In 2015, Ian and Johanna Mitchell, both 68, were living in Nottingham and decided to get a London pied-à-terre so they could spend a few nights in the capital each week. Initially, they considered conventional flats, finding a one-bedroom ground-floor apartment near St Bartholomew’s Hospital for over £800,000 and a three-bedroom penthouse by the quayside for £1.7 million. However, after visiting a friend who lived on a houseboat, they began exploring an entirely different option: living on the River Thames. “People thought we were nuts,” says Johanna, a retired psychologist.
Their search led them to a Luxemotor Dutch barge in a shipyard in Holland. The original owner had commissioned it but ran out of funds, so the shipyard put it up for sale. “We fell in love with it and bought it,” recalls Ian, a retired cardiac surgeon. The total outlay, around £900,000 in cash, covered both the Battersea mooring and the barge itself, including modifications such as cutting the hull in half to lengthen it and designing interiors tailored to their preferences with the help of a boat architect. Houseboats are exempt from stamp duty, so they only paid tax on the mooring, which Ian described as minimal.
After a year of preparation, Sargia II was ready. Ian and one of his sons sailed it across the North Sea and up the Thames to St Mary’s Wandsworth Pier in Battersea, a mooring they own—a rarity in London. The 30-metre barge offers 1,276 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms, two en-suite bathrooms, a kitchen/living area, utility room, and a wheelroom now used as a dining space. Luxury features include a log burner, Miele appliances, a pop-up TV, and an underfloor wine cellar cooled by the Thames. “Compared to a £1.7 million quayside penthouse, we have the same size and spec for significantly less,” says Ian.
Though they do not live on it permanently, the couple have enjoyed regular stays and hosting parties. The houseboat has even supported a film crew as a “rest boat.” The small community of ten permanent moorings fosters a friendly atmosphere, and despite its central location, the barge offers quiet and peace, with the daily rhythm of the tides replacing conventional house noises. The barge is seaworthy but mostly stationary, as its size prevents passage through nearby locks.
Annual costs are modest: £5,000 for council tax, pontoon maintenance, and Thames fees; £600 for electricity; £1,500 for the diesel burner; and £150 for water, with mains drainage and internet via a Vodafone dongle.
After ten years of enjoyment, the couple have listed Sargia II for £775,000, below their original purchase price, to release funds for their adult children. “We’ve lost a bit,” Ian acknowledges, “but would we do it again? Yes, definitely. It’s got everything a house has—it’s just a boat—and it’s been great.”
