A Porthole Into Houseboats as ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ Turns 25
Fans fell in love with the movie and the lifestyle. Here’s a look at the challenges and charms of a floating home
Is there anything more romantic than the moment in Sleepless in Seattle when Meg Ryan’s hopeful reporter, Annie, and Tom Hanks’ lonely architect, Sam, finally meet on top of the Empire State Building? A solid segment of the rom-com-loving population might argue that Sam’s scenic, breezy life on a Seattle houseboat in the love story is just as swoonworthy. As the beloved Nora Ephron movie turns 25 on June 25, it seems an appropriate time to revisit the floating lifestyle it helped popularize.
We spoke with floating home experts in Seattle and elsewhere about quirks that land dwellers and potential future owners of floating homes may not know about, and how a life on the water — and a ’90s cinema classic — can leave a lasting impression.
We spoke with floating home experts in Seattle and elsewhere about quirks that land dwellers and potential future owners of floating homes may not know about, and how a life on the water — and a ’90s cinema classic — can leave a lasting impression.
Legally, It’s Complicated
The term “houseboat” technically refers to a floating home that is mobile. Homes on the water that are permanently docked, such as the house in Sleepless in Seattle, are called floating homes or residences. But people commonly use houseboat as an umbrella term for all floating residences.
Regulations and classifications related to floating homes can be knotty. In Seattle, for example, there’s a lot of government oversight when it comes to floating residences, and the homes have been subject to changing legal codes, permits and classifications. With few exceptions, new floating residences are no longer allowed in the city. Elsewhere, such as in Vancouver, British Columbia, changing moorage fees and restrictions can frustrate homeowners. Similar rules, often addressing issues like property taxes or access to city sewage hookups, are common in many floating home communities.
While Seattle will forever be tied to the lifestyle thanks to Hanks and Ryan’s on-screen chemistry, sections of cities from Sausalito, California, to Portland, Oregon, to Brooklyn, New York, to Amsterdam and Paris are known for their floating home populations. Experts advise potential floating home residents to consult with experienced real estate or building pros throughout the buying or renovating process to navigate regulations.
The term “houseboat” technically refers to a floating home that is mobile. Homes on the water that are permanently docked, such as the house in Sleepless in Seattle, are called floating homes or residences. But people commonly use houseboat as an umbrella term for all floating residences.
Regulations and classifications related to floating homes can be knotty. In Seattle, for example, there’s a lot of government oversight when it comes to floating residences, and the homes have been subject to changing legal codes, permits and classifications. With few exceptions, new floating residences are no longer allowed in the city. Elsewhere, such as in Vancouver, British Columbia, changing moorage fees and restrictions can frustrate homeowners. Similar rules, often addressing issues like property taxes or access to city sewage hookups, are common in many floating home communities.
While Seattle will forever be tied to the lifestyle thanks to Hanks and Ryan’s on-screen chemistry, sections of cities from Sausalito, California, to Portland, Oregon, to Brooklyn, New York, to Amsterdam and Paris are known for their floating home populations. Experts advise potential floating home residents to consult with experienced real estate or building pros throughout the buying or renovating process to navigate regulations.
Bathroom tile in a Sausalito, California, houseboat by LOCZIdesign
Water Everywhere
When it comes to the interiors of floating residences, Daniel Lofstrom of Seattle floating home design-build firm Steady Floats says water is a driving design force. “You always have to think about water and humidity because you are 100 percent surrounded by water,” Lofstrom says.
That means choices like using open-cell spray foam insulation instead of closed-cell foam to let inevitable condensation escape, avoiding fiberglass batt insulation so the structure can be sealed and protected against cold temperatures, and paying special attention to water creeping into bathrooms and kitchens, Lofstrom says. “We do really over-the-top things like tile 100 percent of the bathrooms and put backsplashes way higher than are needed per typical residential buildings,” he says.
See more of this Sausalito houseboat
Water Everywhere
When it comes to the interiors of floating residences, Daniel Lofstrom of Seattle floating home design-build firm Steady Floats says water is a driving design force. “You always have to think about water and humidity because you are 100 percent surrounded by water,” Lofstrom says.
That means choices like using open-cell spray foam insulation instead of closed-cell foam to let inevitable condensation escape, avoiding fiberglass batt insulation so the structure can be sealed and protected against cold temperatures, and paying special attention to water creeping into bathrooms and kitchens, Lofstrom says. “We do really over-the-top things like tile 100 percent of the bathrooms and put backsplashes way higher than are needed per typical residential buildings,” he says.
See more of this Sausalito houseboat
Sturdy Materials
Exteriors must account for water, wind and other environmental wear just as a boat would, but homeowners often don’t want their home feeling like a steel hull, Lofstrom says, so many look to materials similar to those used on any waterfront property. Newer examples typically use a real aluminum, steel or concrete hull, though Lofstrom says some homes still float on log rafts, which can sometimes shift and crack walls and windows.
