I live on a 154ft abandoned ferry I converted into a stunning house – it has its own cinema and is now worth £2million
A BRIT has revealed how he bought a 154ft abandoned ferry before converting it into a luxury water home that is now worth a staggering £2million.
The floating mansion, named Dot, is docked in Hong Kong and boasts an incredible 6,000sq ft of living space and a private home cinema.
The 154ft yacht can sleep up to eight guests in its four en suite cabins.
The central living space on board the luxurious vessel houses the largest sofa in Hong Kong and has enough space for a mega 14ft Christmas tree, according to Ocean Independence.
Dot, formerly called Golden Star, once crossed Hong Kong’s harbor with enough seating for 762 passengers.
The UK-built boat served until 2011 when it was sold in a private sale to an anonymous buyer in Hong Kong, who had childhood memories of riding the ferry.
He transformed the old boat into a glamorous home, with many resemblances to spacious, chic New York lofts.
The conversion took a lengthy 18 months, as the buyer got to work at the Leung Wan Kee shipyard in Zhuhai, China.
Inside, the stunning vessel is now unrecognisable from its ferrying days.
The impressive 6,000sq ft of space is spread across three decks, with each bedroom boasting its own bath and standing shower.
The bathroom area is made up of marble-like tiles and wooden paneling, with a contemporary metal tub standing in one corner.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the owner said: “I have had an obsession with old brick industrial buildings for many years. I love industrial furnishings, rust, and elegant dilapidation.
“DOT is heavy, robust, and wide-hipped… Her old well-worn thick teak floors and copious steel speak to a factory more than an elegant home.”
All of the cabins have panoramic water views, with half-moon balconies placed outside a set of French doors.
There are also two massive office spaces, a galley, and a huge salon.
The kitchen and dining area have large sliding doors that open up on both sides, allowing a refreshing sea breeze to sweep through the vast open space.
A large wooden table with six chairs is placed in front of an art-covered wall, with a long L-shaped sofa sitting in front of a wall-length window overlooking the harbor.
The original wooden beams have been kept on the ceiling, but modern features now fill the space within.
A metallic kitchen area, complete with a sink and other essential appliances fills out the space in the middle, as the waters can be seen from the side doors.
The incredible vessel also houses a cozy home cinema with a three-tiered sofa and wall-length TV.
The wooden beams and fresh white walls keep in theme with the trendy home, while not completely ridding the boat of its former life.
But it’s not just the interior that leaves viewers stunned, the exterior has several magnificent qualities too.
Dot’s rooftop features a shaded lounge area, with a horseshoe-shaped sofa and round table in the middle.
Next to the seating space is a wooden decking, reserved for sunbathing and for guests to gather to take in the panoramic sea views.
“This boat has been about my three wonderful children. Watching them jump from the roof into the sea; stargazing with them top side; games of charades as the sunsets after dinner,” the owner said.
To keep any lucky guests on board the yacht comfortable, the owner has installed thirty air-conditioners to battle Hong Kong’s summers.
The roof also acts as a water collection system and the boat has two filtration systems for filtering seawater and rainwater.
But this feature won’t often be in use, as Dot has a 57,000-litre water storage for daily use.
In addition to its self-sufficient water system, the vessel also has 170 square metres of flexible solar panels on the roof, absorbing sunlight in the daytime to keep the boat going.
The boat, up for sale at a whopping £2million, can cruise at seven knots and reach a top speed of nine knots.
Dot isn’t the only vehicle to be converted into a luxurious new pad, as a man revealed he and his family of four have been living in a school bus that he converted into a home.
Caleb Nelson shared a tour of his home-on-wheels that sleeps six and is now worth a massive £70,000.
A mum who bought an army boat revealed how she transformed the former US Coast Guard tugboat into a tiny home to save thousands on rent and bills.
Her costs run to about £1,047 a month – including the slip fee, liveaboard fee, and electricity.
And one woman who lives in a train car from the early 1900s installed unique features to make the box car feel more like a home.
Her renovated space has all of the comforts of a regular home including welcoming rocking chairs, a desk, a full-size bed, a nightstand, and a flat-screen TV.