Is Out Of Country Right For You?

On our website we've been discussing vacation homes and the various factors that go into buying them. You've been dreaming of that destination home that you will one day be visiting, or permanently living in, and we don't want to take anything away from that dream. You finally stopped looking through those property listings and are ready to take the leap; however, you need to make sure that you are fully prepared before you take that final step. This section of the site will be dealing with the various governmental and cost concerns that you should be focused on before you open the front door to your very own personal paradise.

It doesn't matter if you plan on purchasing a seasonal vacation home or one that you plan on living in year round - buying a vacation home can be expensive. There are many things you need to be concerned with when looking at any property. If you're buying a property that might not be fully furnished, you're going to have to factor in furniture costs. Maybe your vacation home isn't near any grocery stores, so each time you go shopping for food, you might need to spend a little extra to make sure you are fully stocked. No matter how tempting those fast food billboard ads are, they won't cure your hunger if they're hours away.

There are other costs that should be looked into that you never had to think much about with your downtown condo, such as what type of heating your vacation home will have. There are price differences when it comes to choosing propane gas or oil. You might also want a wood fireplace because of the ambiance it creates, but they are also expensive, and you just might not have room for it in the budget after you put in the new insulation. Other cost concerns you might have could relate to your property taxes, which in turn can determine how much home insurance you might have to pay. These are only a few of the things you should be concerned with when trying to figure out all the extra costs that are associated with vacation homes. Even if you're just renting vacation homes, there are things that need to be considered such as the cleaning bill or resort fees. Having a thorough home inspection performed by a professional,will go a long way to eliminating any nasty surprises.

There are a lot of documents that need to be filled out when purchasing a property, and for the most part, they can be hard to understand, which is why it's always good to have a real estate agent taking care of your business. You need to know if your new home needs something repaired for it to be safe and sound. They know what all the forms you are signing mean and can explain anything you don't understand. Agents can also let you know about any government regulations around your vacation home that you should be aware of. Even though you might have purchased a piece of property, not everything on that site belongs to you. In some provinces, if you purchased a property off a highway, a certain amount of the property belongs to the government. This is usually described as a right-of-way. The measurement of the frontage is useful when determining zoning bylaws and property tax. Or maybe your property has a beautiful apple orchard so neighbours and tourists want to stop by to take a look at the apple trees or maybe even eat an apple or two. If you decide to start advertising your orchard and want to put a sign up near a highway, you need to get a permit and find out what type of sign you're allowed to put up and how far away from the road it has to be. Every country has their own governmental regulations and it's up to you to do your research before making a huge investment. If you were planning on having your vacation home be in Bermuda, it would be beneficial to know that their government charges a 25% license fee for foreign owners. You want to be as prepared as possible with any vacation home purchase.

So, if you've decided to put up your condo for sale and are ready to move into that vacation home, don't forget to go over some of the extra costs that you will be paying for when it comes to living in that dream destination. And just because you signed your name on the dotted line, that doesn't mean it's all said and done with. There are a lot of governmental regulations that you should be aware of beforehand. We hope some of the things we mentioned on our site will prepare you for your vacation home purchase.