Houseboats are usually used in warmer than average sections of the country and if an effort is not made to air the hull thoroughly it will not last long. Quarter bitts both fore and aft should be on the heavy side as these boats are notoriously hard to hold on a mooring or anchor. The easiest way to fasten bitts is to carry them down to the bottom planking inside the side planking and through bolt to the latter. Roller chocks should be fitted in the rail ahead of the bitts. If you intend using a winch fit quarter bitts too because the large house will be in the way of carrying spring lines aft.
Some designs feature a sunken deck or well forward, often the full size of the deck.
This should be kept above the waterline and fitted with scuppers to carry off rain, also the door threshold should be well raised to keep deck water out of the cabin. Awnings or canopies should preferably be of a type which can be taken completely down for winter or made so canvas alone can be taken off for lengthy cruising. Keeping the house well down in the hull adds to the appearance of any houseboat, lowers weights and improves the craft's behaviour both under power and moored. Possible objections are that it makes for a warmer cabin, the hull may lack strength in the way of the house because of the absence of crossbeams, also bilge water may rise above the cabin floor. Properly locating windows, and if necessary arranging some system of forced ventilation, overcomes the first failing.