Buying a second home is an exciting prospect in a person’s life. It allows for a great deal more comfort and convenience and makes for a significant contribution to a homeowner’s lifestyle. It’s common for homeowners weary of perusing through the various houses for sale in the Bay Area to seek the comfort of a remote cottage. While this might seem attractive to the homeowner with a penchant for the great outdoors, there are a few things to consider before making a decision.
Defining Exact Needs
Before even considering a cottage as the next major residential purchase, it’s important to first define one’s exact needs when it comes to the new home. A person’s preferences and lifestyle must be taken into account here. How often will the cottage be used? Will the owners be prepared to take on regular maintenance tasks for themselves? Does the owner tend to entertain friends often or do they prefer time spent privately? What is the maximum distance that a homeowner is willing to travel between their main place of residence and their cottage? Will the cottage be used all year round, or will it be rented from time to time when it isn’t being used? While it’s great to have extra funds to be allocated to buying a new cottage, many people have essentially wasted those extra funds on a cottage they never use, because it doesn’t match their lifestyle. It’s in all homeowners’ best interests to avoid this situation before it occurs by analyzing exact needs and making an informed choice.
Location
As always, location trumps most other factors when it comes to real estate. Accessibility and environment contribute greatly to the value of a country house or cottage. Generally, buyers tend to seek out a comfortable cottage in an area where they can enjoy nature while having access to necessary conveniences such as a grocery store and medical facility within reasonable driving distance. As is the case with any real estate purchase, it’s important to take location deeply into account, visiting the area in person several times, before making a commitment.
Costs
Finally, it’s important for homeowners to assess whether or not the cottage is affordable in the first place. There are significant fixed costs that come with owning a second property: taxes, heating, internet, telephone, electricity, water, insurance, in addition to the time and money invested for upkeep and commuting. Of course, the lawn will need to be cared for, and the cottage will necessitate certain key renovations over time. Before getting fixated too strongly on the idea of buying a cottage, it’s important for homeowners to do the proper calculations and come up with a reasonable figure that they can afford to spend.
