Oliver Couchman made the move almost a year ago and has no regrets
A business coach is celebrating almost a year of living on the River Thames in a houseboat on a private luxury island. Oliver Couchman, 49, relocated to his houseboat on the southern edge of D’Oyly Carte island in Weybridge, Surrey, nearly a year ago.
He had previously been the owner of a flat in Croydon but found himself renting accommodation in Weybridge after falling in love with the area.
He explained: “I was on the island one day and I saw this ridiculously lovely houseboat. I said to a guy I was standing next to, ‘Wow, who lives there?’
“And he said, ‘I think she’s for sale next month.’ So I made an offer.”
Oliver went on to buy a second houseboat which he is now selling for just £49,000. He believes his three-bedroom houseboat is the ‘most affordable’ property on the Thames.
Situated on the picturesque two-acre D’Oyly Carte Island, the ‘tardis-like’ home accommodates four people and features a kitchen, lounge, and windows throughout. The vessel comes fully fitted with water and electrics and has been positioned on a private pontoon – with fully residential mooring.
Oliver, a business coach, says the houseboat provides an excellent chance to dwell on the Thames for a fraction of the typical cost. He said: “It’s a stunning houseboat. Anyone would fall in love with how beautiful she is.
“What’s really unique is that she’s been placed on a private pontoon with fully residential mooring. Other marinas have restrictions which mean you can only stay overnight for a few nights a month or something – so you can’t make it a fully residential home.
“She also has full electrics and water – you wouldn’t have that if you just pulled up anywhere on the Thames – and she’s really spacious. She’s like the Doctor Who tardis. I think it’s safe to say this is the most affordable three-bedroom property on the Thames.”
After settling into his own houseboat in November, the following April found himself in Yorkshire when he encountered another houseboat – constructed over seven years drawing inspiration from Antiguan catamaran designs.
He purchased the vessel and then began the process of relocating it southwards – which turned out to be quite challenging. He explained: “A mooring space had come up on a private pontoon on the north east side of the island and I knew I wanted to get her there. But in terms of transportation the maximum width on a B-road is 3.5m and she’s 4.8m so I had to look into haulage options.
“Initially they quoted me £17,000 to transport her by sea but I asked if there was anything else we could do. The company said they could ask if we could get a police escort – which seemed unlikely – but the police said yes. That cost £3,600.
“It was like in the movies. We had blue lights flashing and everything and then had to get her through seven locks around midnight in complete darkness. But we got her to D’Oyly in the end.”
Oliver says that he is currently fitting a bathroom, but otherwise the boat is ‘ready to live on’. He asserts that experts have valued the houseboat at £60,000, but he has chosen to stick with £49,000 as he’s thrilled to offer an affordable property on the Thames.
For further details about the boat, you can reach Oliver on 07496573955 or via Instagram at @ollie_the_piano_guy.
The listing can also be viewed on Facebook Marketplace here: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1770834840468207/.
