile, so we chose to tile some parts and wallpaper the rest. In addition to this, we repainted the hallway and fixed the bathroom with a new bathroom cabinet, new sink, new mixer tap and a heated towel rail.
We started the exterior renovation ...
The main exterior renovation and remodelling was planned for the summer of 2014, when we would take the boat ashore. However, we realised that it would be a lot of work, so we started some things while the boat was still in the water. We changed all the windows on the lower deck and in the kitchen, and repainted the lower part in the colour we decided on: sea mist.
All in all, it was an insane amount of work, and yet this was still nothing in comparison to what was to come. In the next part, we'll tell you about the renovation and remodelling we did when we took the houseboat ashore...
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Mia's Mix says:
What an incredible job you have done! And what a cute houseboat 🙂 I'm not so fond of boating but living in one might not be so bad ...
A: I also have no problem being without TV normally, but now it's the Olympics and my husband and I both love sports. But have not had time to watch so much unfortunately.
15 August 2016 - 6:30
Cathinka says:
What a job you have done! It is very cosy down in the Pampas. We had our boat there for a while but now it is moved closer to home.
15 August 2016 - 6:50
Lennart says:
How nice it turned out!
That's what makes it all worthwhile!
15 August 2016 - 7:21
Comsi Comsa says:
What work you put in, but it turned out great. 🙂
Hugs ♥
15 August 2016 - 8:01
Role o Carina says:
What an incredible job you have done, it turned out fantastic!
Take care and enjoy yourselves.....
15 August 2016 - 8:25
Mr Steve says:
I remember it like yesterday. It's a fantastic job you've done, but you have a beautiful home too. It must feel good for you to look in the mirror like this.
15 August 2016 - 8:26
Aila says:
What a job you've done.
Good thing you didn't realise how much it would be. It looks fantastic now...
15 August 2016 - 8:28
Linda says:
Wow, what a project!!!
15 August 2016 - 8:30
Jenn - forever abroad says:
So oh - I am so impressed by people who are so handy, and you are at least! Had to go back in the archive now and peek at the before and after pictures 😉 Have not seen so many pictures of your nice boat before - super fun to see a little more! It looks so enormously cosy.
15 August 2016 - 8:36
admin says:
Mias Mix, yes it was a lot of work! And this is currently a bit more house than boat, since we can't go anywhere in it 😉.
Cathinka, glad you had your boat here for a while! We like it very much here!
Lennart, yes it is! Now it is very nice that everything is fixed 😉 .
Comsi Comsa, thank you! And yes, it was always a lot of work 😉.
Steve, yes you were there! In a way, I also remember it as yesterday, and at the same time it sometimes feels like a long time ago. Funny that!
Aila, yes it was probably lucky, haha. Doubtful if we would have gone into it then! 😉
Linda, yes, it was always a project 😉.
Jenn, Peter is handy and has worked with a construction company for many years. I'm not particularly handy, but I can paint where he tells me to, haha.
15 August 2016 - 8:40
4000mil says:
What a job! Good thing Peter is a carpenter.
(And what a lot of shoes you have is my second thought 😉 )
15 August 2016 - 8:49
Lisa / life from the bright side says:
I am so very impressed with how you have renovated your houseboat - it is so very cosy and nice and it is not possible to imagine it looking like that! Nice to see pictures of the change.
15 August 2016 - 9:01
Eva Linnea says:
Wow, wow, wow! Impressive is only the "first name". Maybe we'll see you sometime. We (my daughter Lanclin and I) were on our way once, but you were sick?
/Eva Linnea
15 August 2016 - 9:33
Ama de casa says:
You have really done a fantastic job! Turned out just about as good as it could be 🙂
15 August 2016 - 10:03
Dryden - Traveller's Edition says:
Clearly impressive and I have still seen what it looks like in there now afterwards (though not before). Helmysigt yes! 🙂
15 August 2016 - 10:10
åsa in åsele says:
Thank you 🙂 I am happy as I now got to see your houseboat and get to see what happened during the years you owned the houseboat 🙂 I also got an answer to my question so Thank you 🙂 .
It's amazing how much space and practicality there is in a boat,
a bit like a caravan / motorhome really, I've never been in a houseboat so your boat is the first time I have any kind of "close contact" 😉.
Now it's standing or lying 😉 in Stockholm, but what about insulation, heating... how cold can the houseboat's heating system keep an acceptable temperature?
We have underfloor heating in the caravan, is it also available in boats?
