The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us

Blog

Taking Time to Live Well

  • All
  • Chalkboard
  • Christmas
  • Competition
  • could do
  • Eating
  • Escape
  • Escaping
  • Fresh
  • Fun
  • gardening
  • Gathered
  • Gathering
  • Growing
  • Haikus
  • Interview
  • Living
  • Looking back
  • Magazine
  • magical creatures
  • Making
  • Miscellany
  • My Neighbourhood
  • Nature
  • Nest
  • Nesting
  • outing
  • playlist
  • Reader event
  • Reader offer
  • Shop
  • Sponsored post
  • Sunday Best
  • Think
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom
Photography: Carmel King

Photography: Carmel King

Good reasons to live on a houseboat

Iona Bower July 31, 2021

In our August issue, Pete and Emily Francis showed us around their houseboat and had us all hankering after a life on the ocean wave (or at least a life on the canal). To tempt you to the same, we’ve put together a watertight list of reasons why living on a houseboat is the best way to live. 

  1. You never need to declutter. If the item wasn’t essential in the first place, you’d never have brought it on board. 

  2. Whenever you’re sick of the view, you can change it. 

  3. It’s very hard to have accidents because every surface has a ledge on it. No more broken mugs. 

  4. You never have to shout up the stairs when it’s dinner time. Your family will simply see you put dinner on the table from six inches away. 

  5. If you fall out with your neighbours you can move house the same day. 

  6. You’ll never have trouble falling asleep; you’ll be rocked to the land of nod every night. 

  7. And it’s never far to walk to the loo in the middle of the night either. 

  8. You’ll save a fortune on ‘calming water sounds’ apps for your wellbeing. 

  9. You can legitimately call yourself ‘captain’. And if you make a friend in the boating community you can promote yourself to admiral of the fleet. 

  10. And if you ever suffer from dissent in the ranks you can make your family walk the plank. 

If you need any more (sensible) reasons to live on a houseboat, you can read about Peter and Emily’s lives aboard the Navah on page 88 of the August issue or follow them on Instagram at @littlefloatinghome.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from our August issue…

Featured
Greek Panzanella.jpg
Aug 30, 2025
Recipe | Greek Panzanella
Aug 30, 2025
Aug 30, 2025
Cyanotypes Mandy Baker.jpeg
Aug 23, 2025
How to | Make Cyanotype Art
Aug 23, 2025
Aug 23, 2025
075_SIM159playlist.jpg
Aug 20, 2025
Playlist | The write stuff
Aug 20, 2025
Aug 20, 2025

More watery inspiration…

Featured
Chalice Well.jpeg
Jul 31, 2025
Traditions | The Magic of Wells
Jul 31, 2025
Jul 31, 2025
Snorkelling Stackpole Quay.jpeg
Jun 17, 2025
How to | Start Snorkelling
Jun 17, 2025
Jun 17, 2025
AKlos_IMG_5959.jpg
Apr 27, 2024
Nature | Waterways Wildlife
Apr 27, 2024
Apr 27, 2024
InFun Tagsissue 110, water, canals, canal boat, houseboat
  • Blog
  • Older
  • Newer
Featured
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Order  our new Celebrations Anthology   Buy a copy of  Flourish 3 , our wellbeing bookazine   Listen to  our podcast  – Small Ways to Live Well
Aug 29, 2025
Aug 29, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Order our new Celebrations Anthology

Buy a copy of Flourish 3, our wellbeing bookazine 

Listen to our podcast – Small Ways to Live Well

Aug 29, 2025
Join our Newsletter
Name
Email *

We respect your privacy and won't share your data.

email marketing by activecampaign
facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram
  • Subscriber Login
  • Stockists
  • Advertise
  • Contact

The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram