Stilt Homes and Houseboats

[Baiphen Quintessa]

Stilt on Land. Stilt on Pier. Stilt on Water. For those who have been lucky enough to own a stilt I have to ask which you prefer and why. If you've owned a stilt and got rid of it because you hated it, what made you get rid of it. Same thing with the Houseboats. I've owned one and I hated it. I had it for maybe two days before I dumped it. It wasn't big enough and I didn't like having the other houseboats so close to me on either side. But for those of you who have a houseboat, why did you keep it? I have a stilt on land but sometimes think I need more water around me so I want a stilt on water. (I'm a Pisces so I honestly think that's part of my problem) But someone who has had one could tell me if there are drawbacks to them. Sooooo...yeah...pros and cons.

[AmandaMir]

I think that loving or hating a house depends a lot on the environment that surrounds it.

I have been lucky enough to have a boat for two years and I really like it. In my case my boat only had others behind it, both sides were water with boats in the background and the front had one of the islands with the roofs of the boats, so the view was not bad. The Windlass model is very large, I built an addon on the upper terrace with a large window similar to the one on the boat, using only half of the terrace I had a very spacious room, with a bathroom included. So it had a huge kitchen, a huge living room with a fireplace and upstairs, a large room with a large window and a large terrace. Much more space than in the traditional ones, which were the only ones that existed at that time, I also took advantage of the front space that I had in the boat to make a dock with a natural water pool. I personally don't like very closed spaces, so having large windows and not having wall partitions was perfect for me, in addition to seeing the views from any point of the boat.

Stilt I only had one for a few hours to play with it a bit, but I'm tired of sea and sand, so now I'm looking for a green area with water, so I discarded it, but they are a style of house that I like because they have what I am looking for, open space, large windows and guaranteed sea views, I would not take one on land, I like them better on the pier.

Choose a model in which you feel more comfortable and everything is to test terrains until you see one in which you are happy.

[Evangeline Ling]

Stilts in general and I lop all the new home categories of Chalets, Fantasy and the soon to come Newbrooke homes into the category of... TOO MANY HOMES PER REGION...

For stilts they average out at about 23 to 24 homes per region and they are tightly packed on top of each other.  For that reason alone I don't like them.  The houseboats have a greater variety of region packing.  Some are ridiculously high like 27 homes per region at times.  But by and large its not that hard to come across regions of less than 20 homes int eh houseboats.  I've seen one that only had 5 on it.  I lived in one that only had 9 total.  Currently my houseboat is in a region that only has 16 homes.  I love it.  The access for boating tends to be better. Stilts are big, hard to fit a boat there and then you have to play boat pinball to meander through a ton of stilts to get to open water.

So I'm team Houseboat all the way

[Nika Talaj]

19 minutes ago, AmandaMir said:

I think that loving or hating a house depends a lot on the environment that surrounds it.

QFT.  And also it depends on your predilections.  I like houseboats because they not only have open floorplans, but most models are easily extendable.   It also helps that my houseboat is on a region with only 5 homes total, has a lighthouse view, and has water on 3 sides. It feels very open, and is quite lag-free.  As AmandaMir says, sometimes it depends on the surroundings.

I love my stilt too.  I like stilts on land that are on a coast, with enough water on the parcel to moor a boat.  I abandoned a prime stilt-on-water almost immediately; I don't like the feel of being in an isolated house.  My stilt is on a region with 21 homes, but it is right on the road that leads from LogLand to the chalets, which I love.  It has reasonable privacy, with some protected land on one side, and open water in front of it, leading directly to the central channel.  It's a fun departure point for expeditions.   I keep 3 vehicles rezzed there (sailboat, power boat and Mudskipper), so I've used the smallest home (setup like a beach cabin getaway), and have added on a deck and stairs so that the height of the stilt-on-land deck isn't a problem.