Well, there were a lot of questions and concerns,
I hope I get an answer to most things 🙂
Have a nice Monday.
15 August 2016 - 10:16
petra says:
You have done a great job with the boat! It is so nice today:-)
Getting a bit jealous with the quality of life you have with everything around you!
/Petra
15 August 2016 - 10:35
Veiken says:
It's unbelievable how many hours you put in to make it the way you wanted it!
I imagine you don't want to make the same trip again! 😉
15 August 2016 - 10:42
Solan says:
Of course we are impressed. Mostly about all the sub-jobs that have to be fixed but are then not visible. The reward is probably a different home that you have created yourself. 10 points. Out of 100 possible...no, just kidding 🙂 .
15 August 2016 - 11:08
Ditte says:
I followed your renovation project via the blog during the time you were working on it and I know that you spent an incredible amount of time, money and energy on this.
You are really super energetic and very good at making everything look so nice. You also have practical talents/knowledge!
Very nice to see the differences before and after. Impressive!
15 August 2016 - 11:10
Christine's Stories says:
Wow, what a job! I think it was a really good transformation. And smart with a combined washing machine and tumble dryer. I should get that day when I move to a bigger place 🙂 .
15 August 2016 - 12:08
Lanclin-Linnea says:
It is lucky that you do not realise to 100% what you have in front of you sometimes 🙂 Anyway, it turned out great! Hope you have peace to enjoy the fruits of your mega job now 😉 .
15 August 2016 - 12:15
Clever lady says:
But how hard you have worked and worked hard. Incredibly fun to see. It will be exciting to see the next part. What a cosy houseboat you have. Hugs
15 August 2016 - 12:30
admin says:
4000 miles, if Peter wasn't a carpenter, we probably wouldn't have gotten into this... And haha, I've heard the shoes thing before, although I think others have quite a few shoes too...? (And the very bottom row is Peter's)
Lisa, glad you like our houseboat and our pictures 🙂 .
Eva Linnea, yes that's right. Sad that it did not happen that time! I imagine it was tight with yours and it was also during a period when we both had a stomachache, for some reason! But you are very welcome some other time, it would be nice to see you!
Ama de casa, yes now we are very happy!
Dryden, glad you came to visit and that you liked our boat!
Åsa in Åsele, our houseboat is quite big after all, so we have quite a lot of space (although the bathroom is a bit small). We insulated the whole boat properly when we rebuilt the rest (show tomorrow) and put in triple glazed windows, so the insulation is good. We have a heat pump, underfloor heating (lower deck and upstairs) and radiators (kitchen and bathroom), so it's not at all difficult to heat the boat. We also have a stove in the living room, but it usually gets too hot when you light it 😉.
Petra, thank you! Yes, it's really nice with the water around!
Heck, I can't even guess how many hours it is, and do it again... no, I probably wouldn't, haha.
Solan, haha...! Yes, there is a lot of work that is not visible and that you do not think about ... but which was necessary!
Ditte, yes, we did spend time, money and energy! It is mostly Peter who has the practical knowledge/talents, but I can help 😉.
Christine's Stories, a combined washer/dryer is good when you don't have room for both. You have to be a little more careful about removing lint from the tumble dryer 😉.
Linnea, yes, it was probably lucky that we didn't realise how tough it would be beforehand, then we probably wouldn't have gone into it 😉.
Clever girl, the next part will come tomorrow. Then we'll tell you about the job that came when we lifted the boat onto land... 😉.
15 August 2016 - 12:45
Goatfish says:
I am really impressed! 😀
It's not just anyone who takes on this 'horse job', but you did it!
Super luxurious and practical today, it must feel great 😀 😀 😀
Sunny Monday hug!
15 August 2016 - 13:10
BP says:
Having been with you for a while, I remember the remodelling and renovation of the Freedom. You did a fantastic job. I also remember commenting on your shoes. Do you remember that;-)
15 August 2016 - 13:21
Lovisa says:
Wow, what a job you have done! Really impressive!
15 August 2016 - 14:35
Suspect queen says:
Good job ?
Answer: Oh yes it's tough... Whether you have a permanent job or not... I don't have a permanent job either, I'm a monthly employee... Good thing there is a lot of work on the schedule anyway ?
