Buy The Cottage That Suits You

If there’s a single important rule in acquiring a vacation property, it’s this: Buy what you can use now, at this period in your life, not what you think you’ll need in 20 to 30 years. Your needs and wants (and those of your family) evolve with time.

Such changes influence the kind of cars we drive, the homes (and communities) we live in, the recreational activities we pursue, the vacation destination we prefer.

We have little problem accepting that we might choose to drive a minivan for a few years while the kids are growing up, then switch to a small sedan when the nest empties, or that a particular neighbourhood is desirable right now because of the school district, but that another will be more appealing later in life because of its proximity to shopping areas or recreational facilities.

Investing in a vacation property should be approached with the same sense of lifelong flexibility.

It is possible to find a property that suits you at every stage of your life, but a one-size-fits-all purchase should not be an absolute goal.

Many vacation property purchasers have an idyllic retirement in the back of their minds as they shop around but retirement properties have specific criteria that can’t or shouldn’t necessarily be met when searching for something that suits, for example, an active young family.