Buying a waterfront home is an exciting thing, but getting the most out of your purchase. Waterfront property owners can indeed use upgrades in their property to boost value to transform their space into a paradise on the water. There are various projects such as constructing a dock for a boat, building a wonderful beach fire pit, decorating with furniture fit for the exterior, and potentially installing an outdoor shower to complete the experience. Continue to read to find 5 great tips on essential upgrades to your waterfront property and what it will need. 

1. Build That Dock to Sail From into the Sunset

Many waterfront owners enjoy spending time on the water, which is exactly why living on such property without a dock makes it feel naked. Ensure that a planned or existing pier falls within local regulations because we guarantee it is well worth to effort and investment to do so. A dock is a smart amenity to have at your fingertips for various reasons, including a means of providing easy access to the water, which numerous boats (owned or visiting) can call a safe home, allowing for all sorts of fun, safe backyard Watersports.

It would be worth noting to check which governing bodies regulate the construction of the body of water you live or plan on living on. Smaller docks may not need a permit, such as bigger docks. Deciding early on what kind of water vehicle you are planning on investing in can help to determine what kind of dock will be appropriate. 

2. Enjoy S’mores with an Installed Waterfront Firepit

A fun way to enjoy a beautiful night on a waterfront property is by building campfires and grilling on the beach. But before sparking a flame, it is always best to verify with local regulations. It is important to be aware of your surroundings, especially which beaches allow for open fires, as some may offer seasonal permits, while others allow gas grills for cooking year-round. Designing a waterfront pit can make any night special on your stunning property. 

3. Invest in Outdoor Comfy Furniture 

What beautiful backyard on a waterfront home would be complete without a comfortable way to enjoy the view? Investing in outdoor furniture for your family and guests is a sure way to soak up the sun, enjoy those wonderful sea breezes, and savor the stunning waterfront views in the comfort of your own space. It is always best to do your research on outdoor furniture that can withstand humidity, salt air, and sun so that your purchase lasts longer. For example, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lumber offers impressive weather resistance, making it a solid choice for outdoor furniture.

Metal may be a popular choice as it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye of many, but HDPE lumber has been shown to fare better in coastal environments, especially when the combination of salt and moisture can cause the metal to erode more quickly. Another great perk to HDPE is that it resits warping due to water damage, and if you live on the waterfront, water is unavoidable. Cushions tend to fade over time in the sun, and if you are looking for comfort, those are a must. The great thing about HDPE is that offers a UV-inhibitor that can prevent outdoor furniture from fading in the sun, ensuring that it looks fresh for many years to come. Outdoor furniture is a great way to complete outdoor spaces, turning them into relaxing living areas that feel inclusive to guests and families alike. 

4. Install an Outdoor Shower 

An outdoor shower can be an amazing addition to any home, and if you live in a waterfront home, it can be especially useful. After spending some quality or alone time on the beach all day long, an outdoor shower can conveniently rinse off the sand and mud, especially if you don’t want it tracked through your home. There are tons of options for the style of your outdoor shower, as they are easily customizable. 

Before investing, consider where and how to install an outdoor shower. They can be freestanding or mounted to a wall, fence, or other solid structure for support. However, drainage and plumbing are a must for this amenity. Keep in mind that a cold shower typically requires a single inlet, while a warm one will need space to allow for two connections. Outdoor showers can come in all sorts of styles and offer numerous features, while a simple showerhead or foot spray can get the job done, shower panels with body jets and hand sprays can provide a luxurious experience for you and your guests. 

