Waterfront Property Considerations

Do you want to live by or near the water?

On a pond, lake, river or at the ocean?

Here are some tips on how having a home near the water may affect your lifestyle.

Pro's

Wonderful waterfront views that relieve stress and are constantly changing, keeping your interest and your days lively! 

Many animals congregate near water.  Watching the various animals and birds is entertaining, and can be very educational for children.

Sounds of nature that are soothing and which city dwellers pay money to have CD's of in order to relax, drown out the city noise and go to sleep by.

Places to exercise - swim, kayak, row, walk, run, etc.

My favorite way to get away from things is to walk on the beach and look out at the water or examine what is on the beach. 

Sometimes the combination of exercise, weather and moving water is just what I need to clear my mind and gain a new perspective on what is bothering or worrying me.

Great places to entertain friends and family - people just seem to like to gather by the water.

Cost

Homes near water almost always cost more; however, as we have been looking for property lately we have found many area's of the country are developing wonderful lake front parcels of land that are inexpensive.  Most are quite a drive from any large metropolis, but if you are seeking peace and solitude it is affordable.

Most ocean front property is extremely expensive now with the increase in house and land prices over the last five years.  But, in some area's you can still find reasonable prices for small homes or condo's within a block or two of the beach.

Con's

Probably the biggest downside of living near the water and waterfront property ownership comes from the maintenance required on your home and vehicles.  The dampness and weather associated with a water area causes your property to deteriorate faster.  Constant monitoring and maintenance is the only thing that will keep your property value increasing.

Look for an indoor area to park your car - an attached garage or enclosed parking garage for a condo.  The salt spray near the ocean will make your car windows blurry even if just left outside overnight.  You will find that you need to clean your windows every morning to be able to see clearly to drive.

I'm not certain why, but the shore birds just seem to love blue cars!  They seem to aim for those more than all the other cars in the parking lot, so a good washing is required often to remove the bird deposits.  After parking for years out in the open at a shipping port during the day, one of my friends decided never to wash his car.  He said that the bird droppings were protecting the paint!  The rest of us decided that if he ever did wash his car there would not be any paint left.

The exterior of homes needs to be well maintained and cleaned to prevent mold and mildew build up from the daily moisture.  Keep checking the outside of the property for wind damage or cracks where moisture could start getting into the interior or the framing of the home.

If you keep window's and door's open around the water during part of the year make certain that you have a dehumidifier with your heat and air conditioning units to remove the dampness from the inside of the property.

Choice of the floor covering in the parts of the house that go directly to the outdoors is critical particularly if people will be tracking in sand or dirt.  Many homes near a beach will have all tile, stone or concrete floors as they are easiest to sweep.  Sand will accumulate unseen in carpet or ruin wood floors like sandpaper.

Vigilance and planning is the best way to keep a wonderful waterfront property in good shape and your lifestyle more carefree!