Go Dutch on a houseboat

Berend Lens van Rijn is a champion of houseboat living for the UAE. Pawan Singh / The National

ABU DHABI // A Dutch boatbuilder wants to bring houseboats to the UAE and challenge what he calls the “ridiculous” cost of rented accommodation.

Berend Lens van Rijn, founder of Belevari Marinas and boat aficionado, spent his first 10 years in the UAE building a marina management business and now he wants to bring a tradition from his native Netherlands to house hunters.

“My dream has been to get rid of these ridiculous rents and then live on my boat. If you take that in a more professional way it’s actually very doable,” said the 40-year-old.

The designs come in two sizes, and Mr van Rijn has four orders for Abu Dhabi alone.

The boats he has ordered for the UAE can be powered by solar energy and were designed by renowned boat home makers in The Netherlands.

With each boat producing about 3.5 kilowatts per hour from solar, Dutch-designed insulation helps to efficiently power air conditioning, a washing machine, television, computer and charge the vessel’s batteries for night-time use.

“If you’re getting a housing allowance, and after five or 10 years of living in a rented villa you realise that for that money you could have lived on a boat, you’re going to kick yourself,” he said.

In The Netherlands, there are about 100,000 registered houseboats, 2,400 of which are on the canals of the capital, Amsterdam.

Mr van Rijn said that buying a houseboat and living on are much bigger commitments than just buying or renting a villa.

The boat requires maintenance and a minimalistic lifestyle. However, he said, that is part of the charm and a small price to pay for the perks of living on a boat.

“On the weekends, you’re going to spend money because you’re not on the water and if you’re a boat owner I always say, ask your friends to bring to food and drinks because you’ve got the boat,” he said.

Living on a boat is more of a luxury than a reality for most people, but it should not be that way, said Mr van Rijn.

“Living on a boat, some people might think it’s impractical. My wife has 50 pairs of shoes, so we have two closets dedicated to them,” he said.

Buyers can expect to pay, on average, Dh1,200 per square metre.

M K, an estate agent who works in Dubai, said that for that price it was very difficult to find waterfront property even in the more isolated parts of the UAE.

“Of course you can find something, but you’re looking at a luxury with the houseboat. The downside of it, or for seafarers, the hobby, is that it requires some upkeep. However, you can always pick up and move it, so that the unique part of lifestyle,” he said.