Have you always dreamed of having a fishing or hunting retreat? Consider a houseboat instead of a classic cabin.
They’re smaller, more affordable, and honestly the best of both worlds. It may be easier to convince your partner to invest in a family-friendly vacation home as opposed to a wilderness retreat.
Got the OK or want to bring it up? Learn how to shop for a houseboat below.
Talk to Your Partner
If you’re buying a houseboat as a man cave or as a hunting/fishing retreat, that’s great. Don’t do so without talking to your loved one that you share finances with.
Buying a houseboat isn’t unlike buying a second home. In fact, that’s what the government will consider it in most cases.
There are ways to finance your purchase (more info here), but it’ll still be a large chunk of money. Can you really afford to spend that right now?
Set a budget before you go out looking at units. That’ll keep you from falling in love with something you can’t afford. It’s better to have money left over at the end of the month than to “think you can make it work” and struggle with payments.
Pick a Location
The lake that you look at for your houseboat purchase can determine your budget and even the size of the unit you purchase.
Each house will have a maximum person capacity it can safely hold. Regardless of that number, there are sometimes lake-specific regulations on boat capacity.
For example, Lake Powell’s maximum houseboat capacity is 12 people. Even if your home can fit 14! Check these regulations online or call the main office at the lake. This could be the recreation office or camping reservations.
Someone there will know the capacity or where to send you to get that information.
Pick a Size
Once you know the size of houseboat you can legally have at your location, how much capacity do you really need? Are you planning on fishing solo for some self-meditative time?
Or will you take the boys out at the start of the season? In the summer is your family invited? What is the maximum amount of people you would have with you at one time?
The bedrooms on houseboats aren’t generally big – people assume you’ll be out and about during the day. Think of it as a big, floating RV.
The more people you need to house at one time, the bigger and more expensive the boat will be.
Find a Dealer
There are a few ways to find available houseboats. Some real estate agents have access to lists, but more times than not you’ll work through a boat dealership.
You can call them and ask if they have any boats they’re selling. Most of the time non-inventory units like that are through a co-brokerage, which is a different site. The dealership will still get a commission if you buy through them, but you have access to more choices on a co-brokerage listing.
Look at Amenities
Like any house or apartment, each houseboat has certain amenities. It’s unlikely you’ll find an open floor plan or high ceilings, but houseboats still have architectural detail.
Most boats come with a dock or porch of some kind. If it’s not part of the boat itself, the previous owners may have bought and installed and attached one.
Other amenities to look for are fly bridges, remote fuel tanks, hot tubs, TV’s, stereo systems and the like. The fancier the amenities, the higher the cost.
However, buying a unit that costs more will gather more worth as the market grows and time goes on. You can install your own amenities as you go during ownership.
Storage
Our final thing to check for when you’re still looking at multiple units is storage. First of all, is there enough of it? Will it keep your things safe and away from the elements when you’re not there?
If you have another small boat or water toys, can you moor them to your dock or porch? Think about storage for large things like fishing rods and guns. You need a safe and secure place to secure your firearms, especially if you have small kids.
Get an Inspection
Like any large purchase, you need to make sure you’re buying something without hidden issues. Find someone in your area that has experience with houseboat inspections. Since they’re floating, the inspection looks at different things than a regular house inspection.
You want someone to make sure the structure internally is sound, but also that you’re not going to buy it just to have it sink.
If the seller is willing to kick in for the inspection, that’s great. But if they’re not, it’s still worth the cost. Prevention is much cheaper than buying a unit chock full of problems.
Make it Yours
If you’ve gone through all the steps and want to move forward with your purchase, congratulations! You’re now the owner of a second (floating) home.
There’s still work ahead of you before it’s the perfect retreat and man-cave. What kind of things does a man cave need that a houseboat can handle?
An Entertainment System
If you and your boys are going out to the lake to fish, but by fishing you really mean drink – what will you do if your weekend coincides with the big game?
It can be hard to get internet out on the houseboat unless you go with satellite or cable-based services.
At the very least, you should install some outside speakers for when you’re hanging out on the porch late at night. But be sure to keep the neighbors in mind!
Comfy Seating
Is there room in your boat for a great couch or recliner? These comfortable chairs are something every good man cave has. Can you really relax unless you’re being sucked into a cushioned cloud? Not in our opinion.
Other things to keep in mind is outdoor seating. Lawn chairs or inflatable options work for temporary porch chilling.
Financing Your Houseboat
Finally, let’s leave you with one more tip that’ll help your significant other say yes to your houseboat. Not only are there special loans and tax savings available, but you can put your second home up on Airbnb and the like.
When you’re not there, why not get help paying off your newest investment. It might just help you stay afloat.
Need advice for your on-land man cave? We’ve got everything you need in this post.
