Houseboats suit expats all at sea

Houseboat manufacturers offer design flexibility, broad design options, optimum luxury, and quality finishing and materials. And the style of living is ideal for people based for a short time in Hong Kong.

'Custom built live-aboards offer much more flexibility than an apartment,' said Michael Bridges, a project manager at Bondway Enterprises, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of premium yachts. 'We provide the basic boat, but after that everything inside is up to you.'

And he means everything - from the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, where you want them placed and presented, to the soft furnishings, materials for bench tops and bathroom fittings.

Bondway, which builds boats in Zhuhai, China, before being finished in Hong Kong, offers 70 live-aboard variations and has incorporated, at clients' requests, many design features including boats with five levels, state-of-the-art open kitchens, jacuzzis and, a recent trend, Japanese-style teak doors.

Basic prices range from HK$4million for a 60-foot custom built yacht which provides 1,800 sqft of internal living space to HK$6million for an 80-foot boat with more than 3,000 sqft of space.

'They really are floating apartments. We custom-make everything to customers' specifications and cater for different requirements,' Mr Bridges said.

Their durability is also greater than expected though it depends on how well they are taken care of.