The Tiny house Blog

Buying a Vacation Home: Everything You Need to Know

By
Jason Francis
Designed and built over 100 custom tiny homes, lived on a sailboat for 9 months, and loves to live life to the fullest with his wife and their 4 kids.
Updated on:
July 18, 2024
Buying a Vacation Home

Buying a vacation home is an interesting and potentially lucrative investment that can serve as your private getaway and a source of income through rentals. However, you need to think about financial preparation, site selection, property management, legal requirements, and the pros and cons of owning a vacation property if you want to make the best decision. Let’s check out everything you need to know when it comes to buying a vacation home. 

Consider your needs

You cannot go out to buy a vacation home without first knowing what your needs are. There are many things that your future vacation home needs to have that are important to you. If you want to have a small pool or some other feature which will help you relax, then you won’t consider buying something which does not have one, nor does it have the space for it. Before you even start looking for it, you should sit down and make a list of must-haves in your new home. These things should add to your comfort while you are out there and maybe even cover some needs that have to do with your work. Make sure that you think these things through so that you do not regret your decision later.

The location 

Choosing a vacation home location can be complicated, but you need to rely on both personal experience and extensive research. Try to find out which vacation spots are a good fit for your taste and way of life. If you plan to travel there often, you should think about how far it is from your home and how easy it is to get there.

The folks behind Home Tulum Real Estate suggest researching the real estate market and properties to find out more about the current and past property values, market trends, and other important factors in your area. The strong local economy and tourism industry can have many benefits on your investment, so it is important to buy a house somewhere with a prospective economy.

Also, you should learn as much as you can about the local culture and whether or not it fits you. Your taste should come first when choosing a house for your vacation spot, so consider what you like, and choose wisely. 

The price

Creating a budget is an important step in buying a vacation home, as you want to make sure you can afford this investment and the property maintenance costs in the future. Consider your income, savings, and any debts you may have to figure out how much money you can allocate to your vacation home. Some sellers require a downpayment between 20% and 30%, so you should keep this in mind as well. You should also look into the property tax areas so that you won’t be negatively surprised by any high charges later on.

Allocate enough resources for any repair costs in the future, as well as routine maintenance. Your monthly budget should include things like internet, water, electricity, and gas. Also, there is the cost of furnishing and decorating your holiday home, so consider this as well while budgeting. A financial investment in both the initial setup and later upgrades is a must if you want to have a pleasant and appealing property, no matter if you plan to use it yourself or rent it to tourists. This will help you relax in your vacation home without worrying about the money. 

Do a lot of research

If you want to find the best vacation home for you and your family, then you will have to do a lot of research so that you can get the best value for the money that you bring to the table. Once you have realized where you want your vacation home to be, you should go online and start looking at all the possible properties that you can get for the budget that you have. You should save all the ones that you like so that you can later compare them. You should narrow the list down to two to three properties and then you should go on a trip and check them out. When you are there, you will see how truthful the descriptions that the owner put online were and it will be much easier to make a decision.

The climate

Of course, one of the main factors that you have to consider is the climate where you are going to buy the vacation home. This decision will have a lot to do with what you like to do on your vacations. Check the weather forecast to make sure it fits in when you want to go skiing, beach relaxing, or hiking. Most people like to spend it by the seaside so they buy a home near it so that they can enjoy the Sun during their vacations.

Many people like to spend their vacations in other places. People who like to spend their time doing various outside activities should make sure that they pick properties where there are not too many rainy and stormy days during their vacation time because they want to be able to do them. If you are someone who loves snow, then you should pick a home that is somewhere where it snows often, just make sure that it does not snow too much so that you can come to your home without any problems.

Image Source: Canva

Does it have everything you need

Many people do not plan to do anything with their new home except spend their vacation there. If that is the case for you, then you will have to ensure that you have everything you need inside so that you can relax fully. What you should do is make a list of all the things that you want to have on vacation and all the things that you cannot live without in the home where you spent most of the year and then just see whether the places you look at have those items inside. You should know that most likely you won’t be able to find one that has everything you need but you want to come as close to it as possible. 

Do you want to renovate it?

If you plan to renovate the house you get, no matter how it looks, then you should go for a house that is a little bit out of shape. This home should be good structurally but it needs to be fixed so that it can be fully functional again. These homes are great for you because you will spend less money on them and you will be able to make them your own as soon as you buy them. These types of homes are great for people who are looking for DIY projects so they can spend their vacation repairing the house and enjoying what the place has to offer when they want to relax a bit.

Do you want to manage it yourself?

Managing your vacation home is crucial if you want to preserve its value and make the most of your time there. First of all, think about who will manage it- you or a professional firm. Self-management requires a lot of work but, at the same time, gives you more control over your property and saves you money. On the other hand, a property manager can manage rents, upkeep, and guest communication, but they come with a price. If you decide to rent out your home, then you should have a clear strategy and a good plan for how to advertise your property and manage the whole renting process.

Upkeep is among the most important factors. You should create regular cleaning routines, especially between guest visits. Also, if you notice any problems, you must fix them as soon as possible to prevent any major issues. Whether you choose to handle your property yourself or hire professional services, you must keep the home in good condition and make sure you or your guests enjoy your time there. 

Consider the security

Keeping your vacation home secure will give you peace of mind, especially with things like alarm systems, motion detectors, and surveillance camera systems. These will be your first line of defense against potential intruders and anyone with dishonest intentions. With the help of smart home technology, you can control your home from anywhere, just by looking at your phone or computer. You should also use high-quality locks and deadbolts to make any entry points as safe as possible and think about adding extra safety features to your windows and doors to make them more peaceful. 

Finding the right vacation home for your needs can be really tough if you do not know what you are doing. You will have to learn a lot of things about yourself and what you need to look out for if you want to get to your dream vacation home. The more effort you put into searching for it the better the outcome will be. It may take some time but you will be satisfied with the results if you listen to some of the advice that has been given here.

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