This Woman Never Pays Rent Because She Lives On A Floating Home
Welcome to one of the most enchanting homes you’ll ever experience – a charming houseboat that truly feels like stepping into another world. Kate has created the perfect blend of waterfront serenity and urban convenience, combining her love of water with easy access to city amenities.
This floating haven has been her home for two and a half years now, and it’s clear why she considers this her long-term housing solution. Built in the 1990s, this houseboat encompasses approximately 550 to 600 square feet of thoughtfully designed living space. The layout includes a main level and a cozy loft bedroom that maximizes every inch of the compact footprint.
Imagine waking up each morning to stunning water views stretching as far as the eye can see, with the option to grab a kayak for a peaceful sunset paddle whenever the mood strikes. Our tour begins at the entrance, where a clever gangplank system adapts to the ever-changing water levels throughout the seasons. Kate has ingeniously placed boxes underneath the gangplank during low water periods, ensuring a safe, level approach even during harsh winter conditions with snow and ice.
A sturdy rope handrail provides extra security on those slippery, rainy days when getting aboard requires a bit more caution. The engineering behind this floating home is fascinating – two aluminum pontoons support either side of the structure, with additional flotation added underneath the kitchen side to balance the extra weight. This careful weight distribution is crucial for stability and becomes especially important when planning any renovations or modifications.
The mooring system features lines from both sides plus a spring line, while a septic pump-out pipe connects directly to the dock for convenient waste management every six weeks. The practical systems continue with an insulated water intake pipe equipped with heat tracers to prevent freezing during Canada’s brutal winters. Three underwater bubblers, controlled by a smartphone app, agitate the water around the pontoons throughout winter nights to prevent ice formation.
Power, high-speed internet, and all utilities connect directly from the dock, making this floating lifestyle surprisingly convenient and connected. The dock community includes 25 float homes alongside Kate’s houseboat, with the unique advantage of being positioned right on fixed land. This prime location allowed for the construction of a practical back deck, which Kate built with her father and brother immediately after moving in.
The distinction between float homes and houseboats lies in their flotation systems – while float homes use floating concrete bases and can support larger, two-story structures, houseboats on pontoons like Kate’s offer a more affordable option at about one-third the price. Step inside to discover the heart of this floating home – a compact but incredibly functional kitchen that proves size doesn’t limit culinary creativity. Despite initial concerns about the small space and lack of a traditional stove, this kitchen has exceeded all expectations for someone who loves cooking and considers themselves a foodie.
A newly added coat closet provides essential storage right at the entrance, while a small half-fridge, compact oven, and two-burner stove handle all cooking needs with surprising efficiency. The abundance of windows throughout fills every corner with natural light, creating an bright and airy atmosphere that belies the compact square footage. One former window was strategically covered to create more functional wall space for storage and daily living needs.
A washer-dryer combo unit connects to city water, providing the luxury of in-home laundry – even if the dryer cycle takes a bit longer than traditional units. The hallway doubles as the main storage hub, with a well-organized food pantry on one side and comprehensive storage solutions throughout. This area perfectly demonstrates how thoughtful organization can accommodate everything needed for daily life, encouraging a minimalist lifestyle where every possession serves a purpose.
Unlike ocean-going sailboats where everything must be secured against constant motion, this houseboat offers stability with only gentle lateral movement during storms. The single bathroom showcases the “small but functional” theme that runs throughout this home, featuring a bathtub-only setup that has converted Kate into a devoted bath person. A shower attachment addition is planned for the future to provide more bathing options.
The separate toilet room includes the only closing door in the entire home and offers additional storage that was added during the initial move-in period. The living room stands as Kate’s favorite space and truly the crown jewel of this floating home – a multi-functional area serving as living room, office, and dining room all in one. This bright, beautiful space was the primary attraction that drew her to this particular houseboat, and it’s easy to see why.
What was once a closet has been opened up and transformed, with help from her brother, creating this stunning centerpiece room. A magnificent “Cloud” shelf from Kate’s corporate interiors company serves as both functional storage and artistic focal point – she was determined to make this piece fit and was delighted to discover multiple placement options. The wood stove provides primary heating throughout winter, supplementing the in-wall heating system and creating a cozy focal point.
