Sometimes hearing the story of how a unique home found its way into the hands of its current owners is as interesting as the property in question.
We took some time out to chat through the story of The Persevere, an incredible floating home on the Thanet coast in Kent with its owner, Richard Belfield, his journey to ownership and why he’s selling.
Unique: Thanks for sitting down with us, Richard. The obvious initial question is, how did you arrive at living in such a unique home?
RB: I wanted something different, living on the water but not in a traditional house boat. I did a lot of research, identified the technologies and then had it built. I wanted a floating house with floor to ceiling windows, a high ceiling (10 foot), which is eco strong and modern. My house has its own sewage system, solar panels, a wood burning stove which heats the water and the radiators. My house has all the light and space of a large warehouse loft apartment (1500 square feet) with all the joys of being next to the natural world. I also wanted to be as sustainable as possible and have my own inbuilt sewage system and solar panels.
Unique: I’m sure there are many but what’s your favourite memory associated with your home?
RB: Far too many but realising how unique an experience it is living here. Living by the sea means a constantly changing environment. Being in the heart of the Kent countryside as well means that my house is right in the middle of two totally different eco systems. From my desk in the corner, I can look to my left and see the creek – white egret, a kingfisher, ducks and swans and more recently a seal. Look in front and there are finches, sparrows, tits, swallows, starlings, doves, woodpeckers, thrushes and the occasional sparrow hawk. At night, there are hooting owls. At dusk, the owls can be seen hunting on the nearby marsh lands. More recently, a buzzard came to have a look and settled on my fence post, just in front of the window. There are also squirrels and the local hedgehog has now had a baby.
The great thing about living here is you do appreciate seasonal change. And then there are the discoveries. Digging up the old railway line on the dock and restoring was uplifting as it connected the house to its history. Finding old railway signs and the masthead from The Persevere gave me an instant connection to the history of the site.
Unique: Any favourite local spots for dining, shopping, or entertainment?
RB: The Ship Inn at the end of the street has reopened with a terrific chef and now offers the best food within miles. The local walks are fantastic – listed by the Times in their Top Ten English coastal walks. I have walked this hundreds of times. It is never the same. Canterbury has the festival and the Marlowe theatre. The Gulbenkian Theatre at the local university has a fabulous curator and the range of offerings which matches a major city, without all the hassle that brings. Faversham has a three times a week market with local produce. The town has a wide range of antique shops, Standard Quay is now well developed into a local attraction. Faversham has a fabulous little cinema with tickets at just £5. Macknades is a high quality farm shop and delicatessen. Faversham has interesting festivals throughout the year and a great café, the Café Guild which has a vibrant supper club and recently brought Randy Edelman here for a night.
Unique: What inspired your home’s unique features or design elements?
RB: I studied a lot of modern design and then took as many of the best ideas I could – big space, light, a proper kitchen and plenty of wall space for paintings.
Unique: Have you ever experienced any unusual or unexpected events while living here?
RB: There have been some spectacular coastal storms but being nestled at the end of the creek we are completely secure and safe. Recently, we had the northern lights. The sunsets are often awe inspiring.
Unique: What do you love most about living in this area?
RB: The huge variety of opportunity. There is something here for everyone and huge pockets of creative communities everywhere. My neighbours are warm and kind. There are excellent support systems in place. My elderly neighbours need help and an impromptu group has started and is already making a huge difference to the quality of their lives.
Living in the countryside/on the water but only an hours train journey to London from Teynham (15 mins walk/free car parking), easy access to motorway network (M2/M20) to connect to the coast or the rest of the country.
Unique: What are your plans for the future, and how does selling this home fit into those plans?
RB: I want to own a small holding with significantly more land so my partner and I can live a different sort of life. My immediate family (London based) is now expanding with grandchildren and I wish to have a rural retreat for them to stay in at weekends and holidays
Unique: What do you think would be the most appealing feature of this home to a potential buyer?
RB: This property has everything: the house is large, bright and light. As I look out from my desk I have two worlds – the creek and the land. There are four sheds. One is a large pottery studio but can easily be converted to any interesting work space. It is insulated and has electricity. Next to it is a smaller office. There is a large wood store and a small garden shed. The garden (quarter of an acre) is very fertile. There are six fruit trees and seven raised beds and a geodesic dome. This is a gardener’s dream. Over the last few years I have added many tons of organic compost so the soil is rich.
This is an excellent site for anyone aspiring to have more land and outbuildings to either work from home, generate a small business enterprise or collaborate with other creatives/independents who need a small business space, but want to work within a community.
For anyone who wishes to create pottery or other craft items, the studio is perfect as it has space (about 250/300 square feet) and light.
Unique: If you could give one piece of advice to a potential buyer, what would it be?
RB: Have an open heart and embrace everything there is on offer. Be creative and use the space. There is huge untapped potential here.
Unique: Here’s a curve ball for you, Richard, if you were housing minister for a month, what strategies would you put in place to help improve the market?
RB: Begin a state house building programme to ensure good quality social housing, give grants to restore old housing – there are many houses which are fundamentally sound but need renovation, licence all mortgage lenders to ensure they provide innovative and cheap lending packages. The gap between the interest rates they pay to customers and the rates they pay to borrowers is too wide. Force landlords (through criminal sanction) to ensure their properties are safe. As part of the sanction, the state should seize their properties and take them into council ownership.
Unique: It’s been an absolute pleasure chatting, Richard. Thank you for sharing your story.
You can learn more about Richard’s extraordinary floating home here. https://uniquepropertycompany.co.uk/property-results/for-sale/the-persevere-conyer-quay-sittingbourne/
