A float home moored at Esquimalt’s Sailors Cove Marina that’s been gutted to the studs is offering buyers the unique opportunity to live waterfront at a bargain.
The float home named Pax is currently listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for $289,000 and listing agent Maurice Connor says while it’s packed with history, it’s also been completely renovated to meet modern standards.
“It needed some TLC. It wasn’t as it is now. It was fully gutted and they redid the whole thing,” Connor told CHEK News, referring to current owners Jason and Cayley who work as a professional shipwright and carpenter, respectively.
Featuring one bedroom and one bathroom, Pax measures about 30 feet long with an open-concept kitchen, separate sleeping area, rooftop deck and storage options. The home also comes with a parking space and access to the marina’s amenities.
“It’s basically a tiny home on the water the way it’s designed and the way we put it together. It just seemed like something we had to do,” said Jason in a YouTube video touring Pax.
The video posted on July 30 by Exploring Alternatives was filmed by videographer Alex Harris and quickly went viral, surpassing 1.3 million views in about a week.
Jason says the home was one of 25 boats built in Victoria for Expo 86 but later fell into disrepair with much-needed restoration, prompting a renovation project that took around one and a half years to complete.
“My partner and I came across this boat and it had all these beautiful windows, but it was very derelict and quite neglected,” Jason said in the video.
“There was a lot of exterior work that had to be done. I replaced about 10 or 15 per cent of the hull, and then we came inside and gutted it back to the studs so that we could reinsulate with all new wiring and all new plumbing and, of course, a whole new interior.”
Jason says he and Cayley put their hearts and souls into the project, summing it up as a “good union” with their professional backgrounds combined.
“We had the right skill set to get this job done,” Jason added.
The listing comes as average house prices continue to climb across Greater Victoria, spurring increased interest in tiny homes. Last month in Victoria, the benchmark price for a single-family home hit $1,433,800 — a 19 per cent year-over-year increase, Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) data found.
Photos: Stellar Real Estate Marketing
Ethan Morneau
