Fancy a Kerala houseboat as a vacation home?

Ever coasted down the backwaters of Kerala and lived the good life and wondered if you could own one of those beautiful houseboats as your very own cool vacation home? Or how about soaking in the ambience on Kashmir’s Dal lake from a houseboat? Those houseboats are made from the woods of the Sal and Deodhar trees. Deodhar wood actually hardens the longer it stays in water, instead of rotting, hence it’s used in the construction of the hull of the houseboats in Kashmir.

The interior of a luxury houseboat

In Kerala, houseboats are being made by two companies, Grandeur Boatbuilders and Samudra Shipyard. Both make boats to suit customer tastes and specifications and they make a variety of sea-going vessels, ranging from canoes, water taxis, para-sailing boats, speedboats, fishing boats, pontoon boats, solar boats, souvenir boats (small-scale models) that can be gifted and even floating jetties. Specifications are normally as given below, but they can tailor-make it for you, as houseboats can be a two-bedroom version to a six-bedroom luxury floating home, hotel or even a restaurant.

Kerala houseboats are called ‘Kettuvallam’. In Malayalam language, Kettu refers to ‘dwelling structures’ and ‘Vallam’ means boat. These are boats with a thatched roof cover over wooden hulls. They were traditionally built 111 feet long, and made by tying together massive planks of wood. They were used as rice boats with a part of it covered with bamboo and coir as a kitchen and restroom for the crew. Since then, the humble houseboat has become the glamorous avatar it is now, as a holiday home away from home. What’s more is that fibreglass has replaced wood as the material of choice, as it provides more stability to the hull. Samudra Shipyard adheres to the Inland Vessel Act, 2010 to build its boats. The benefits of using fibre-glass over wood are: 

1. It is virtually maintenance-free when compared to wooden houseboats. They now have a lounge, dining area, open kitchen and modern bio-toilets. 
2. Fibreglass boats are not affected by marine growth and salt water. 
3. A FRP houseboat hull is ready within 30 days.

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                                   A Samudra houseboat is being sent to Abu Dhabi

Samudra Shipyard’s Business Manager Dr Jeevan Sudhakaran answered a few questions on this exciting business.

Which are your bestselling boats?

 We have boats ranging from small canoes to houseboats which are more than 30 metres in length. The best-selling ones are our smaller versions used for personal transportation.

Who are your regular buyers and how much do the houseboats cost?

Our regular buyers are tour operators and government tourism departments. The price varies from about Rs 75 lakh for a single bedroom houseboat to Rs 1.75 crore for a four-bedroom luxury houseboat.

What's the resale value of your houseboats?

Being made of fibreglass, actually, the value doesn’t depreciate much as it is relatively maintenance-free. Even after 10 years, the boat can pretty much fetch the original price.

Is the second-hand market a good place to buy houseboats? Do you provide guarantee for second-hand boats?

Yes. But we don’t sell second hand boats.

How much does upkeep cost?

About 5 percent of the cost of the boat, per year.

How well is the boat-making business doing in the current market scenario?

Not very great.

Were there any unique design features that you had to add in any houseboat?

We study the local architecture and give our boats a local touch.

Which countries do you export to? I saw a picture of a boat going to Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka and Maldives. 

The dining room of a luxury houseboat

Samudra’s boats are built with space age technology, and with the help of the Industrial Design Centre of IIT Mumbai, which designs the superstructure, and the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Chennai, which has a tank-testing facility (and the only such facility in India). IIT Kharagpur and Kerala’s Department of Tourism are all part of this group endeavour, to make these gorgeous boats, a dream come true for many.

Written for CNBCTV18.com

Why Lladro Sculptures are a Good Investment

Lladró, a Spanish luxury brand based in Valencia, creates such beautiful porcelain sculptures, lamps, candles and now jewellery, that owning a Lladro piece as a collectible makes so much sense. Since 1953, the brand has been a symbol of creativity and excellence in porcelain art across the globe. Their sculptures are considered a celebration of the best moments of life and are inspired by dreams, traditions, art and fantasy, with a timeless story behind each sculpture.

Take a look at the Carnival in Venice stunner and you will see something that needs to be preserved through the ages. Almost like a Bernini or a Michelangelo work of art, only obviously, more affordable and available!

Lladro's Mumbai Store Director Vinita Bist gave CNBC-TV18.com some pointers on which are their best-selling products and if their products appreciate in value. So, heed her advice and buy some pretty porcelain, which will make for a great-looking investment and a nice party conversation piece, at the same time.

Which are your best-selling products?

Lithophone’s Votive light /perfume candles is a good gifting choice along with other general categories like Indian (sculpture) pieces. Jewellery is a new concept and will take time to be accepted by the client.

Who are your regular buyers?

The starting range for a sculpture is Rs.11,000 and can go up to Rs. 1.80 crore. To buy a Lladro product, you should have love and taste for art. There is no specific income bracket that one needs to belong to, to possess a Lladro piece. Our clients range from corporates, politicians, Bollywood celebs, tourists and HNI clients, along with other general categories.

What's the resale value of your sculptures/light fixtures/jewellery?

Resale value for Indian pieces are more than other general pieces, as Indian Limited Edition pieces get sold out fast. On an average there is a price appreciation of 8-10 percent annually on all pieces. For eg: The Lord Ganesha statue was launched in the year 2000 and was priced at Rs.65,000. It was a Limited Edition of 2,000 units only. It sold out within 6 months. Now the same piece will fetch you Rs.15-18 lakh! On the other hand, there is no resale value for light fixtures and jewellery as these are functional items.

               
           Gita-Saar: The latest limited edition sculpture of 299 pieces

Is the second-hand market a good place to buy? Do you provide guarantee for second-hand products?

I would always suggest buying from a company-owned store, as your purchase will get register under LAP. In the secondary market, there is no assurance programme or guarantee for second hand products.

Is there any depreciation in the value of a Lladro product?

No, it always appreciates except for lighting fixtures and jewellery.

How can we tell genuine Lladro figurines from the fakes?

Every Lladro piece is embossed with a Lladro logo at the bottom of the piece and none can replicate the same. Look for the bow-tied tulip logo before you buy a product.

Do you make sculptures on demand, if it's out-of-stock?

If the piece is active, it can be procured from Spain. But if the piece is discontinued, it cannot be made on demand. Every year, we discontinue a few products, to make way for new designs.

So, head over to their store or check out www.lladro.com and start your collection today. You may soon realise you are spoilt for choice.

Written for CNBCTV18.com