A recently-listed houseboat in Michigan projects the perfect image of sailing life — never mind that it’s completely landlocked.
Nicknamed “The Michigan” and located on Lake Huron, the home has hit the market for $750,000. At 74 feet tall and boasting a port, starboard and white and red wood planks, the property looks like a boat for all intents and purposes despite being nowhere near water. Its first owners built it on the site of a burned-down hotel in 1936.
EXp Realty agent Laura Kempf told Boston Magazine the original idea had been to turn a lifelong sailor into a family man. Once married, his wife thought that a house shaped like a ship would keep her husband on dry land without causing him to miss the water too much. The master bedroom was built like the “captain’s quarters” while the kitchen is the “galley” and the living room overlooks Saginaw Bay with a steering wheel.
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“This flooring is actually slightly sloped from edge to edge, for draining of water,” Kempf told a local outlet. “Same with the ceiling, it has a curve, like a ‘boat’ boat. It’s got a steering wheel in the living room!”
This type of property treads a fine line between the houseboat-floating-home distinction. According to official designations, a houseboat needs to be able to navigate while a floating home sits stationary on the water. The Michigan, on the other hand, looks like a houseboat but does not navigate. The last owners have spent the last 12 years restoring and updating everything from the roof to the forward, aft and upper decks.
Since the pandemic began, interest in unusual homes has skyrocketed as more and more people reconsidered how they live and opted for a more tranquil life. In Miami, a 75-foot-long, 2,700-square-foot floating luxury home was booked months ahead of the summer. However, those who want to rent it need valid driving, boat safety and sailing licenses.