IJburg | €995,000 ($1.05 million)
A three-bedroom houseboat in a floating gated community on Amsterdam’s waterfront
This three-bedroom houseboat is moored in a gated community in IJburg, an archipelago of several artificial islands with contemporary mixed-use developments on the Amsterdam waterfront. An enclosed-entrance house with a bicycle shed and mailboxes serves as a gateway to the houseboat community, where dinghies can be moored and launched onto the waterways to explore the city center and areas beyond.
IJburg has a sandy beach, about 12 minutes away by bike, which is a destination for water sports, including windsurfing. The area offers plenty of restaurants, cafes, shops, hotels and markets. There is a shopping center a few minutes away by foot, along with many schools and parking garages.
The trip to Amsterdam-Centrum can take about half an hour using various forms of public transportation, such as nearby Tram 26. By car or taxi, the trip takes less than 20 minutes.
Size: 2,303 square feet
Price per square foot: €432 ($463)
Indoors: This houseboat, built in 1962 and formerly used to transport cement, has a primary residence and an apartment with a separate entrance. It has a biomass boiler, underfloor heating and solar panels. Electricity, water, sewer and fiber-optic internet are available.
A walkway leads to the entrance of the cabin, which still has the captain’s chair, helm and instrument panel. Stairs descend to the dining room with wood floors and original windows. More stairs descend to the living room, full of natural light from portholes and skylights in the barrel ceiling, with a full open kitchen with breakfast bar. A Bullerjan wood stove provides warmth.
Off the kitchen, a door opens to a hallway that leads to two bedrooms, a half bathroom and laundry equipment. There is a beamed ceiling and porthole windows. The main bedroom has an en suite bath with a large tub and shower.
A separate entrance from the deck opens to a spiral staircase that descends into the apartment, which has a sleeping loft, a living room with a kitchen bar, and a bathroom with a shower and a sauna.
Outdoor space: The 4,263-square-foot plot includes a floating garden on the port side that is shared with the neighbors. A sloop, speedboat or yacht can be moored. The houseboat has ample lounging space on deck.
Costs: €462 ($492) a year. The leasehold is paid off through 2065.
Contact: Leon Rinsma, Honders/Alting, 031-85-330-1060, hondersalting.nl
Oosterpark | €1 million ($1.06 million)
A two-bedroom apartment in a 19th-century brick building overlooking Oosterpark
This two-bedroom apartment, on the top two floors of a four-story brick building, is adjacent to Oosterpark, just outside the central district in Amsterdam’s Oost borough. The apartment has north-facing views of the park — a lush urban respite laid out like an English garden and frequented by wild parakeets and herons — and south-facing views of the garden area of Tweede Oosterparkstraat.
Formerly part of an artists’ enclave, the 19th-century building sits next to the historic home of the painter and photographer Willem Arnold Witsen, who was friendly with members of the Tachtigers literary movement. The Wereldmuseum Amsterdam is around the corner, while the Artis Zoo and the Hortus Botanicus are a little over a mile away.
The neighborhood has plenty of cafes, restaurants, delicatessens and supermarkets. Nearby tram and bus lines make frequent trips to Amsterdam’s center. From Muiderpoort Station, a short walk away, trains can reach the central station in six minutes.
Size: 1,206 square feet
Price per square foot: €829 ($890)
Indoors: The two-bedroom apartment was thoroughly renovated in 2000, but retains historic details including original stained-glass windows, support beams, maple floors and ceiling heights of almost 10 feet.
A private entrance on the ground floor opens to a staircase ascending to the apartment’s hallway. Off the hallway are a large kitchen and dining area, a spacious living room and a half bathroom. The dining area has stained-glass windows and Juliet balconies overlooking Oosterpark. The kitchen with island is by Bulthaup. Ornate leaded glass doors open to the living room, which has large windows and a wood-burning stove.
The staircase continues to the top floor, which has two bedrooms and a bathroom with a tub and underfloor heating. One bedroom has views of Oosterpark; the other has folding doors along one side that open to a terrace. There is a tiled laundry room and a kitchenette on this floor.
Outdoor space: This home is situated on freehold land and has a 43-square-foot terrace with Tweede Oosterparkstraat views.
Costs: About €500 ($532) a year, including heat
Contact: Yvette Peters, DSTRCT Real Estate, 031-20-330-9454,
Read More: $1.1 Million Homes in Amsterdam