Recreation, Resources and Environmental Threats
What do you want? Absolute privacy? A general store nearby? Somewhere for the kids to play? Swimming? Skiing? Biking? Skating? Off-roading?
I’ll step in front here and give some advice. Everything gets a little old after a while. A secluded property that’s your land, but just that – land, can get boring. You’re going to want something for you and your guests to do.
Recreation at Your Vacation Property
I’m pointing out the obvious. You want to know what the area has to offer. You’ll know if it’s your priority to choose a location that offers a specific activity (skiing, boating, etc.). It’s the smaller, maybe less-obvious recreation options that can add a lot of life to an area. It adds variety and possibly entertains people with varying interests.
The first thing that comes to mind for me is the local playground. It’s fantastic to have a place to tire out the kids. It’s not just that there is a playground, but the act of strolling over to it adds that little extra variety the kids need to keep them stimulated. Many vacation property areas can’t offer this and I’ve noticed it’s a heavily used amenity in my area. It’s also a great spot to help the kids make new vacation-friends.
You could look at 4 or 5 different lakes or rivers as an option. You might not be an avid boater or fisher, but maybe it’s something you’ll do sparingly or it’s something your guests will love, which will add a really fun treat when they visit. It might not be a priority for you, but access to these activities could be the tie-breaker or help justify one location over another.
Swimming in that body of water could be a big deal to you. Is it warm? Accessible? Safe? I’ve noticed that buyers will pay extra for communities that offer a swimmable beach area.
What about the winter time? Maybe the lake will freeze and you can skate or fish. That’s one more memory-making activity to add to the list. Of course, add all the other activities that go with a snowy climate. It can be really fun to leave behind the rain of the coast in exchange for snowy adventures, sunny skies and crisp, cold air.
The community I’m in has a full roof covering an open-air ice rink. It has boards, players’ benches, bleachers and lighting. Anyone can arrive, push a button and the lights turn on for 40 minutes. It’s an amazing community amenity. It’s also highly used in the summer. It provides shade and sport courts with ball hockey, basketball and pickleball. It wasn’t high on my list of things to get excited about when we bought our property, but we have so many memories at that rink. I wouldn’t want to trade my location for one that couldn’t offer something similar.
Any other community buildings? You could find a property with a short drive to a community centre, ice rink, pool, bowling alley, zip line, ropes course, water park. These are all great gathering places for a day out.
We want to enjoy the quiet and slow pace of a vacation property and sometimes we need to make sure we get out and take on some activities. You’ll find yourself exploring more and more as the years go by and I’m sure you will appreciate the variety.
Resources You’ll Want Close to Your Vacation Property
The farther you get from resources, the less expensive a property will be. You probably want some solitude, which I fully understand. There are also times where it’s very helpful to have some resources nearby. I’m thinking of groceries, coffee shops, retail shops, restaurants, hospitals, veterinarians, etc..
The option to quickly get a few things (or many things) can make pre-trip planning much easier. Remote properties with a long drive to a store means that you’re packing everything in and planning all of that in advance. Seclusion is absolutely wonderful, but it’s also convenient to scoot down to the store for a bottle of wine and that sauce you forgot.
Wine tours, shopping and dining out may play a big part in your plans for a vacation property. That’s fantastic. Put it near the top of your list of priorities and make it part of your search. You’ll definitely be paying more to be near those resources. However, resources usually means a larger population which means you’ll see a variety of housing options. An acreage might not fit the budget in those areas, but maybe a townhouse near the lake does.
Environmental Threats to Your Vacation Property
This is a grim topic that I’ll pass by quickly. It’s not something we want to consider and often think our chosen area won’t be the one to get hit. Be really honest in your assessment of the risk level of certain areas. I don’t just mean forest fires. Nearly every area is at risk of fires. You can consider specific properties, proximity to large forests, clearings that could protect you from expanding fires or water sources nearby to help douse a fire quickly. Some properties could be considered more risky than others, but fires can also be very unpredictable.
Floods can be a serious risk depending on how lakes and rivers interact with low-lying residential areas. Most developed areas of the interior are in some sort of valley. There will be moments when lakes or rivers risk exceeding their capacity and you should know if the property you’re considering would be one of the few impacted if that were to happen. My community floods every year in the Spring. I’m outside of the 200 year flood plain. A buyer wouldn’t know this if they only ever visited in the summer and didn’t have an agent who knew the environmental history of the area.
Let’s leave it at that. Make sure you have a local expert advising you. Small differences in the area you choose can make a big impact. Be careful not to let a beautiful view or stunning cabin cloud your judgment. Step back and make sure you’ve asked the critical questions. You’ll get to spend many more of your hours at your vacation property, being on vacation.