[Abnor Mole]

In general, having 20 to 30 houses in a Linden Homes region is simply a fact of life. That density is what pays for the regions and all the other regions around it. As much as it would be great to have only half a dozen parcels in every region each perched on a mountain with it's own private beach and unobstructed views to infinity... that simply isn't possible. (For that you probably want to look into renting on a private estate or a large parcel on mainland. But you likely won't find that for the same price point as a basic premium membership.) It's why we say Bellisseria is a community and everyone should think of it that way... because you are going to have neighbors.

That brings up another point relevant to the OP. We intentionally try to use the decor to give parcels some privacy where we can, or at least define parcel boundaries (especially between parcels). On parcels where we have trees and bushes and other greenery we utilize that to give some separation between you and your neighbor. That's not something we can do on water. So... naturally, if you choose a theme with a house on water, in nearly every case it will come at a cost to that sense of privacy. It's not that they necessarily closer than on land, they will just feel that way because there is nothing between you. 

[Lysistrata Szapira]

I have a stilt on pier that is on the northernmost point of Belli's houseboat and stilt area (Cutlass Point to be specific). It's nothing but open sea looking out from my back deck, and nothing will be built out there. The neighbors aren't prone to putting up really ugly out of character stuff like they are on land either.  It was a really lucky draw for me when I was house-hunting.  I don't really like stilts on water or on land for aesthetic reasons.  I don't like sand. 

I've never owned a houseboat or wanted one.  When I owned a trad, there were houseboats directly beside my trad, and they just do not appeal to me.  The Victorians are my favorite, especially on water, and the stilt on pier second.  I tried a log home once and got bored with it very quickly.  I doubt I will try fantasy or chalets or the newest homes unless it's just to grab the landscaping packs.  

[Chloe Bunny]

6 hours ago, Baiphen Quintessa said:

But for those of you who have a houseboat, why did you keep it?

I keep boats because in RL I would love to live on a boat and in SL I want to try making an underwater garden as many people have showcased their ideas here decorating the homes is where my interest is. I like the feeling of a 512 in boats you can see your design space in one take like with campers but you have 351 allowance. There are no other floors or rooms unless you add them. It is a complete space unlike stilt homes. The stilts themselves are good models I am just not into palm trees and beaches that is a part of the stilt landscape. Any boat in the earlier areas of Bellisseria I keep if they had a decent amount of space around it and no hugely crazy neighbouring effects. It takes quite a lot of hopping around to find such a boat but it can be done. The reason to leave would purely be to try decorating a different model or theme or those neighbouring effects.

[Marianne Little]

Location, location, location.

For a while, I had 4 Premium homes the same time, so I could abandon one that was good, but not perfect, and try again. That was then and not now.

I have had a narrow parcel for a Houseboat in the middle of a row, and that's not what I will have again. I have had a narrow parcel in the end on a line with great view, and my alt was taken off Premium. Else I would keep it. I have had 2 Houseboats on square parcels too, but no one on and edge of a line or with a great view.

I have had a Stilt on Pier and that was great. But I knew it could be built in because it was on the edge of a void sim. And when it was built in, I abandoned it.

Now I have been through a Victorian that was good, but I was not going along with it and tried to see if I got something surprising. Even is Stilts are so rare, I got one on water on the second try, just minutes after abandoning the Victorian.

It is not a perfect location, but it feels less stifling than I thought it would be. Water is calming. I prefer the layout in the Stilts. They are both open and airy, but is not a single open room. A good combination, I think. My perfect Stilt would be one that has an open view out through the large windows in the back. It should be Water or Pier. The Stilts on land just does not work for me.

[Freddie Venus]

I really do like houseboats but I've never found a keeper. I always seem to end up near the Galaxy which isn't a bad thing but it just felt very crowded. If I could choose a houseboat location it would be one near the fairgrounds....maybe that would be a keeper

I like the stilts homes area but I really do not want one. Had one for about a day and I wasn't feeling it. Was one on land but half in the water. 

