What should you know before buying a beach house?

Are you tired of the constant cold weather in your area? Do you want to have a house that is in a warmer area? Maybe right next to a beach? Then you should consider buying a beach house. Having a beach house has many benefits and we are here today to point them out. However, you need to know all the drawbacks as well. Now let’s see what you need to know before buying a beach house, or a better way to put it, your new vacation home. Once we go through the details, you’ll be ready to start hunting for one and let one of the moving companies Sunny Isles Beach to get you there. Let’s dive right in.

Investment options

Buying a beach house is a great investment opportunity. By buying one, you are paving the way to renting it for the hot summer months. And when all the monetary gains add up, you can live in the beach house off-season basically for free. Though this sounds easy enough, there are some things you need to pay attention to. You must find a good real estate agent, who is proficient in working with coastal areas. This way you can find the best option. By having an experienced professional in the field searching for your new beach house, you will minimize the risk of buying the wrong one. Problems can be tied to the weather, the durability of your house, mortgage rates, and house insurance among other things. Having a good real estate agent will minimize the chance of a bad investment.

Now, before investing in your new beach home, you must work on your budget. Go over the yearly income and figure out if you can support maintaining one. Also, the transition period will require a bit of packing and hiring movers Fisher Island FL to relocate you there. Or at least to get the portion of the old furniture you have to your new beach house. Whether you decide to live or rent it, you must still work on the interior and furniture layout. Decide if you are buying new things and include those costs and the moving costs if the final cost.

Buying a beach house in a place with favorable weather

Ok, you must see what the weather is like during the off-season.  It will most likely be hot and sunny during summer. Also, check if there are no frequent weather-related incidents in the area. The goal is to find a nice and warm place with mild changes rather than a scorching hot one that can cause health issues and property damage. But during the off-season, you will have to pay attention to different climatic changes occurring in the area. You need to see if the foundation of your new house is compatible with the weather. If the area is prone to flooding or landslides, you should consider buying a house built on stilts. They will ensure that the flood does not reach the inside of the house and cause a lot of damage.

You should also consider buying a beach house made of concrete, as the wooden framed ones are much less durable and prone to succumbing to the wind. Although, they are a lot cheaper than concrete ones. But for general safety, you should consider investing more. Especially if you are renting from time to time. All in all, get to know the area and make sure you have more warm and sunny days than cold ones throughout the year. And try to time it perfectly to move to your new home during the summer. Almost all moving companies in Miami suggest that this is the best time to move to the beach house. Simply because summer relocations are safer and more efficient in general.

Make sure the roof is in a good condition when buying a beach house

Another thing you should pay attention to is the roof. Some beach houses may have very old roofs which you will probably need to renovate so they can survive the climatic changes occurring throughout the year. Renovating a roof can be costly. It is somewhere between $20.000 and $30.000 which is not cheap at all. In order to avoid this, you should find a house with a relatively new roof. This will ensure that you do not have to spend money on renovating it, at least not in the first few years of buying a beach house. Another thing to consider is to get a house with a metal roof. These types of roofs are extremely resistant to wind and will be your best defense against the changing weather.

On the other hand, if you find a cheap property with a bad roof or are generally in a bad state, you should consider investing. People sell properties at low prices for all kinds of reasons. And if you stumble upon a good deal and you have to only renovate a roof, you should go for it. Of course, firstly go over the budget you possess to figure out if you can afford it. If it matches your monetary abilities, find a good contractor to tidy up the place and you are all set. You can find contractors online easily. Search for the property, real estate agent, contractors, and residential movers Miami at the same time to save yourself the trouble.

Windows must be in an impeccable state

This is vital to sustaining the home in the off-season. By having good, enforced windows, you will not have to worry about the damage done by strong winds and hurricanes. This is also a great way to keep the energy flow in your house stable, as the heat will not slip out of your house through unreliable window openings. And it is equally important to have proper shades to reflect the heat on hot summer days. This is easily done, and it is quite a small investment. But a necessary one indeed.

