Couple’s Renovated Tiny House Boat Life
Meet Joe and CeCe, who live on a tiny house boat in coastal New Hampshire. It's been five years so far, and it's going so well that they're planning on as many as five more! Initially, they wanted to build a tiny home on wheels. They switched gears when they found an affordable 1972 River Queen houseboat—for just $8,500.
Around six years ago, Joe and CeCe bought and renovated their tiny houseboat for less than $25k. They kept costs down by using recycled and salvaged wood. For example, their floors come from an 18th-century house on Facebook Marketplace. With 400 square feet of total flooring, they also utilized it for countertops and a desk.
Designing a functional, comfy home in a quirky 200-square-foot space is not easy. A must-have in their tiny house boat included a Murphy bed. It folds down over bench seats and the dining table. Over time, Joe and CeCe identified more ways to optimize the layout to meet their needs better.
For example, the 5-foot closet space in the main living area became a loveseat with storage underneath and access to a dog crate in the hull. As a result, they sacrificed their shower for use as the closet. They now shower outside or at the gym.
Affordable Marina Living in their Tiny House Boat
Joe and CeCe found a rare opening in a New Hampshire marina to dock their tiny houseboat, making their affordable lifestyle a reality. Fortunately, after a long hunt, Joe and CeCe found an opening at one on Sagamore Creek in Portsmouth. Their slip fee includes water, electricity, high-speed internet, and access to a bathroom at the marina. However, in the winter, they must truck in their own water. The cost varies from the summer to winter seasons. On average, they pay $690 per month.
Despite challenges in the freezing winters, Joe and CeCe absolutely love their affordable, simple lifestyle on their tiny house boat. They do plan to have kids in the future, so moving into a bigger home is in their future. But for now, they plan to stay put.
“We save so much money living here that we’re able to go on more adventures, and cool ski trips, and do more traveling that we want to do.
When we moved on to the boat, the original plan was three to five years and that was 3.5 years ago. And I think the plan is still three to five more years. It’s just very hard to envision not living here.
Every day on the boat I love so much I love living here. It’s beautiful. I love coming home, and you’re just here, and everything’s just right here. It’s so cozy. It’s so comforting when I get home in the afternoon that when we have conversations about long terms it’s like, well, yeah, I mean space, but the boat is so great. And so it can be hard to even envision not living here even with those other goals that we have in mind, like kids.”
-Joe & CeCe, @tinyhouseafloat