Edited February 27, 2022 by Madonna666
Fred's famous typos

[Claireschen Hesten]

I briefly had a houseboat on a square parcel but it wasn't for me I didn't know what to do with the space inside.

I currently have a stilt on pier, my first was on land the first type I could claim when initially released I didn't like the view from my deck. I really wanted one on pier as the stilts near me in RL are like that in water connected to a path. I lucked out and got one next to a rezz area on my first try, I use the Tortuga as it's open plan I had no problems zoning it how I wanted. I can't afford another premium account so the only reason I will be giving it up is, because I saw the 1024 bungalow option in Newbrooke and could immediately imagine living in it & how I'd decorate it.

[Matthieu Quander]

Two of my three forever homes are a houseboat (Evening Star) and a stilt (Havana). 

I understand not wanting a houseboat with so many nearby neighbors.  Fortunately, I have a parcel on Hardtack that doesn't have that issue.  I love it, and it will be a sad day if I ever have to part with it.  

For the stilts, I prefer to have both some sand and water.  I have had both an OL and an OW that met those requirements, but prefer the OL because the OWs have the front door on the water side, and the main deck on the sand side.  

I also prefer a smaller home, as it allows for maximizing the use of the LI allowance.   

[Baiphen Quintessa]

Thank you guys so much! You've given me a lot to think about. I now see that I didn't think through the ownership of a stilt on water. When I'm bored I have a tendency to go out my front door and wander around the sim for a bit. Which would be impossible from a stilt on water. And I love the idea of a stilt on pier but I have a feeling I'll miss the sand. I'm a little restless right now because my current stilt is in a decent location but there is a stilt on water directly behind me that has built a deck that has killed the view of the open water from my house. But considering the way homes have been at a premium lately I definitely don't want to play game of homes with the few stilts that pop up for fear the location would be poopy. I actually lucked out the last time it happened. I somehow managed to get my old stilt back after failing to nab a stilt on water. Anyway this might be a moot point if I wander around the new homes and decide that I HAVE to have one or I'll die. You guys are so awesome. Thank you for helping me decide. *Blows kisses*

 

[Matthieu Quander]

42 minutes ago, Baiphen Quintessa said:

Thank you guys so much! You've given me a lot to think about. I now see that I didn't think through the ownership of a stilt on water. When I'm bored I have a tendency to go out my front door and wander around the sim for a bit. Which would be impossible from a stilt on water. And I love the idea of a stilt on pier but I have a feeling I'll miss the sand. I'm a little restless right now because my current stilt is in a decent location but there is a stilt on water directly behind me that has built a deck that has killed the view of the open water from my house. But considering the way homes have been at a premium lately I definitely don't want to play game of homes with the few stilts that pop up for fear the location would be poopy. I actually lucked out the last time it happened. I somehow managed to get my old stilt back after failing to nab a stilt on water. Anyway this might be a moot point if I wander around the new homes and decide that I HAVE to have one or I'll die. You guys are so awesome. Thank you for helping me decide. *Blows kisses*

 

Considering all of this, one thing you may want to do is keep an eye open for when the remaining stilts are released.  There are hundreds waiting for, well, whatever is left to do before they release them.  The good thing about them is that they are all connected by road to both log land and the chalets (other than the completely OW ones), so if wandering is your thing, but you favor a stilt, you can have it all.  

[Mercedes Avon]

By far I prefer a stilt on land with the back toward the water (and there are not many of these at all). I do not like the pier stilts because there is no privacy between homes and the on water ones are ok, but I prefer feeling connected to land I can explore. I haven't gotten into the houseboats because they are too close together with no privacy in between. However, I dare say that they are the most popular home theme so obviously people love them.

 

[Baiphen Quintessa]

3 hours ago, Matthieu Quander said:

Considering all of this, one thing you may want to do is keep an eye open for when the remaining stilts are released.  There are hundreds waiting for, well, whatever is left to do before they release them.  The good thing about them is that they are all connected by road to both log land and the chalets (other than the completely OW ones), so if wandering is your thing, but you favor a stilt, you can have it all.  