Moreover, if you are locking your home and going away for the winter, you must have adequate protection. A reinforced steel door will do the trick. But your windows are the soft spot if anyone gets the idea of breaking in. Therefore, you’ll need a steel cover for your windows as well. You can install hurricane shutters, or it can be a roll-down solution like you have on any store or storage unit. Also, if the entire thing is expensive and with valuable belongings inside, you should consider installing a security system. It can be a simple one or a complete surveillance with an alarm. You choose which one you think is necessary and the one you can afford and maintain. It will bring you peace and comfort while you are in your home and while being away for months.

Proximity to the beach is the main focus of this story

This is maybe the most important thing when it comes to buying a beach house. You always want to be as close as possible to the water when trying to find a suitable vacation hotel or motel, so why would this be an exception? This will even increase the popularity of your beach house, and surely increase the rent price for potential tourists. And if you intend on living full time in this house, you will surely appreciate having an amazing view and only a couple of minutes until you touch the water.

However, there are some things you need to take into account when considering this. The risk of flooding is an important factor, and you should find a flood-proof house. As we have mentioned before, various systems will protect your home from flooding. Choose one and fix this problem. Another thing is the insurance rate. It will surely increase the closer you get to the water. And while hunting for your new beach home, keep in mind that lower prices for such properties are probably due to constant flooding. Avoid extremely low prices unless you know who the seller is, and you have references. After all, for such a premium perk, you’ll have to invest a bit. Keep this in mind when the time comes.

Property management

If you do not live in the same town where your beach house is, this can create a myriad of problems. What if something important, such as kitchen appliances, or an air conditioner, breaks down? If you cannot live in the house during the renting season, there are a few solutions in front of you. One is to consider hiring long distance movers in Miami, to help you move the furniture you want to fill your new beach house with. Also, if you have spare appliances and electronics, you can store them inside the house or in a storage space nearby. This brings us to the next solution, and it is a property manager. You can hire one easily and it is an affordable service. This way you will always have someone whom you know you can trust in charge of your house.

However, some property managers can be expensive, and the better they are, the more expensive they will get. Usually, private firms and self-employed property managers are more expensive. Although, you can come to terms and obtain better prices from them. At least it is much easier to communicate with them than with government-appointed officials. So, consider this option and check your financial status before diving in head-first and regretting it afterward. In the end, if you live there, this part shouldn’t concern you at all. Maintain the property by yourself and never think about spending money on property managers.

Insurance rates

This is a very important thing to keep in mind and research because the interest rates can be surprisingly high. A yearly rate of about $10.000 is about the cheapest it can get. And it will only get higher, because of the many recent flooding and hurricanes on the east coast. Consider your options with your insurance agent, and do not be afraid to extend your search range. Some insurance companies cover more while costing less. You never know what you may stumble upon. But make sure to have insurance up and running all the time. Flooding is not the only form of damage you can endure. There are all sorts of environmental disasters along with human errors, burglaries, and other unforeseen circumstances.

If you are investing in a beach house, obviously you want to protect and maintain it. Sometimes, things happen, and the situation is out of your hands. This is where insurance comes in. But if flooding is expected, insurance rates will not be great. Luckily, you’ll still be covered for all other forms of compensation. So, calculate the risk, budget, property management, and location. Combine all factors in play and draw a conclusion. If you are going for the premium location in a high-risk area, you must be ready to cover the damage and repairs. In this case, rent should compensate for it and leave you a bit extra on the side. Otherwise, it is not worth the hustle and maybe it is better to purchase a beach home a bit further inland. But we will leave you to decide on this one.

What have we learned so far?

Whether you are buying a beach house so you can rent it, or buying it as your new primary residence, you need to make sure everything checks out. If done correctly, this can be a new beginning and a dream come true for many people. Having a summer “getaway” house is one of those things everyone wishes for.

So, take it slowly, do not rush anything, and consider every option out there. Buying a beach house is not something you do every day. Hopefully, we gave you enough to work with. Now go online and begin your search. A beach house from your dream is just around the corner and once you find it, we hope you will adapt easily and enjoy it to the fullest. Good luck.