MX.4 Houseboat Is the Fanciest Take on Downsizing on the Water

At the intersection of a luxury yacht and a luxurious tiny home is the MX.4 Houseboat, from the MX family of hulls by Polish builder MOAT Manufacture. Introduced as a concept a few years ago, delivery of the first physical hull took place at the end of 2021, but anyone with deep enough pockets and willingness to wait a while could get one. And we mean really deep pockets.

The MX.4 Houseboat is unlike the DIY influencer houseboats we see on YouTube and Instagram, where they praise the joys of living a life on the water, anchored to the shore, and with minimal impact on the environment and the monthly budget. If we were to compare, the MX.4 is more like the Arkup house yacht than any one of these houseboats, with a focus on sustainability through clean, electric propulsion and solar panels, and an even more obvious focus on luxury.

The MX.4 Houseboat is so fancy it's a "super houseboat," and we're not the ones saying it; the manufacturer is. Every detail is taken care of, and only the highest quality materials are used, and you get to customize every inch of the hull across both decks and onto the rooftop terrace that's technically the flybridge and control station. The attached price tag matches whatever expectations we've just helped build, but more on that later on.

The MX.4 comes in two variants, depending on where you plan to use it: static and dynamic. The former obviously lacks a propulsion system, which means you can only use it moored to the shore as a sort of floating luxury cabin. The latter can move under its own power, though don't expect it to do so at breakneck speed. Powered either by an electric pod or an electric inboard engine, it will only move at a maximum speed of 12 kph (7.4 mph), even if you opt for the lighter, marine-grade aluminum for the hull instead of steel.

Then again, when your home is as nice as this, it can become a destination in itself. With a total length of 13.15 meters (43 feet) and a beam of 0.65 meters (2.13 feet), the MX.4 offers a floor space of 78 square meters (839.5 square feet) across two levels. It was designed by Kees Westerbeek, described by the company as "The Godfather of European houseboating," in collaboration with a team of Dutch, German, and Polish partners and architects, with the goal to create a minimalist, well-lit, airy, and ultra-elegant space. It's definitely all these things, in addition to being highly customizable.

Indeed, the future owner can choose more than just the material for the hull and the propulsion system. An MX.4 can be designed to offer sleeping for 2 to 6 people, with a maximum occupancy of 12 people. Every detail, from the finishes and the hardware in the bathroom to the color of the furniture, can be personalized.

What MOAT promises will remain constant is their dedication to delivering the best houseboat out there. Every function of the houseboat is automated and touch-controlled, from the lights to the shutters, the toilets, and the large-screen TV in the living room. Handcrafted, artisan touches add an even more sophisticated feel to the place, from the (Maserati-resembling) MOAT logo carved into the furniture and cutlery to the superb mini-bar by the bedroom – all of them bathed in natural light coming in through the oversize skylights and windows.

And plenty of attention goes to creating a sustainable home, though the builder doesn't go into the specifics of that other than to repeatedly mention the electric propulsion and the solar panels that feed the battery banks, allowing it to remain in operation.

All hulls in the MX family are a category C design, which means they can be sailed or anchored on small lakes, coastal waters, fjords, canals, and even rushy rivers. The MX.4 is the largest and newest model in the lineup and also the one to place this much emphasis on exquisite craftsmanship and good looks. Sustainable or not, this is one of the most beautiful and elegant houseboats out there – luxury materialized in a house yacht hybrid. The fact that it's eco-friendly is more like a bonus.

As you must have anticipated, the MX.4 is also very expensive. A 2023 hull like the first one in the series, shown in the video at the bottom of the page, will set you back €549,000 ($604,400 at the current exchange rate), and that's before taxes and shipping. If this is your idea of downsizing slash vacation home, you'd best start saving.