5. Build an Outdoor Kitchen 

Enjoying the outdoors while being able to prep and serve food is a great way to provide the ultimate entertainment space. They are becoming increasingly popular, while there are many benefits to adding an outdoor kitchen to a home, including: 

• Increasing Your Home Value: An outdoor kitchen can add further value to a home. If you are thinking of selling your waterfront home in the future, the inclusion of an outdoor kitchen can make the area appear far more attractive to potential buyers. 
• Larger Entertainment Space: An outdoor kitchen can provide additional space for entertaining your guests, as you can host parties and gatherings without having to fear missing out on the fun to step inside to prepare a meal. The convenience of an outdoor kitchen is right at your fingertips, without overcrowding inside your home. 
• Enjoying the Outdoors: Enjoying the beauty of nature is the beauty of being able to prepare food and cook in your outdoor kitchen. You can relax and entertain guests in your backyard without having to worry about the weather, especially if your outdoor kitchen is covered. 
• Increasing Storage Space: An outdoor kitchen can further provide you with abundant space for storage, especially all of your outdoor cooking supplies. This can be especially helpful if you have a smaller kitchen inside of your home. 
• Improving Functionality: The addition of an outdoor kitchen space can improve the functionality of your home by providing an additional area to cook and entertain, and if you love to spend a lot of time outdoors, then having an outdoor kitchen can make your life that much easier. 

For more local information on the Sunset Beach real estate market and when to purchase your waterfront property, Check out our website. 

More Waterfront and Oceanfront Home Information

What Inspectors Look for on an Oceanfront Property

Staging Beachfront or Oceanfront Homes in NC

The New Trend Décor is Coastal Grandmother

Winterizing Your Oceanfront Home

4 Things to Know When Buying an Oceanfront Home

3 Things to Consider When Buying a Beach Home

Growing trends are the fad amongst home decor. We have seen cottagecore, an idealized way of rural living, traditionally based on rural English and European life. But what about this new coastal-life-inspired trend coastal grandmother? This is a trend based on the clean and classic style of middle-aged, wealthier women living in luxury along oceanfront properties.

This trend will have you throwing on an oversized white button-up, picking out your best straw bucket hat, and reading yourself to ride the wave of the coastal grandmother aesthetic. This look has taken the internet by storm, exuding my-beach-house-is-the-primary-residence energy. If you are a fan of Meyer’s movies, recipes, cooking, and cozy interiors there is a good chance you might be a coastal gran. 

The New Trend Décor is Coastal Grandmother

Mood and Inspiration 

Envision the clear and cool natural light you may encounter on an early morning stroll on the beach. The coastal grandmother style has a duality, being relaxed yet refined, causal but elevated. There is a warm, laid-back luxury that is inviting without being overtly cozy like a mountain cabin. The lines of this design are typically clean, embellished, yet minimal. The mood is all about slipcover, crisp, and yet perfectly lived in. 

Pattern and Palette 

Coastal color is a range within subtle simplicity. Neutral tones borrowed from nature-such as stone, sand, sea, and sky. Layered whites such as ivory and cream can open a room. Other shades such as taupe and beige, tan and pale, and watery blues with an introduction of accent colors such as deeper blues can layer a home. Use little to no pattern, keeping it abstract, but simple and classy. 

Textures and Materials 

For accents of fabric, natural fibers like cotton and linen are the go-to choice of simplicity in a minimalist-styled home. Light, gauzy sheer curtains can allow for a classic oceanside aesthetic with hints of twill and canvas to mix it up. For accents, think of things that will invigorate your sense of touch-chunky knits, tailored fringe, and nubby bouclé rugs. Seagrass baskets can be a wonderful accent to hold throw blankets or pillows. Other fabrics to add dimension for rugs and furniture can include: 

• Rattan 
• Jute 
• Sisal 
• Raffia
• Seagrass 

Woods for kitchen tables, end tables, and coffee tables take their cue from driftwood, often light, white-washed, and bleached. Hardware in metals like brushed copper, and nickel can add touches of sophistication.

Making it Your Own 

Whether it is kitchens full of antique-looking brushed nickel hardware, or a living room featuring touches of rattan rugs and largely white, linen sofas, this is an aesthetic that allows you to live the life you wish for. Though the coastal grandmother decor has roots in TikTok as a new summer “core,” it has been around far longer than noticed, though it now deservedly is retaining the spotlight. 

For more information on the coast, and home styles that mimic the feel of the coastal-living, check out our website for all Sunset Beach Homes.

 More Homeowner Tips

Can you Sell a House with a Broken Air Conditioner?

