This Florida Couple Is Building Incredible Tiny Houses That Float!
For Warren and Cynthia Billings, retirement after decades spent in the “rat race,” meant finally shedding their 5,400-square-foot house in New Hampshire for a simpler life and the warm weather of Sanford, Florida.
Once there, the industrious couple wasn’t deterred by the sky-high prices of waterfront real estate. Instead, they set out to build their dream home just as they imagined it.
“We refused to compromise on style, luxury, and beauty,” the Billings recall on their website. “After some time, and lots of thought, it became clear what we were looking for—the ability to live on the water; a small home with virtually no upkeep, and an affordable joyful lifestyle that could be sustained by working part time.”
It was decided: They would build their ideal home (a tiny, floating bungalow) from the ground up, and then plop it in the water.
While they were constructing their first bungalow, the couple shared some photos on Facebook with their friends and family up north. They were shocked when the photos of their new house gained more 47,000 hits! And that’s exactly how Floating Bungalows was born.
“We decided to live on the water, simply. And it turns out that we were not alone,” said Cynthia, 59, told the Sun-Sentinel. “We wanted to downsize, but we didn’t want to give up on the luxury.”
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In the past year the Billings and their company have built and sold four of their buoyant bungalows, with two more under construction. A recent feature on HGTV’s Tiny House Hunters has caused a surge in popularity. And we can see why!
Each one-story floating residence is about 550-square-feet and comes complete with hardwood floors, stainless-steel appliances, flush toilets and an outdoor deck. They’ll run you roughly $225,000, not including slip rentals at a marina.
And even though they look like floating homes, they’re actually boats, built by US Coast Guard Registered Boat Builders and are fully insurable. But as far as the Billingses and their small fleet of customers are concerned, that’s just a technicality. “When you’re sitting inside, you feel like you’re inside a home, not inside a boat,” Cynthia told the Sentinel.
For more information (rentals included!) visit FloatingBungalows.com.