I'm not gonna lie, I've made myself crazy looking over the unreleased stilt homes. There's actually a slew of them about two squares over from where my home is. I like to wander that area so I can perv cam into the homes to look at views from the upstairs windows or landing on the back deck for the same thing. No one can think I'm being a pervy jerk if I'm in one of those areas for more than a few seconds. It's also where I thought I'd like to have the stilt on water. But after everyone here started to list their own pros and cons I see that I was mistaken. I think.

[Karl Herber]

On 2/27/2022 at 2:02 AM, Baiphen Quintessa said:

Stilt on Land. Stilt on Pier. Stilt on Water. For those who have been lucky enough to own a stilt I have to ask which you prefer and why. If you've owned a stilt and got rid of it because you hated it, what made you get rid of it. Same thing with the Houseboats. I've owned one and I hated it. I had it for maybe two days before I dumped it. It wasn't big enough and I didn't like having the other houseboats so close to me on either side. But for those of you who have a houseboat, why did you keep it? I have a stilt on land but sometimes think I need more water around me so I want a stilt on water. (I'm a Pisces so I honestly think that's part of my problem) But someone who has had one could tell me if there are drawbacks to them. Sooooo...yeah...pros and cons.

I've had several houseboats and I've had all three types of Stilts, and abandoned them all.

I did not like stilt on water at all; I don't like the feeling of being unconnected to the earth.  Stilts on land were too far to the other extreme; I was never lucky enough to land a "half & half" which is what I really wanted, most of them didn't even have road access either. Piers were a little better but still lacked that bit of sand.

Houseboats were, in general, better than the stilts but too many of them were on square parcels which I don't like as much because your big front window almost always faces someone else's boat instead of facing the water.  The rest I abandoned because they were attached to tiny islands or isolated sandbars or, again, with only piers and no land at all.  Again with that uncomfortable feeling of being disconnected.

So I've given up on the idea of sailing directly from my home, and I always end up returning to my favourite theme so far which is the Logs.

  

[Baiphen Quintessa]

1 hour ago, Karl Herber said:

I've had several houseboats and I've had all three types of Stilts, and abandoned them all.

I did not like stilt on water at all; I don't like the feeling of being unconnected to the earth.  Stilts on land were too far to the other extreme; I was never lucky enough to land a "half & half" which is what I really wanted, most of them didn't even have road access either. Piers were a little better but still lacked that bit of sand.

Houseboats were, in general, better than the stilts but too many of them were on square parcels which I don't like as much because your big front window almost always faces someone else's boat instead of facing the water.  The rest I abandoned because they were attached to tiny islands or isolated sandbars or, again, with only piers and no land at all.  Again with that uncomfortable feeling of being disconnected.

So I've given up on the idea of sailing directly from my home, and I always end up returning to my favourite theme so far which is the Logs.

  

I finally got a stilt on pier. I dumped three of the stilts on land when they popped up because they were surrounded by sand. I'm like you, my ideal is a half and half. My very first stilt on land was a half and half and to this day I'm kicking myself for letting it go. I got caught up in my sisters game of homes and wound up rolling caca for a week before I got a river front fantasy. But I missed the palm trees. I figure when the new homes come up I'll grab one for the content pack and jump back into my stilts. I had really high hopes for the new ones because I'm an MCM junkie, but I'm concerned about plot size after reading some of the comments here. 

My sister is like you, she loved her Log cabin but she could never manage to nab that perfect spot. So she's biding her time and irritating her neighbors over in the fantasy houses and waiting for the new guys to drop so she can hopefully, finally, get the Log cabin of her dreams.

