A family of 7 lives in a 2-story, 4-bedroom floating house docked in St. Petersburg, Russia. Take a look inside.

While Moscow has developed into a modern city with a variety of skyscrapers, St. Petersburg has always been known for its historical city landscape. Now the historic architecture sits alongside more more buildings, such as the Lakhta Center, the tallest skyscraper in Russia and Europe.

"I was inspired in Europe," Afonin told RBC Real Estate, speaking in Russian. "Stockholm houseboats, whole floating areas in Germany, small houses in Scandinavia are firmly stuck in my head. It was the charm of the idea and the belief that it was possible."

According to RBC, the couple bought an old boat in 2014 and started renovating it to become their home. They have been living in the floating house for five years and now have five children.

Afonin said the cost of building the home was "comparable to the construction of a country cottage."

The family's floating house also features a fireplace, trampoline, five bathrooms, and an abundance of windows.

According to RBC, in the future, the family plans to add an additional guest room, spa area, garden, and recording studio.

Plenty of houseboats pose the challenge of living in a tight space, and owners are forced to get creative or downsize their belongings to fit the lifestyle.

As the Afonin family owns a floating home rather than a houseboat, they are not too restricted by size because they won't be leaving the dock to sail.

St. Petersburg can get quite dark in the winter, but come June, days are long and filled with sunlight. The sun usually sets around midnight and rises at 2 a.m., a phenomenon in Saint Petersburg called White Nights.

Houseboats and floating homes share the docks with fellow boaters, which helps foster a tight-knit community. Afonin told RBC that St. Petersburg is "ideal" for the boating lifestyle, yet, "there are very few like us in our city, [so] most are familiar with each other."

Oftentimes, boaters will cook with their doors open, encouraging their neighbors to wander in for a glass of wine or shared meal.

Unlike other alternative living options, including tiny homes, van life, and even canal boats, the Afonin's floating home feels much more like a suburban home than a boat.

The private bedrooms help divide the space and offer privacy, which is usually rare in the favored open-plan designs of other houseboats.

Living in an apartment in the heart of the city probably wouldn't have guaranteed a large space to play in. The floating home, on the other hand, has plenty of common space.

Another perk of docking on a residential moor is the added deck space on the dock. Floating homeowners have the luxury of additional outdoor space, something that would usually increase the value of an apartment or townhouse when living in a central city.

Afonin said that friends love to stay with them at the floating house.

Many houseboat owners take to the water because of the cheaper cost of living while remaining close to city centers.

Ultimately, like any unique property, floating homes can be a large investment. But they offer plenty of space, a sense of community, and a chance to temporarily escape a congested city and live amongst nature.

As Afonin told RBC Russia, "Ideal housing does not exist at all, there is a set of pluses and minuses." However, he concludes, "There are more advantages for us so far."

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