Exteriors must account for water, wind and other environmental wear just as a boat would, but homeowners often don’t want their home feeling like a steel hull, Lofstrom says, so many look to materials similar to those used on any waterfront property. Newer examples typically use a real aluminum, steel or concrete hull, though Lofstrom says some homes still float on log rafts, which can sometimes shift and crack walls and windows.
Creative Spaces
Floating residences’ typically smaller footprints allow designers to get creative with space. Lofstrom says his team puts in a lot of custom spiral staircases, like the one shown here, and once installed a window so a homeowner could look into the water below. (”Unfortunately, the owner only got to see a big wall of green water because you can’t see more than about 2 inches in Lake Union,” Loftsrom says, “but it was still very cool.") The rooftop hatch here doubles as a roof deck entry point and a skylight while giving off a nautical, Captain Nemo-style vibe.
Storage can sometimes be an tricky. Cooper says she has seen solutions like drawers in staircases and loft spaces, plus other clever additions like floating gardens to make up for a lack of land in which to plant.
See 10 North American homes that are fabulously on the water
Floating residences’ typically smaller footprints allow designers to get creative with space. Lofstrom says his team puts in a lot of custom spiral staircases, like the one shown here, and once installed a window so a homeowner could look into the water below. (”Unfortunately, the owner only got to see a big wall of green water because you can’t see more than about 2 inches in Lake Union,” Loftsrom says, “but it was still very cool.") The rooftop hatch here doubles as a roof deck entry point and a skylight while giving off a nautical, Captain Nemo-style vibe.
Storage can sometimes be an tricky. Cooper says she has seen solutions like drawers in staircases and loft spaces, plus other clever additions like floating gardens to make up for a lack of land in which to plant.
See 10 North American homes that are fabulously on the water
Waterfront Experience
The sweeping views and naturally charged atmosphere that come with waterfront living are sometimes more within reach with a floating home. Jessica Schmid, whose floating home in North Vancouver, British Columbia, was featured on Houzz in 2016, says that element is her favorite differentiating factor between floating life and a traditional house. “Unless you are a millionaire, in Vancouver you just cannot get as close to marine life without living on the water,” Schmid says.
Depending on the region, that cost of living differs (Seattle floating residences, for example, typically aren’t cheap, particularly as they’re now in such limited supply), but the proximity to the water remains.
“We are closer to nature than anyone else in the city yet also right in the middle of the city,” says Cooper, who also lives in a floating home.
The sweeping views and naturally charged atmosphere that come with waterfront living are sometimes more within reach with a floating home. Jessica Schmid, whose floating home in North Vancouver, British Columbia, was featured on Houzz in 2016, says that element is her favorite differentiating factor between floating life and a traditional house. “Unless you are a millionaire, in Vancouver you just cannot get as close to marine life without living on the water,” Schmid says.
Depending on the region, that cost of living differs (Seattle floating residences, for example, typically aren’t cheap, particularly as they’re now in such limited supply), but the proximity to the water remains.
“We are closer to nature than anyone else in the city yet also right in the middle of the city,” says Cooper, who also lives in a floating home.
Nearby Neighbors
Also likely close by? Other owners of floating homes. Those familiar with the houseboat lifestyle say living in a crowded marina is usually best suited for a social homeowner who loves the water and being outside and who doesn’t mind having another floating residence just a few feet away.
“People who love houseboats the most are those who love the water and boating and being right in the middle of it all,” Lofstrom says. “You definitely give up privacy because all houseboats in Seattle have a neighbor or many neighbors about 5 feet away from you, but most people do just walk out into their front ‘lawn’ in the morning or after work to go kayaking or boating around the lake.”
Also likely close by? Other owners of floating homes. Those familiar with the houseboat lifestyle say living in a crowded marina is usually best suited for a social homeowner who loves the water and being outside and who doesn’t mind having another floating residence just a few feet away.
“People who love houseboats the most are those who love the water and boating and being right in the middle of it all,” Lofstrom says. “You definitely give up privacy because all houseboats in Seattle have a neighbor or many neighbors about 5 feet away from you, but most people do just walk out into their front ‘lawn’ in the morning or after work to go kayaking or boating around the lake.”
Not Your Average Maintenance
Instead of just the standard gutter cleaning and occasional exterior paint job, floating home maintenance requires specialized work to be well-kept. “It is a strange crossover between maintaining both a boat and a home all at once,” Lofstrom says.
That work might include hiring divers to replace the float’s zincs (zinc pieces installed to protect against corrosion) once a year; keeping water tanks fresh in the winter, when pipes often freeze from the cold surrounding water; and even hauling the whole structure out of the water every 20 years or so for additional checks, Lofstrom says.
