Have you ever owned a lake house? Information needed.

treeguy64

treeguy64

Hari Om, y'all!
Location
Austin, TX.
I'm considering buying a lake house, for summer get-aways. I am curious how any past or present owners of such a property handle furnishing it, specifically because it is left vacant for weeks/months at a time.

The area I'm looking in has no crime statistics showing, online, EXCEPT "property crimes." Uh-oh. This says to me that break-ins may be a big problem. I would not want to trick some place out, have it looking great, only to show up in a month's time to find it empty. So - - - Please weigh in with any and all experiences you have had and any suggestions. Thanks!
 

Never owned myself, but good friends had a cottage, for many years in MA. I had been a guest there several times.

Very cute, old-fashioned place, braided rugs, (damp) wood paneling, vintage appliances, etc.

Damp bathroom, some mold. Smelled a bit like mildew. Lake had tons of mosquitoes, which today are rather dangerous. Icky frogs but not enough to control the mosquitoes. Snakes. Mud.

Moths all over the screened porch at night while trying to chat, play cards and catch a breeze. Some of them managed to get in somehow.

Luckily, the family had good and trusted friends nearby to keep an eye on the place year round.

I would never have one myself. Much rather an ocean property, with a good, salt breeze.
 

You didn’t offer a lot of information so it’s hard to give an informative answer.
Without knowing the condition of the house makes it difficult to speculate.
Some lake houses are more like frugal cottages that need lots of TLC which is what I am assuming you mean, while others are quite ritzy.

Of course I don’t expect you to write down its whereabouts.

Some things I’d consider:

Also you didn’t state why you wanted this. NOTE: my mistake. You did!
Do you want it for weekend get aways? Family get togethers? For boating and summer fun only or strickly for vacationing?

Does it have plumbing? Does it have its own well or is it on town water?
Does it have a septic tank or septic system?
How good are the doors & windows?
How well is it insulated?
Does it have electricity?
How long has it been listed?
What kinds of repairs does it need?
What type of heating does it have?
Does the water rise from the lake ?
Does it leak at all?
Does it have a sump pump?

What do the other houses around it look like?
Are all the other houses vacation lots only or are there permanent residents living in the area?
Do they have garbage pick up?
How close is the nearest hospital or medical building?
How much are the property taxes?
How much parking is there?
What about stores? Restaurants etc.

I’m not expecting answers. It’s for you only.

What I would do is write down a pros and cons list with as many considerations as you can and then go and try to talk to as many neighbours in the area as possible. Ask them what the biggest problems are in the area or whatever concerns you have.
THEY will know more about this than any of us here can offer you.

Ive never owned a lake cottage / house but do know others who have for 22 years and it has never been broken into. The area however isn’t known for break ins.


Good luck
 
I think every situation would be different, so not sure how much this is worth...

I have a small cabin on a lake in rural Georgia---about 1/2 mile away from any other residence, or the main road. It's furnished by keeping absolutely nothing of value in it now. A full sized refrigerator, a counter top stove mounted in a heavy cabinet. Anything of value I want there, I take with me and bring back.

It has been entered many times and things stolen when things were there. The worst break in happened in the 80's. I reported it to the sheriff, and his reply was basically, what did you expect if you don't live out there full time. I figured I was on my own after that.

In my situation it's probably best to just leave the doors unlocked. That way there won't be repairs to doors and windows (assuming they try the door first. Ha!). Folks who broke in were almost surely neighbors, although possibly short term neighbors. Someone from out of town would never know it was there, unless the neighbors told them. Fencing the property, so that it was difficult to get a vehicle in and take big items helped some. Didn't prevent walk-ins, and then you have to repair the fence.

Sorry. Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure.

I just remembered, my grandparents had a summer weekend cabin in the woods in rural Ohio, but no lake. They also had problems with break-ins back in the 60's, so it's not a new phenomenon.
 
Yes
Back in the ‘90s
An older, very established lake community
Some full time residents
Mostly weekenders, summer folk
What I didn’t know was most places were owned by the more affluent
Senators, high end execs
They come with HOAs
Enforced HOAs
The community decided to buy a dredge
Silt was building from the creeks feeding the lake
I argued renting one would be more economically feasible in the long run
I lost
They were too enamored with ‘Baby’ and building a little house (large boat house) for it
I sold
Made money
Became wizened in regard to HOAs, on lakes, by the rich
Drove up there around ten years later
‘Baby’ has offspring
Maintenance offspring
And a full time grandpa
Membership dues have gone thru the roofs of the maintenance complex

Oh, and breakins were somewhat common
by senator's kids
making places to party
trashing places
little darlings
 
I suppose I can’t relate to the ‘break in’s’ part because I’ve never lived in any areas like that.
Touch wood. That would be a deterrent from me purchasing.
 
The family has a lake "Cabin", but it is surely not a house. It is furnished with cast offs so there would be no great loss regardless. Here in the Finger Lakes there are many many "Lake Homes". Most are interspersed with year round lake residences so there are always neighbors. Most people that use their lake homes as vacation rentals, have a property maintenance company tend to their property.
 
Our first house was on a canal on the south shore of Long Island. Twice storms caused the water to rise 4" above the level of the lawn. We didn't remain there long after that.
 
Thanks. So far, good info, except for the wise guy. I had already asked the realtor the questions one poster suggested.
 

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