Things To Consider When Buying A Waterfront Property

There are countless reasons why properties that are located directly on the waterfront appeal to buyers. Not only do they provide amazing views, but they also offer unparalleled access to activities such as boating, fishing, and spending time on the beach. There are, however, some important things that you should consider before you buy waterfront real estate.

A home’s orientation plays a key role in how comfortable it is to live in. The direction from which the sun enters the home in the morning, during the heat of the day, and at night all come into play. Before you buy a home on the waterfront, make sure that you visit it at different times throughout the day so that you can see how the light hits it. Ideally, the home should be positioned in such a way that takes full advantage of the light, regardless of the time of day.

Waterfront areas are notorious for flooding. Spend some time perusing old county records to find information on floods that occurred in the past. You should be able to find detailed information on how high the water rose in the area where you are thinking of purchasing the home. Being located in a floodplain doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t buy a property. However, you may need to take additional precautions to protect the property from any water damage if the water does rise. Knowing these details in advance can help you be better prepared before you buy a property so that you know what to expect and so that you can make sure the home is properly insured.

You also need to consider whether or not the land surrounding your property is under any special type of protection. Many wetland areas cannot be developed or have restrictions as to what you can do on the land. Talk to a lawyer about the land surrounding the home you are looking at to determine what you can and can’t do with your property. This is particularly important if you are building a home from scratch since you need to think about how you will deal with installing utilities and your septic system if you can’t develop the surrounding land.

Legal Concerns With Properties On The Waterfront

There are many different legal issues that come into play with waterfront properties that don’t apply to other types of properties. For instance, you need to think about things like water rights. Additionally, you may have to deal with making sure that areas that are designated for the public don’t infringe on the use of your land in any way. Your property may also be taxed at a higher rate than non-waterfront properties. There also may be restrictions on what types of buildings or structures you can add to your property.

You may be required to join a homeowners’ association. If an association doesn’t already exist, you may want to consider starting one of your own. This can help you ensure that the surrounding properties all adhere to the same rules regarding everything from the appearance of their homes to the types of docks or decks that they build.

Depending on where your property is located, you may also have to consider how you will go about accessing it. If it is located in a remote area, this may involve building roads or paying for the upkeep of existing roads. These are issues that may be able to be addressed by a homeowners’ association.