When considering a floating home, two main options exist: floating cabins and manufactured houseboats. While both provide waterfront living, they have notable differences in mobility, feel, insulation, resale value, maintenance, and more.
What Are Floating Cabins and Manufactured Houseboats?
Floating Cabins
- A floating structure that is essentially a house built on some type of floatation
- Often made from wood frame construction
- Usually remains stationary in one location
Manufactured Houseboats
- A boat that contains living accommodations and amenities
- Has an aluminum or fiberglass hull like a boat
- Can cruise to different locations
Mobility and Location Flexibility
Floating Cabins
- Permanently fixed in one spot, not able to cruise
- Require a separate boat for mobility
Houseboats
- Can motor to different areas for temporary stays
- Ability to ‘houseboat camp’ at various spots
- But many stay docked most of the time
So if wanting mobility, houseboats enable relocation, while floating cabins serve more as a central home base.
Feel and Interior Finishings
Floating Cabins
- Look and feel like being inside a tiny home
- Wood construction provides a house-like environment
- Normal home furnishings
Houseboats
- Feel like being aboard a boat
- Contain shipboard layouts with nautical motifs
- Exhibit some rocking motion from waves
If wanting a land-based home experience on water, floating cabins replicate this best. Houseboats convey more maritime character.
Insulation and Climate Control
Floating Cabins
- Fully insulated walls, roof and floor
- Retain heat well for cold weather use
- Wood stoves or furnaces provide auxiliary heat
Houseboats
- Very minimal insulation in their thin walls
- Lose heat rapidly in cold conditions without climate control running
- Require constant HVAC operation for habitability
For 4-season living, floating cabins hold heat better for winter usage. Houseboats need extensive mechanical climate control.
Resale Value and Marketability
Floating Cabins
- Limited availability increases demand in many regions
- Sell extremely quickly, often significantly over asking price
- Difficult to find postings due to fast sales
Houseboats
- Readily abundant with extensive postings available
- Slower sales reflecting broader market supply
- Some listings last 1-2 years before selling
So floating cabins generally command greater resale value and faster turnover compared to more prevalent houseboats in most areas.
Maintenance and Upkeep Factors
Common Aspects
- All boats require regular, costly maintenance
- Figure 5-15% of value annually for upkeep costs
Floating Cabins
- No engines/systems to worry about
- But wood construction exposes them to rot over time
Houseboats
- Engine, plumbing and various boat systems need servicing
- But fiberglass/aluminum lasts longer than wood
Routine maintenance proves mandatory for either option to preserve condition.
Additional Considerations
Some other noteworthy considerations include:
Sinkability – Houseboats risk sinking from hull breaches, while extremely difficult to fully sink a floating cabin.
Customization – The box-like shape of floating cabins allows more aesthetics flexibility compared to the set boat-hull limiting houseboats.
Regional Regulations – Floating cabins face more location restrictions than houseboats in certain jurisdictions.
Pricing – Both floated structures vary enormously in pricing depending on age, size, condition and amenities. Condition weighs heavily in cost.
In closing, while some attributes like waterfront lifestyle overlap between floating cabins and houseboats, their designs diverge significantly in other aspects. So carefully analyze the tradeoffs of mobility, interior environment, climate suitability, maintenance and customization to pick the optimal floating dwelling type for intended needs.
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