 

[Teresa Firelight]

stilts are pretty much like any other home.. there are great locations and there are not-great locations. At some places the stilts are really close together and you feel like you are packed in like sardines. Other places have open water around them with lovely view. It all depends on the location you get

 

[Marisa Starbrook]

Stilts are the kind of home that I always want in the winter. My alt managed to catch this On Land recently. When the stilts were first introduced, I wandered the regions and tried to figure out my ideal winter vacation home. It turned out that I liked the On Land that were not too close to other homes and not staring off into a void region. Good luck with that! It's taken me this long to stumble upon this location. 

[Karl Herber]

On 3/1/2022 at 9:44 PM, Baiphen Quintessa said:

 I had really high hopes for the new ones because I'm an MCM junkie, but I'm concerned about plot size after reading some of the comments here. 

 

Oooh - don't be - I switched to Newbrook today and was delighted to find that the 512m homes are available on the 1024 plots as well. Which is absolutely perfect - a home thats not too big to decorate, and enough garden to actually use. 

[Baiphen Quintessa]

2 hours ago, Karl Herber said:

Oooh - don't be - I switched to Newbrook today and was delighted to find that the 512m homes are available on the 1024 plots as well. Which is absolutely perfect - a home thats not too big to decorate, and enough garden to actually use. 

Really? Well...I did ditch my Stilt on Pier today to grab a Newbrook, but after taking thirty minutes to even get to my house I got pissy and abandoned it. Seriously I didn't even really look at the plot at all. LOL...I'm such a freaking baby. I then played Game of Homes with the stilts but never grabbed one that I liked. So now I'm homeless but I figured this is the best time for it. I'll try the Newbrooks tomorrow afternoon. I think that's when I can start looking at houses again.

[Mishy Wardell]

I absolutely adore my stilt pier home. After being inworld 12 years this is by far one of the bet Premium account benefits I ever had! I am Floridian, so the idea of having a home on water is appealing to me. It has a lot of potions, a lot of space and I found I can do more with my prim limits. I hated the original houses. They were ugly and didn't have many options. This id the upgrade I wanted, needed and deserved.

[EnchantrixLisa]

I renewed my premium the other day when I heard about the new container homes. I abandoned two of them the last one being near the water but not close enough to the water. So tonight I lucked up and grabbed a houseboat that I was sure none would be available after all this time and bam I got one and I actually like the location. So for now, I'm happy.  I still have a rental I'm going to keep as it is on the beach, really cute, sailable and cheap!  

My questions, are we allowed to put in our own houseboat that we got off the MP or do we have to stick with the the Linden Houseboats as the only options?  Also I'm am HORRIBLE when it comes to decorating.  Does anyone know where I might find pics of  houseboats for inspiration?

[Chloe Bunny]

4 hours ago, EnchantrixLisa said:

I renewed my premium the other day when I heard about the new container homes. I abandoned two of them the last one being near the water but not close enough to the water. So tonight I lucked up and grabbed a houseboat that I was sure none would be available after all this time and bam I got one and I actually like the location. So for now, I'm happy.  I still have a rental I'm going to keep as it is on the beach, really cute, sailable and cheap!  

My questions, are we allowed to put in our own houseboat that we got off the MP or do we have to stick with the the Linden Houseboats as the only options?  Also I'm am HORRIBLE when it comes to decorating.  Does anyone know where I might find pics of  houseboats for inspiration?

You must use the linden houseboat - Pinterest is always a good source of inspiration but there are plenty  of forumers here who have decorated boats - keep an eye on the linden home photo threads. For my own boat attempts follow link in signature

[EnchantrixLisa]

5 hours ago, Chloe Bunny said:

You must use the linden houseboat - Pinterest is always a good source of inspiration but there are plenty  of forumers here who have decorated boats - keep an eye on the linden home photo threads. For my own boat attempts follow link in signature

Thank you Chloe Bunny!! I wanted to check before I started shopping for Houseboats lol.  I'm checking Flickr but I am going to try Pinterest, & the forums as well and I will for sure take a peek at yours   I was looking at pics and I said to myself, I need Ikea!  You know how Ikea will have an entire section decorated like a bedroom or livingroom, etc and all you have to do is buy everything LOL.