Property of the Week: Sanctum is a rare floating home in Putney and it’s full of bespoke furniture and antiques
Finding a property that meets all your requirements in London is no easy task. In fact, it’s such a bother that Charles Nicholson decided it would be easier to build one himself from scratch – on the Thames.
Admittedly, Nicholson had a little help from his friends as he’s the managing director of The Contract Chair Company. When he’s not building boats, he's creating bespoke seating for the hospitality sector. Many of his designs are displayed around Sanctum, the “floating home” that’s currently up for sale on the riverbank in Wandsworth.
Unlike a houseboat, it doesn’t have an engine so it’s permanently moored and is built to have the spacious requirements of a home, rather than cramming living space into confined spaces. “You have to be a certain sort of person to live this way, but if you are, then it’s the best way to live in London,” Charles says. “I come back home every night and it just feels like being on holiday.”
It’s his third river home, and it’s certainly spectacular. The main deck is devoted to an open plan living and dining area, while three bedrooms and a study can be found in the lower cabin.
Inside the living and dining area
Walnut wood floors give way to a rustic iron staircase that leads to the roof terrace – one of three – through an electric sliding roof, an ideal space for al fresco eating and entertaining.
It’s safe, too, says Charles, with a CCTV monitored door and secure keypad entry to the property. Plus, “it’s a very unfamiliar environment for a burglar,” says Charles. “Even if they did get down here, I think they’d get confused and leave.”
It also has full access to the onsite facilities at nearby Prospect Quay, including a gym, swimming pool, spa facilities, and an allocated underground parking space. The cafe culture and transport of Wandsworth Town Centre and Putney High Street are a short walk away and the home is adjacent to Wandsworth Park, where Charles likes to walk his dog, Ziggy, with his wife Anna and their children.
An antiques-filled bedroom in the lower cabin
While living in a floating home may be unconventional, it certainly has its financial advantages, too. Mortgages can be hard to come by for houseboats, so they’re often snapped up by cash buyers and they’re exempt from stamp duty land tax. Charles is moving further inland to be near his children's school, but he's left a rare opportunity to buy a perfectly proportioned waterside home in London that won’t mean selling your savings down the river.
Guide price £1.995. On the market with Savills Putney, call 020 8780 9900.