Seven Ways To Make The Best Of Your Waterfront Home

We all have our dream homes. For a lot of us, the idea of being somewhere on the water has always been a part of it. It might be that we imagine the tranquility and closeness to nature that comes to living at a river or a lake. For others, it’s the prospect of being able to just take a walk to the beach that gets them excited. Whatever your waterfront dream is, it’s likely you haven’t considered everything you need to think about. As with any kind of specialist property, there’s more to owning or buying a waterfront property than the usual kind of home. More costs and risks to consider. But more benefits as well if you’re willing to go that little bit extra.

Knowing the benefits

The first thing to make sure you have nailed down in your head is the benefits. We’re going to be looking at a lot of the drawbacks, or even risks, that you need to consider. That’s why it’s important to keep the benefits of a waterfront home at the very front of your mind. You need to remember why you fell in love with the idea in the first place. For one, they tend to be a lot more peaceful and quiet throughout the year than other housing. Particularly if you’re at the lake. If you’re living by the beach, it may well be that you see more benefit in having a vibrant, active neighborhood in the summer. There’s always the fact to consider that waterfront houses tend to be great at keeping their value, too.

The location

You should know well in advance that not just any waterfront location will do. Not every beach or lake is equal. There’s a lot worth considering. First, you need to consider how much it’s going to cost to live there. There are some fantastic beach locations that you might have no chance of affording to live in even if you can afford the home. Then you need to think about the water and the land around it itself. Is the land stable and fit to build a home on? Is it water that you might be able to swim or relax in, or might be a lot muddier and more unpleasant?

Getting close to the water

If you do buy a waterfront home, you might also want to consider how you incorporate the water itself into your home. We’re not talking about inviting the sea in. However, you can put it right on your doorstep. A lot of homeowners of waterfront properties like the water for recreational purposes. It might be for swimming, surfing or even if they own a boat. Particularly for the last of those, you might want to build out onto the water. Providing you have the permission, there are companies who can build decks onto the water like those at Summerset Marine. It’s important you get that permission, first. You don’t want your dreams of docking your boat near your home dashed by a rejection letter.

Privacy

One aspect of living by the waterfront that needs more consideration is the décor and layout of your home. Not only do you want it to be stylish and comfortable. You also need to make sure that it will afford you and your family the privacy you need. Particularly when it comes to summertime and beach properties. There are a lot of ways you can give your home more privacy. Not all of them require you to board yourself up and live in a cramped, dark space. High fences are a good idea but you can also use high windows and sunroofs that make sure you catch the sunlight. But without having total strangers seeing directly into your home.

Protecting it from the weather

Protecting any home from the wear and tear of the elements in important. When it comes to having a waterfront home, you can imagine why it’s even more vital. Not only does the weather along the waterfront tend to be a bit more violent. It can also carry the dangers of water levels with it as well. Particularly if you own a beachfront home, you need to consider protecting your home from the potential of the sea rising. There’s not only the sturdiness of the home to be considered. There’s also your personal safety. Storms in coastal areas can prove dangerous, so make sure you’re prepared for an emergency evacuation at any time. Don’t stick around for it. Secure the home and move on.

The costs

It’s not just considerations about the home itself that need to be made. You need to be equally aware of the extra taxes or financial costs that might come along with it. You hopefully know that waterfront homes are likely to be more expensive already. But the cost of keeping and maintaining them is another thing entirely. For example, if you take out a loan to get one, it’s likely to be a ‘jumbo’ loan. These are ones that tend to take longer to pay off, so make sure you budget ahead accordingly. Property taxes may also be higher on properties on a beach or lakefront. Before you jump into one, make sure you do your research with online tax tools for tax payments in that area.

The utilities

Depending on where exactly your home is, you may need to put some extra effort into obtaining your utilities, as well. This is usually a consideration for the more secluded lakefront homes as opposed to beachfront homes in developed areas. You may, for example, need to spend extra making sure that your home is electrically powered. Similarly, a septic tank might need to be manually installed much like you would have to for a log cabin. This is just another reason that you need to consider the location of your home as much as the home itself. If you build it or buy it in a more developed area, you might not have to worry about these utility needs at all.