Firewood is stored on the back deck and seasoned in corner piles throughout the house, bringing warmth and rustic charm to the winter months. The waterside desk transforms this space into the most inspiring home office imaginable, with endless water views sparking creativity throughout the workday. This multi-functional piece reveals the genius of tiny home design – it unfolds into a ten-person dining table with leaves that can accommodate dinner parties overlooking the water.
The sizeable couch provides comfortable seating and doubles as a guest bed, allowing Kate to offer visitors the loft bedroom while sleeping in the living area. Sliding doors at the back open to a small deck where the kayak is stored and morning coffee is enjoyed in peaceful solitude. This outdoor space extends the living area and provides immediate access to water activities – Kate often squeezes in quick 20-minute kayak sessions even on busy office days.
The ease of stepping directly from home into a kayak for morning exercise or sunset relaxation perfectly embodies the waterfront lifestyle this home provides. Climbing the stairs to the loft bedroom reveals a surprisingly spacious and incredibly bright sleeping area that required custom curtains to manage the early summer sunrise at 5:30 AM. The queen-size bed sits on a small pedestal, and while it took some practice to master graceful entry and exit, the sleeping space is solidly functional and comfortable.
A hanging closet and wardrobe provide ample clothing storage – perhaps more than a minimalist lifestyle truly requires, as Kate admits she could probably downsize even further. The outdoor deck accessed from the bedroom represents one of the most magical spaces in this entire floating home. This was Kate’s first major purchase after moving in – an outdoor patio set that transforms this elevated space into a serene retreat among the trees.
Thriving tomatoes and herbs grow in containers throughout this green oasis, creating a productive garden space that feels worlds away from urban life. The previous owners, elderly artists who lived here for 15 years, left some charmingly quirky design choices throughout the home. Originally, access to the bedroom required climbing an outdoor ladder and entering through a hatch – Kate can only imagine this sweet old lady in her nightgown braving winter weather to reach her bedroom via ladder and window.
The current indoor staircase and crank window system provides much more practical access to both the bedroom and the stunning upper deck. Living on water year-round in Canada presents unique challenges that Kate has masterfully learned to navigate over three winters. Her first winter included two pipe-freezing incidents that brought ten helpful community members to her rescue, emphasizing the supportive nature of this floating neighborhood.
Now she’s mastered the timing of heat tracers, bubbler systems, and heating schedules, making winter maintenance routine and manageable. Summer on this houseboat reaches magical levels that are difficult to fully capture in words – the beauty and tranquility of waterfront living at its absolute finest. However, this lifestyle isn’t for everyone and requires more involvement than traditional housing, from chopping and hauling firewood to managing cooler floors and periodic pontoon maintenance.
Every two years, the boat requires hauling out for pontoon inspection, rust prevention, and repainting – all part of the hands-on nature of floating home ownership. The transition from downtown Toronto living with three housemates to this serene waterfront community represents a complete lifestyle transformation. While city living offered transit access and bike-everywhere convenience, this location required purchasing a car but provided something invaluable in return.
The dock community creates incredibly social connections where every walk involves chatting with neighbors – a much closer-knit environment than urban apartment living. Toronto’s wildly expensive real estate market made traditional condo ownership impossible, but this houseboat provided an affordable path to homeownership at roughly one-third the cost of comparable float homes. Monthly costs include mooring fees covering water, hydro, septic service, and mail handling, plus additional electricity charges at commercial rates.
Winter firewood costs approximately four face cords annually, while specialized marine insurance represents one of the major ongoing expenses – only one company provides houseboat coverage, and traditional mortgages aren’t available, requiring marine or private financing. The total monthly cost without loan payments equals what Kate previously paid sharing downtown Toronto housing with three housemates. While the expenses aren’t cheap, the quality of life improvement makes every penny worthwhile – this truly represents lifestyle-focused living where natural beauty and water access create daily joy that money can’t easily buy elsewhere.
