The houseboat is 1/2 of a very large motorized barge. The space with much larger than I expected with high ceilings lots of natural light. Good sound isolation, I never heard the folks on the other end of the boat. (They have a separate entrance and gangway so you are unlikely to even see them.) There is little wave action on the canal and even when boats pass, the houseboat moves less than any other I have been on.
The location is very central, has good access to the metro. There are local restaurants but if you want to walk, the central train station, open air markets, museums and hundreds of shops, major department stores and restaurants are all within 20 minutes of walking.
The kitchen is clean and nicely equipped. However running a gas stove on a boat safely takes some training so the one on the boat has been shut off.
Bottom line, the next time I am in Amsterdam, I am going to check if Hermen's houseboat is available.