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Sugar Shack houseboat offers tiny, whimsical accomodations for $199K

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In vintage Seattle style, it’s colorful, quirky, and nautical

A small houseboat sits on the water next to a wooden dock. The boat is painted green and has a bright red ladder and life preserver. There are other boats surrounding it.
In vintage Seattle houseboat style, the home has an off-kilter exterior and a colorful paint job.
Courtesy of Special Agents Realty

Houseboats come in all shapes and most sizes, but they really stand out when they’re tiny and a little offbeat. After all, living on top of the lake attracts a creative-minded person that’s okay with making a few lifestyle adjustments—so why not get weird with it?

This one, called “Sugar Shack,” was built in 1946 has a classic brand of quirky packed into just 200 square feet. A full-height entrance leads to a semi-below-deck living room and kitchen, separated by a keyhole-shaped arch.

At this size, houseboats will sometimes come with most of their furniture built in, anchoring everything down and optimizing the layout for square footage. In this case, the built-ins even hide some modular surprises. In the living area, there’s a built-in sectional, coffee table, and side table—plus a hidden bathtub. The kitchen even features a little built-in dinette booth nestled by a hinge-awning window, which converts to a queen bed, motor-home style, for extra guests.

There’s a permanent built-in queen-sized bed, too—it’s on the way back up to the surface and the front deck, one of a few outdoor lounging spaces on this vessel, along with two roof decks.

1818 Westlake Avenue N Slip D-22—on the closest houseboat dock to South Lake Union—is listed for $199,000 through Special Agents Realty.

The main living area has a built-in living room set and storage—plus a hidden bathtub.
The kitchen gets light and air from hinge-awning windows—and behind that, a door and stairs separate the bedroom.
A keyhole-shaped arch delineates the space between the kitchen and living area without cutting into the square footage.
A built-in queen bed is slightly elevated above the kitchen and living areas, and is surrounded by its own built-in shelf.
The deck at the bow is just outside the built-in bedroom—and perfect for feeling like the captain of the ship.
The taller roof deck has enough room for a picnic.

Lake Union

, , WA