Seattle Floating Homes Don’t Usually Move
Most Seattle houseboats move around to different docks more frequently than Seattle floating homes do. There are a few Seattle houseboats that are hooked up to city sewer, but the others have black water tanks and can be mobile. Seattle floating homes on the other hand are far less mobile and don’t usually move around. We have seen just a couple dozen or so moved in the last decade and a half. This morning, the Gold Coast of Portage Bay was treated to an incredible show as Fremont Tug adeptly maneuvered a very large float up a very narrow channel.




Seattle floating homes usually remain where they are moored these days, although they used to move around more before we were hooked up to sewer in the 1960s. Back then, most of the floating homes were on leased docks and they moved around depending on the moorage rate or where there was space. These days most of our docks have been converted to cooperative or condo and so our homes stay put.
So when and why do Seattle Floating Homes move?
There are lots of reasons why Seattle floating homes can be moved, but it still does not occur often. Basically it’s the four R’s: Repairs, Reconstruction, Replacement, Relocation. Repairs and reconstruction can be done on site without moving the home and usually they are, but sometimes the logistics of contractors parking, loading, and going up and down docks is just too disruptive when compared to moving the home out to a dedicated waterside work yard. If a repair is major enough then it needs to be moved to a “shipyard” to work on more extensive fixes. Reconstruction would be when someone wants to take the current home down to the float and rebuild or make a huge change to the outer shell.
Replacement is when you take the existing old dilapidated houseboat and float and replace with a new one of the same footprint. That has happened quite a bit over the last decade and beyond. It’s getting hard to find really great historical floating homes that haven’t been destroyed. The city has a “net zero” policy currently so if you bring a new one in, then you have to take an old one out.
Lastly relocation. This happens when a floating home owner wants or needs to change locations. Usually this happens when their floating home is in a leased slip and they would like to either move to a different leased slip or buy a slip to put their home in. In addition if a floating home owner is not paying their moorage rent then they are subject to eviction. Floating home owners who wish to relocate their homes, must pay for the logistics of doing so which involves unhooking and rehooking and moving in and and out all of their neighbors. Then they must do the same for the new dock. It can cost upwards of $75,000 depending on the specific details. Slips for floating homes currently begin at $600,000 and go up to $2M depending on dock position and location. Usually you have to find a dilapidated floating home in a coop or condo owned slip and then buy it with the intention of demolishing the old one and replacing it with your relocated home. They have to be similar in size and you are not allowed to occupy a larger footprint than the current one you are going to demolish. This may require cutting down your floating home to a size that matches. This is just the tip of the iceberg on the process, but you get the idea. They don’t move often.
Are You Interested in Learning More About Seattle Floating Homes?
If you are interested in living on the lake…. Choose someone who lives in the community.
Yes! I live in a floating home full time and I am a Realtor who specializes in them. I have spent years protecting and loving this special place we call home. Because of this I am organically networked into the community versus a broker who doesn’t live in Seattle or currently on a dock. I am on the board for the Floating Homes Association and also for the dock I live on. You need a specialist. Email, Call or text me anytime. 206-850-8841 [email protected]
– Courtney
Seattle Houseboats: Catching Up With The Seattle Floating Homes Market Sept 2014
Summary: Great Choices Available unless you want The Sleepless In Seattle Houseboat.
All year long, the story has been low inventory, low inventory, low inventory. Now we have inventory. Typically August is pretty quiet for Seattle houseboats sales, so it was no surprise to see that August was slow again. The real surprise, though, was the whole new crop of Seattle floating homes listings that have come on the market. We have some really cool choices right now which span into every price range.
The 2014 Seattle floating home tour was a success this year and definitely increased interest in this great community. Add to the the Boats Afloat show this weekend and I would say life on Lake Union is about as exciting as it can be aside from The Fourth Of July! If you are entering the Seattle houseboats world or already a houseboat buyer candidate, then this is truly your time to buy. Seattle houseboats sellers are motivated because the inventory increase has added competition for the sale of their home. Buyers are able to pick up some great floating homes right now.
So here are the Seattle houseboats that have sold in the floating home world (both on market and off market that I know about):
1. Sleepless in Seattle: All the buzz is about Sleepless. The house where Tom Hanks resided in while Meg Ryan chased after him in the original stalker movie – before stalking was actually even a thing besides in National Geographic and horror flicks… The Sleepless in Seattle houseboat has an amazing main level and a very dated upper level which I am sure the new owner will remedy. It has one of the largest floats on the lake and also one of the largest moorage spaces on Lake Union if you have a boat you want to tie up to your house. It is definitely worth the over two million paid for it. We almost sold it a couple times in the last year or so for over two million so we weren’t surprised. I knew it had been sold a couple months ago and put it here in my blog, but was politely asked to not report it yet. The secret is out. It is sold. Over two million dollars and a great deal in my opinion for one of the Duck Tour’s favorite shout outs on Lake Union.
2. Two floating homes on the 2025 Fairview Ave E Log Foundation dock also closed in the last 30 days. Slip M was a 625 square foot 1 bedroom and 1 bath houseboat built in 1930. It was listed for $495,000 and after 428 days on market sold for 93.54% of its list price at $420,000. Also on that dock was slip H – South facing 900 square foot floating home built in 1917, but updated. We listed this one for $725,000 and it sold for full price 34 days later.
Seattle Houseboats Pending in Escrow – The Big news on the Lake and I mean big as in expensive and beautiful and amazing is that the Fairview Landing (2369 Fairview Ave E) Seattle luxury floating home listed for $2,950,000 is pending in escrow. This is a lovely modern concrete dock with beautiful Seattle luxury floating homes and although this particular floating home is on the North side, the neighbors are amazing and so is the house. It’s a big sale on the lake and happy for the new buyers to have gotten on to this phenomenal gated dock.
What’s for sale now in the Seattle floating home world?
Seattle houseboats for sale are in all price ranges right now – ranging from an unheard of low in Eastlake houseboats for $365,000 (1 bedroom on Tenas Chuck dock) to Roanoke Reef at $1,890,000. We love the Tenas Chuck floating home for someone wanting to get on to the lake.
We also love 2017 Fairview Ave , Slip O – 2 bedroom home on a great dock for $617,000! This one is so cute and appeals to many. Good choice on one of the most well run coops on the lake. As far as the nicer homes go, we really love the house in Westlake listed for $1,299,000 at 2466 Westlake Ave N, Slip 7. You can have a FORTY FOOT BOAT tied up to your house there and it has been absolutely loved by its current owners.
Summary Of Seattle Houseboats
Seattle Houseboats Market Update Details
Please call or email me if you want to see anything listed on the lake – or unlisted 🙂 We can show you any home listed by any broker and look forward to showing you some of our favorite spots on the lake. Courtney Cooper 206.850.8841