Being a mother is one of the most challenging jobs one could ever have. From growing a human being inside your body to making sure that baby grows up as correctly as it could be, there are many crucial nights spent sleepless planning numerous things. And one of the most crucial things you, as a mother, need to plan for is the vacation your child deserves to have every year.
Planning the perfect vacation is detrimental to your child’s growth and mental stability. A great way to make planning the perfect vacation easier is by getting your own vacation home. You can save more in the grander scheme of things, and it can open up income-generating opportunities. In addition, it can be a great future retirement home and, most importantly, make your child happy.
But choosing the perfect vacation home is not an easy feat. Like when selecting any property, you’d have to consider factors such as where the house and land package is found. To help make the decision easier for you, here are some questions to answer to make a well-informed decision when choosing a vacation home.
How much is your budget?
Remember the golden rule. Don’t spend what you can’t afford. Knowing the financial side of every property acquisition is a must if you want to avoid future problems. Aside from the direct cost of buying the property, make sure you know how much you’d have to spend on the insurance, taxes, utilities, homeowner’s association fees, and maintenance expenses.
But don’t let all these scare you. As stated earlier, having a vacation home is an excellent investment because it could lead to income-generating rental opportunities. That means you can always earn from it.
What are you going to use it for?
Fully understanding the purpose of your vacation home is essential in deciding where to buy. As you look at your options, think about what you plan to use it for, when you plan on using it, and how long you plan on using it for each time.
If you plan on making it a weekend getaway home, then choosing a place near your original house would be ideal. This way, convenience and accessibility would be prioritised. If you plan to use it only in summers and lease it during the other seasons, choosing a property in places with more marketability would be better.
What kinds of activities do you and your family find relaxing?
Your vacation home should fit your lifestyle or at least the lifestyle you want to have for the entirety of your vacation. If you plan to chill with the family around bonfires, stargaze, and have long walks on the beach, you should get a beach house.
You might want your kids to enjoy swimming, but you’re too afraid of the dangers of the waves, getting a house or property by the pond would be your best option. If your family is more of an outdoorsy, hunting-and-gathering type of family, getting yourself a place in the woods or up in the mountains would be the best choice.
Which season do you plan on vacationing?
Determining the activities you plan on doing and the seasons you plan on doing them go hand in hand. When you choose a vacation home, make sure to consider the time you plan on going there. If you enjoy white Christmases and winter wonderlands, getting a house on the beachfront does not make sense.
What are your plans during regular days?
Unless you plan on retiring the moment you buy it, you will probably only be using it for one quarter per year at most. And that’s if everything goes along with your plans.
Knowing what to do with the property during the other three quarters of the year is crucial in the decision-making process. If you plan on listing it on Airbnb, the place should be accessible and private at the same time. If you plan to get property managers to maintain the site, choosing an area with a particularly low cost of living would be more beneficial for your budget.
How safe is it?
One of the most important factors you’d have to consider is the safety of your family. Assess the environment thoroughly and make sure you do your research on the following:
- Locals’ foot traffic in the neighbourhood
- Outsiders’ foot traffic in the neighbourhood
- Transportation options
- Accessibility of hospitals, police stations, and fire stations
Finding the perfect home might take time and effort. It’s an important decision that you need to research thoroughly. But in the end, you are a mother, and as far as the world remembers, mothers know best.
