Virtually everyone dreams of one day living on the beach and waking up to the gentle roar of the waves lapping the shore, smelling the fresh salty air, and watching the hues of the water change throughout the day, seasons, and year. Living on the beach is literally a retreat from the everyday hustle and bustle of life – an escape into paradise. It’s a special place where wonderful memories are created with family and friends. Nothing compares to living on or near the beach.
Here are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind when searching for your perfect beach home:
Location, Location, Location
Location means everything whether you’re buying a home on the beach or in downtown New York City. So, first choose the area where you want to live and simply spend some time there in order to get a sense of the “vibe”. What looks good on paper or online isn’t always reality. In fact, you may want to rent a home nearby just to get familiar with the area and meet some of the locals and your potential neighbors. Is the home you’re thinking of buying in a convenient location? Are there hospitals and adequate medical facilities close by? How far away is the nearest airport? Grocery stores? Can you quickly run out to do a variety of errands or will each trip take more than an hour? Are there restaurants, museums, and other sources of entertainment nearby?
Know Your Neighbors
Neighbors are extremely important. What’s the point of buying a dream home on the beach if your neighbors drive you crazy? Good neighbors will help you get settled and offer helpful advice about living the beach lifestyle. Keep in mind that it’s not ideal to choose a neighborhood that’s overly crowded, where the name of the game is party all-night long. On the other hand, if you live somewhere that’s too remote, it’ll be super inconvenient as well as offering an open invitation to thieves and robbers. If an emergency does arise, how long will it take to get help? Just like any other home you’re considering buying, the quality and location of the neighborhood itself is crucial.
Work with a Local Real Estate Agent
If it’s possible to get a recommendation either through a friend or colleague, then do so. A knowledgeable real estate agent will know all the details relative to your target area in both peak and off-peak seasons. Do you want to live in your beach home all year round, or just at certain times throughout the year? Keep in mind that some businesses close after Labor Day (U.S.) since they’re basically only conducive to seasonal seaside resort-type areas. A good real estate agent will have all the necessary information along with key weather patterns to consider and the local history of the general area as well.
Get an Expert Home Inspection
We talked with Bill True Hilton Head Real Estate about beach rentals, and they said, “A professional home inspection is vital and also a given, or it should be, particularly in coastal regions. An expert home inspector will search for natural signs of wear and tear in addition to those brought on by the stormy sea. A thorough inspector will detect any signs of previous flooding, how often it’s likely to happen, and assess any present damage, if any. Flood waters are notorious for causing significant damage to foundations and electrical systems and can be very expensive to repair.”
Buying the Dream
Your dream beach house, whether it’s your secondary or primary residence, something you intend to pass down to future generations, or a good source of potential rental property income, should be carefully thought through from every angle before signing on the dotted line.
If you’ve always wanted to live on or near the beach, you should absolutely go for it if you can. However, it’s also important to be very savvy regarding this type of investment. The more information you gather about buying a home on the beach, the better off you’ll be down the road.