Instead of just the standard gutter cleaning and occasional exterior paint job, floating home maintenance requires specialized work to be well-kept. “It is a strange crossover between maintaining both a boat and a home all at once,” Lofstrom says.
That work might include hiring divers to replace the float’s zincs (zinc pieces installed to protect against corrosion) once a year; keeping water tanks fresh in the winter, when pipes often freeze from the cold surrounding water; and even hauling the whole structure out of the water every 20 years or so for additional checks, Lofstrom says.
Learning to Rock (With) the Boat
Even if a residence is moored to the dock, adjusting to moving water underfoot can take time. “When it’s stormy, or there is a strong current, the house rocks just as a boat would, and it can be unnerving for houseguests that get a little seasick,” Schmid says of her floating home, shown here. Cooper even hung swinging pendant lights in her home “to make sure I could check to see if the house was moving or it was just me.”
With respect to design, that motion demands that the environment be mitigated with carefully sealed and supported siding, roofs and drywall.
“When you design a houseboat, you have to remember that these things always move and it is basically like designing a house to always have a small earthquake going at all times,” Lofstrom says.
Even if a residence is moored to the dock, adjusting to moving water underfoot can take time. “When it’s stormy, or there is a strong current, the house rocks just as a boat would, and it can be unnerving for houseguests that get a little seasick,” Schmid says of her floating home, shown here. Cooper even hung swinging pendant lights in her home “to make sure I could check to see if the house was moving or it was just me.”
With respect to design, that motion demands that the environment be mitigated with carefully sealed and supported siding, roofs and drywall.
“When you design a houseboat, you have to remember that these things always move and it is basically like designing a house to always have a small earthquake going at all times,” Lofstrom says.
Jessica Schmid’s floating house in North Vancouver, British Columbia
A Sleepless Legacy
It may have come out a quarter-century ago, but in floating home communities especially, Sleepless in Seattle still comes up often. Lofstrom credits the movie with keeping Seattle houseboats in general, well, afloat, and Cooper says someone mentions the movie in nearly every real estate showing she attends.
Even outside Seattle, the image of Sam sitting on the dock outside his character-packed floating home endures. It’s the reason Schmid says she fell in love with the house style.
“I look back at that movie and the setup they had for that home, and I still have home envy 25 years later,” she says. “My float home is not nearly as spectacular as the one featured in the movie, but having a tiny slice of what I felt Sam’s character would have experienced does fulfill the fantasy.”
See more of Schmid’s North Vancouver floating home
Tell us: Did Sleepless in Seattle spark your love of floating homes? Have you ever lived on one? Share your stories in the Comments.
More: Read more about the romance and reality of houseboats
A Sleepless Legacy
It may have come out a quarter-century ago, but in floating home communities especially, Sleepless in Seattle still comes up often. Lofstrom credits the movie with keeping Seattle houseboats in general, well, afloat, and Cooper says someone mentions the movie in nearly every real estate showing she attends.
Even outside Seattle, the image of Sam sitting on the dock outside his character-packed floating home endures. It’s the reason Schmid says she fell in love with the house style.
“I look back at that movie and the setup they had for that home, and I still have home envy 25 years later,” she says. “My float home is not nearly as spectacular as the one featured in the movie, but having a tiny slice of what I felt Sam’s character would have experienced does fulfill the fantasy.”
See more of Schmid’s North Vancouver floating home
Tell us: Did Sleepless in Seattle spark your love of floating homes? Have you ever lived on one? Share your stories in the Comments.
More: Read more about the romance and reality of houseboats
Floating homes have dotted Seattle’s lakes for more than a century, originally as makeshift rafts for logging camp workers. The houses picked up steam in the 1920s for fishermen’s and boatmakers’ families, and they spiked in the ’30s as people became desperate for cheap housing during the Depression. It wasn’t until TriStar Pictures released Sleepless in Seattle — a story about a Baltimore reporter (Meg Ryan) who becomes enamored with a widowed Seattle architect (Tom Hanks) she has never met after hearing him on a radio call-in show — in the summer of 1993, however, that Seattle became synonymous beyond the city with charming floating home living.
“Seattle was always known for its houseboat lifestyle, but the movie made the world think only of Seattle when they think of floating homes,” says Courtney Cooper of Seattle’s Cooper Jacobs Real Estate Group. “They are all over the world, but Sleepless in Seattle made us famous for them.”
In the movie, Hanks’ character, Sam, and his young son, Jonah (Ross Malinger), move from Chicago into a picturesque floating home at the end of a Lake Union dock, and viewers are treated to shots of the nautical home and lakeside lifestyle throughout the story. The actual Sleepless in Seattle house remains one of the most iconic properties in the city. The four-bedroom, more-than-2,200-square-foot home sold in 2014 for more than $2 million, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.