There’s nothing quite like beach life. Lazy, sunlit days spent basking on the warm sand. Restful nights lulled to sleep by the sound of crashing ocean waves. For many of us, owning beachfront property is the ultimate dream come true.
But is it really all it’s cracked up to be? If you leap into beach house ownership, are you going to get the emotional, not to mention the financial, rewards you hoped? While there are many advantages to buying a beachfront property, there are also some potential drawbacks for which you should be prepared.
The Benefits Of The Beachfront
If you’re considering buying a beachfront California property, then you are probably already well-acquainted with the mental and emotional benefits of time spent oceanside. And if you find yourself feeling better after a day at the beach, it’s not just your imagination.
In fact, there is mounting evidence that so-called “surf therapy” is great both for mental and physical health. Exposure to sunlight and ocean air has been shown to significantly boost mood and increase one’s overall sense of wellbeing. At the same time, taking a dip in the ocean helps to enhance mindfulness and reduce stress.
Plus, ocean swimming is excellent exercise, increasing flexibility and muscle strength while also giving the cardiovascular system a terrific workout.
But it’s not only the psychological and physiological benefits of beach house ownership that matter. Buying a beachfront property can yield tremendous financial rewards. Oceanfront properties are prime real estate, indeed.
And that means you can convert your waterfront haven into a lucrative revenue stream. If your beach house is a second property, for instance, you can rent it out to travellers rather than letting it sit vacant. That makes for tremendous passive income potential, especially if you elect to open your property for rental during in-demand seasons, such as holidays and the summer months.
The Pitfalls Of Paradise
As great as the benefits of owning a beachfront property may be, there are also some potentially significant drawbacks.
For example, the costs of insuring and maintaining a beachfront home can be prohibitive. This is especially true if you also plan to rent the home out to vacationers, as you will be required to comply with a host of substantial regulations to ensure that your income property is safe, legal, and profitable.
Additionally, beachfront properties can be vulnerable to risks that inland homes may not face, including the risk of wind and water damage due to tropical storms and hurricanes. The potential effects of climate change, including the prospect of rising sea levels and beach erosion, are also something that must be taken into account if you wish to make a long-term investment.
But that is far from the only concern. If the property is a second home and your primary residence is a good distance from your beach house, you won’t be able to respond quickly to potential threats to your property, nor will you be able to keep a close watch over it without the help of some kind of remote surveillance system. And that, in itself, can raise privacy concerns should you choose to use the property for vacation rentals.
Making It Work
Although there are several potential drawbacks to owning beachfront property, if you’re ready to commit, the benefits can far outweigh the risks. However, ensuring that your beach house lives up to the high hopes you have for it will require a bit of planning and some consistent effort on your part.
First, you will want to be selective when purchasing a beach house. Avoid the temptation to buy the first reasonably-priced property on the coast that you find. Instead, consider what you intend to use the property for, whether as a personal retreat for the family, a source of rental income, or a combination of the two.
For instance, you will need to decide if you want to have water access or if a water view, which is often a more affordable option, will suit your needs. Water access, water view, and waterfront properties will each serve different purposes, whether the home is for your family’s exclusive use or will be rented out to travellers.
Once you’ve determined how you want to use the property, then you’ll need to consider what’s needed to make the home both functional and serene. For instance, if you plan to bring the extended family along on your beach sojourns, or if you want to rent out the house to vacationers, then you’re going to need ample storage.
If you choose to reserve the property for your family’s use alone, then you will want to have space to safely store away your family’s clothing and linens between vacations. This will make travelling between your properties much easier because you won’t need to worry about packing and hauling items you only use at the beach house.
No one buys a beachfront property without intending to spend a lot of time outside. And that can be a tremendous physical and mental health benefit, particularly for children, who may be too entrenched in their tech to voluntarily spend much time outdoors.
Beach living can get children active outdoors, engaging them in everything from swimming to stargazing. However, even as you’re enjoying the outdoors, it’s vital to be on guard against unexpected dangers.
For instance, planting a garden, even oceanside, can be a healthy and fun activity for the entire family. Nevertheless, some common substances used for nurturing your garden can pose a substantial threat to humans and pets.
Vermiculite, for example, is often used as an effective soil conditioner, but if you do not research the age and brand of the product, you may well be exposing your family to dangerous levels of cancer-causing asbestos, which may have been inadvertently introduced into the vermiculite during the mining process.
Conclusion
Owning a beachfront property is the ultimate fantasy for many, bringing with it immense emotional, psychological, physical, and financial rewards. However, there are potential challenges that must be recognized and prepared for if your beach house is to live up to the dream.
