Guide price £155,000

The day room is a light and bright saloon which provides panoramic views of the surrounding riverscape. With wood effect laminate flooring, at the fore there is a banquette seating area. Stairs lead down to the

4.03m x 2.85m (13' 3" x 9' 4")

The living room area is carpeted and features a log burner in one corner, a raised seating area, tongue and groove panelling, door to the second (bow) cabin and open to the...

4.03m x 2.61m (13' 3" x 8' 7")

with wood effect laminate flooring, is highlighted by a mosaic tiled wall and a range of base and wall units. Gas hob with oven. White ceramic sink with mixer tap. Integrated fridge. Through to the stern cabin:

3.52m x 3.00m (11' 7" x 9' 10")

Built-in raised cabin bed. Open to the wet room shower, wash hand basin and WC (macerator). Immersion heater and water pump (both recently installed).

3.70m x 3.10m (12' 2" x 10' 2")

with raised cabin bed area. Range of built in storage shelving. Door through to storage area.

Houseboat Ruth isn't just a home - she is part of a unique natural and historic environment. At times it has seemed extraordinary to me that I could have found such a place. When you cross the railway, walk through the boatyard and up onto the river wall, you step into a world that is just a little bit removed from a usual life. The River Deben takes hold of you. The sunsets are spectacular. Sunrise can be just as special. Both are greeted with a cacophony of sound followed by a quiet calm. On a still and misty morning, the landscape sometimes greys out into a series of ghostly layers, stepping away across the estuary to the hill below Sutton Hoo burial ground. It is quite easy to imagine the followers of Raedwald dragging his long ship up that slope, 1400 years ago. Magic layered on picture-perfect beauty. The ebb and flow of the tide - which gently lifts Ruth on and off her mud berth twice a day - gives life on the river a quiet rhythm. You get a sense that you are witness to a place that has a long, long story. Timeless, but ever changing in the smallest details as the wildlife goes about its business, and the elements do their thing with a clarity that I have never seen anywhere else. Deer creep out along the opposite bank below the woods, sometimes 50 or more, with an albino that gives them away; very occasionally, a Seal gives us the once over; Swans on glass, effortlessly gliding about; Ducks fussing; Geese, comically waddling in single file across the mud, honking self-righteously; all the myriad mud larks, poking about - my favourite, the Egret, fishing at the river's edge. If you don’t believe me, come and get a coffee or a beer at the Deben Café Bar on the ship next door and look out for a while. I guarantee you will see something to make you smile. Imagine living here. It is very cold just now in late Winter, but below decks the log burner is going well, the galley is well stocked, and its peaceful and comfortable and Ruth is looking after me. She can do the same for you.

Heading out onto the deck, the bow area provides a terrace area. An incoming purchaser might decide to install railing around the boat. Further specifications: Hull is GRP (glass reinforced plastic). The day room is constructed of marine ply and covered with GRP and epoxy resin. Wall heater (kerosene mounted externally at mid-ships). The transfer of the mooring rights to a new buyer are subject to consent from the boatyard. No children allowed (sorry – but not practicable). Well behaved dogs allowed by consent. Mystery quay is a peaceful and quiet setting, any noise disturbance will not be tolerated. If you are party oriented, ownership will not work. Absolutely no sub-letting (Airbnb) allowed. Viewings are strictly by appointment and accompanied only.

Mooring fees: £269 per month (NB services include: free parking, rubbish removal, free water supply, quay lighting, post box (located in the boatyard office), use of a shower block and WC (with under floor heating). NB coming soon: Compound storage area (for bikes / wood). Council tax band A. Electricity is metred and chargeable (separate from the mooring fees).