15 August 2016 - 16:02
Åsa says:
What a lot of shoes you have, Helena! And what a nice boat you fixed! (although I got a little pain in my stomach when I read the post. Allergic to renovation)
15 August 2016 - 17:14
woolly says:
But oh my goodness, what a change!
yes, when you live in it, it is terrible and hard but then
nice Monday evening hug
15 August 2016 - 17:30
admin says:
Geddfish, we are used to working hard, but this was really a "horse job"! Feels good that it's done... 😉 😉
BP, haha, I remember getting comments about them! 😉
Lovisa, yes, it was hard work almost around the clock for a while... but against all odds, haha, it was finished in the end 😉.
Misstossequeen, thank you, well once you got into it there wasn't much choice...
Åsa, I understand that you get tired when you see the renovation!!!! You really know how it is... And yes, a few shoes have had to come along (although I wonder if many others do not have many shoes too...?)
Ullie, yes, living in it is both chaos and hard work... but when it's done, it's nice!
15 August 2016 - 17:33
Sandra says:
So cool! Looks much bigger on the inside than the outside! What a dream to live on a houseboat!
15 August 2016 - 17:34
Lena in Wales says:
A nice look back.
What a fantastic job you have done!
Greetings from Lena in Scotland
15 August 2016 - 19:34
Alexandra says:
Oh my goodness, what a job you did!!!
Ps. Now we have bought tickets to Elmiamässan and accommodation at a hotel in Jönköping so maybe we will see you there. Ds.
15 August 2016 - 19:41
Sweet Juliet says:
What an incredible difference, what a masterful job 😀 😀 😀 😀 Can you drive a houseboat, is it difficult? 😀
15 August 2016 - 19:49
admin says:
Sandra, now that we've finished remodelling (i.e. the next stage too, which we'll show tomorrow), it's probably about 76 sqm indoors, so it's quite ok!
Lena in Wales, thank you for your comment! Yes, now in retrospect you don't really understand how it happened, haha 😉.
Alexandra, how nice that you are going to Elmia! Then we have to see you! 🙂
Sweet Julia, our houseboat is no longer drivable. It was originally a passenger boat, but today there is no engine or steering functions left.
15 August 2016 - 20:09
Colonial lorry says:
Truly a great job!
Just get the washing machine down?! Oh, my goodness! It's all very nice! Good job!
15 August 2016 - 20:39
Matts Torebring says:
Actually, you were probably not really healthy when you started this renovation project. I remember reading every day about it, but couldn't comment in the end.
My son and I embarked on a renovation project at work over 20 years ago. Every evening for a whole year, after regular work, from 17.30 to 21.30, and 12 hours on Saturdays. It's easy for the body to take a beating. Take care of yourselves!
15 August 2016 - 21:04
Amanda says:
Wow what a difference it made, super nice! 😀
15 August 2016 - 21:11
Heléna says:
Wow - what a job you have done and how nice you have got the boat!!! Nicely done!!!
sv: It is my beloved Blue Flower that my lovely grandmother collected for me at holidays as long as she lived <3 I feel like she is there when I have coffee when I use those cups 😀.
Hugs <3
15 August 2016 - 21:18
admin says:
Kolonilotta, the washing machine was exciting, haha 😉.
Matts, haha, no we were definitely not completely healthy! 😉 And you have also had your fair share of renovation I hear...!
Amanda, glad you think so! Then the big transformation will come in tomorrow's post 😉.
Helena, glad you like what we did! And nice with the memory of your grandmother!
15 August 2016 - 21:47
Anna, Travel on a Cloud says:
Oh, how interesting to see this! You have really done a fantastic job. Impressed is just the first name. 🙂 I especially like the new window in the kitchen. What a difference!
15 August 2016 - 22:37
Dessan says:
You have been very good. You have a nice home?
16 August 2016 - 9:39
admin says:
Anna, it was a lot of work 😉 At first I thought the cracks in the old windows were fine, but the new ones gave me a fantastic view!
Dessan, hope you come and visit! 🙂
16 August 2016 - 13:32
Mrs Eriksson says:
Wonderful ...I love this kind of thing ðŸ™'
Really delicious!
17 August 2016 - 10:34
Maria's Memoirs says:
Yes, it was a really nice result! Fun to see before and after pictures! 🙂
19 August 2016 - 21:11
Linda, 155cm.se says:
What a job, really impressive. And how many pairs of shoes you have!
19 August 2016 - 23:12
admin says:
Mrs Eriksdon, glad you like it!
Maria, glad you like the result!
Linda, haha, some people say that when they see that picture 😉 But I wonder if others don't have many shoes too...?
20 August 2016 - 7:19