As a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, Macy Dewey I have always dreamed of living in London.
Her mother is American and her father was born and raised in London. Dewey’s parents lived between London and the United States, eventually settling in New Jersey, where she grew up. She and her sisters would regularly fly to the British capital during school holidays and summer holidays to visit their grandmother, who still lived there.
In 2022, the 25-year-old and her fiancé Harrison Kent, I have been living in Philadelphia for two years.
“We wanted to be closer to family, but I always told him, ‘I get frustrated every time you think about moving to London,'” the graphic designer told CNBC Make It. “He’s only been here once before.”
During this conversation, Kent began researching schools to obtain a master’s degree in furniture design. In November 2022, he was accepted into his dream master’s program, the MA in Product and Furniture Design at Kingston University in London, and the couple decided to cross the Atlantic.
“It’s one of those things that we know, if we don’t do it now, we never will,” Dewey said. “It’s a real privilege to have multiple passports and I wouldn’t want to be in my 20s without actually living full-time in the UK.”
Dewey and Kent were living in Philadelphia with their dog Kipper when they decided to move to London.
Macy Dewey
Soon after, they began preparations for a transatlantic operation.
Before moving in August 2023, the two began holding yard sales every weekend and sold nearly all of their belongings, with an estimated income of $3,000 to fund the move.
“It’s nice that we know so much ahead of time because we have a lot of time to do the right thing,” Dewey said.
But finding the perfect London place while still living in Philadelphia was harder than expected. They ask before going to bed, When they woke up, they were told that the spot was already taken.
Dewey admits that living on a houseboat has made her more of a homebody now.
Macy Dewey
As the move loomed, Dewey and Kent decided to move into a short-term rental and continue to look for more permanent living arrangements in London.
After months of searching, the couple thought they had found the perfect home. But before they could go see it, the listing agent informed them the house had been taken.
The agent then said he had another space by the water that he could show them around. When they told him a beachfront property might be out of their budget, he clarified it was exist water, no exist it. Soon they were on their way to visit a moored houseboat.
Dewey and Kent were the first people to live on board the ship after it was refurbished.
Macy Dewey
Although Kiper, Dewey and Kent were skeptical about living on a boat, especially as the owner of a two-year-old Dalmatian, they kept an open mind.
“We knew right away that it was nicer than we imagined. It had been recently renovated, so we were going to be the first people to live in it,” Dewey said. “(It was) pure luck.”
This 65-foot wide-beam vessel has a living room and two bedrooms. Full bathroom and kitchen.
The houseboat has two bedrooms, a kitchen and living room area.
Macy Dewey
The couple signed a two-year lease in November 2023 at a rent of approximately $2,200 per month. Their upfront costs include a security deposit of just over $2,500, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
“We felt like we were living in a children’s picture book,” Dewey said. “It adds such a fun element to life. I’m already quite a homebody, and I find living on a boat really drains me.”
Living on a boat also comes with some unique responsibilities, including the need to refill water tanks every few days with tap water provided by the dock. They happily accept this trade-off in exchange for living in a place with as much outdoor space as indoor space.
“After get off work, I would put a little beach chair on the top of the boat and sit on the top and read,” she said. “Sometimes we’ll have dinner there.”
Dewey used the second bedroom as a home office.
Macy Dewey
Another benefit of living on a houseboat is the sense of community and camaraderie with fellow houseboat residents in the area.
“I think the friendliest people in all of London live on our docks,” she said. “We’re always talking to our neighbors and everyone always looks out for each other.”
Although the couple lived in a house in Philadelphia before moving to London, Dewey said the houseboat felt more spacious and safer than anywhere else she had lived before.
“The apartment I rented was really not suitable,” she said. “This feels like home to me, Harry and Kiper.”
The houseboat also has a full bathroom.
Macy Dewey
The couple have been living on their boat Houseboat for more than six months. They don’t expect to leave anytime soon.
“I think we’re definitely going to stay here as long as possible,” she said. “We’ll make the boat kick and scream if we have to!”
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