Terri Ramsey Beavers From vibrant tourist hubs like California’s Redondo Beach to quiet sanctuaries like Costa Rica’s Playa Negra, the world is full of incredible spots to find (or build) your perfect beach house. Whether you’re looking at display homes in Bellarine Peninsula, Australia or exploring your options in Da Nang, Vietnam, the following considerations should help you make a wise decision:
1. The climate and the landscape
Even if you only plan to stay in your beach house in the optimal season, you need to consider the year-round climate. Many of the most beautiful tropical areas experience monsoons, hurricanes, erosion, mudslides, tidal waves, flooding, and other extreme weather events that could threaten your property.
2. Your foundations
Building from the first point, it’s crucial to understand what you’re working with in terms of the foundation of your home. Once you understand the environmental factors that could impact your home, you need to determine whether it’s been built to withstand them.
You may need to look for a place with hurricane-proof glass, a spot on a hill that’ll be safe from flooding, or a place just far enough back from the coast that you won’t have to worry about the foundations of your home.
3. Repairs and replacement
Many parts of a coastal home can deteriorate faster due to environmental conditions. Even if the weather is quite calm year-round, salt in the air can cause metal elements to rust faster. So, before investing in a property, it’s worth having it thoroughly checked to see what needs to be repaired or replaced. You may be fine with a fixer-upper, but you don’t want an expensive roof replacement or window repairs popping up unexpectedly.
4. Utilities and insurance
If you’re looking at a remote beach town, it’s important to check whether the utilities you’ve come to expect will be connected there. City dwellers in Australia, for example, are used to having 24/7 access to gas, electricity, water, and high-speed internet. However, in an isolated beach town, you may need to order gas bottles and have solar in case of power outages. You may also need to switch providers to get the fastest internet and the best deal on other utilities.
When considering a beach home, it’s also a good idea to get some quotes on the insurance premiums you’ll be looking at. That beach house in Florida may look less appealing once you see what you’ll be paying each year to cover flood insurance.
5. Get to know the neighborhood
If possible, spend a bit of time in the neighborhood before you commit to investing in a property. It’s important to spend time there at all times of the day so you can really get a feel for the place. A beach house might seem tranquil when you visit for an inspection during the day, but at night, it may be bombarded with noise from groups of people partying on the beach.
Your neighbors may be lovely, but they may also rent their place out on Airbnb nine months of the year. This means you’d have to be comfortable having a constant stream of new neighbors arriving and departing each month.
Every beach and neighborhood will be different, so take your time exploring coastal towns until you find one that feels right. Keep this and the other pointers in mind, and you’ll be ready to set yourself up with an idyllic holiday home (or forever home).