Life Expectancy of Common Household Appliances

House Plants for a Pet Friendly Home

The Best Winter Home Improvement Projects

Sunset Beach is one of the best places to live in North Carolina, and it’s also one of the best places to vacation. Owning a vacation rental in Sunset Beach can be an ideal investment, as one that offers future payoff and immediate ROI in the form of a personal vacation home and monthly passive income.

If you have decided to buy a vacation rental, the key to making it work for you is making it stand out from your competition. Keep reading for 5 tips to make sure your Sunset Beach vacation rental does just that.

1. Go for bold

A vacation rental is the perfect canvas for bold decor choices. While staging often requires a neutral design aesthetic that will appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers, a vacation rental can utilize bold color palettes and unique design elements to make it stand out from the crowd.

Vacation-goers love a photogenic home with a memorable backdrop for social media posts. Consider a bold wallpaper choice, furniture that infuses an eye catching pop of color, or a memorable area rug. While most people opt for safer design choices that they expect to enjoy for a long time, vacation rentals can focus more on being fun, photogenic, and memorable as the accommodations are usually enjoyed for just a week or two.

An added bonus is the way this will make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t be surprised if your guests post a picture from the property and the eye-catching design ends up attracting future guests when a photo is posted online!

2. Splurge for luxury bedding

Make sure the beds in your rental not only look good, but feel absolutely luxurious. High quality bedding and a luxury mattress will make your property stand out from the rest. While there are some ways to cut spending when outfitting your vacation rental, mattresses, pillows, and bedding are not a wise place to pinch pennies.

Guests want to feel totally at home and pampered in the property. Splurge for that high end mattress and make sure there are plenty of pillows to lock in that 5 star review.

3. Give your guests some extras

A little unexpected touch goes a long way. Consider going the extra mile by leaving extras in the property, like:

• Basic toiletries
• Beach supplies like a complimentary beach towel, sunscreen, water bottles, or sand toys
• Coffee and tea
• Chocolates or mints on the pillows
• A community guide listing some of your favorite restaurants and nearby shopping

4. Check-in after check-in

After you know your guests have checked in, send a message to find out how they are enjoying their stay and whether they are missing anything. By contacting them first, you can turn a frustrated guest who wishes something was different on the property into an opportunity to impress.

One of the best ways to avoid a bad review is to be an attentive host. A simple check-in message will go a long way!

5. Create a welcome poster

Make household information easy to find with a welcome poster. Print the information your guests will need and frame it in an easy-to-find location. The information they may need might include:

• Wifi password
• Instructions for operating thermostat, security system, and other technology in the house
• Information on TV and streaming services
• List of favorite nearby beaches
• Where they may find essentials like extra toilet paper, a vacuum, or additional bed linens
• Your contact information or the contact information for your property manager in

You may also include coupons or coupon codes for local businesses with whom you have developed a partnership. This can act as a sort of concierge benefit for your guests.

Need help finding that ideal Sunset Beach property? We can help. Contact us today to get started.

There is nothing worse than buying a new home only to have all the household appliances go out months, or even weeks after you’ve closed escrow. Whether you’re planning to purchase an existing home or are hoping for a new construction home, understanding the average life expectancy of your household appliances can help you plan and budget for needed maintenance and repairs. 

Related: Should You Buy a New Construction Home? Here’s a Few Perks

Range

One of the household appliances that has the longest life expectancy is your range. Regardless of whether your range is gas or electric, you can generally plan for it to last anywhere from 13-15 years. 

Fridge/Freezer

Your fridge and freezers are one of the most durable, and heavily used appliances within your home as they are running 24/7. Because these appliances are constantly in use, they are hardworking and naturally, one of the most expensive appliances you’ll own, lasting anywhere from 10-15 years. 

Microwave

Microwave ovens have one of the lowest life expectancies and generally only last 6-9 years, which can lead to regular replacements, luckily a microwave is also one of the more affordable appliances to replace. 

Oven

One of the longest lasting appliances, ovens can provide years of use. Electric ovens last on average 13 years, whereas gas ovens generally last 15 years. Much like with other appliances, with proper cleaning and care, you can not only lengthen the life expectancy, but also the functionality of your oven. 

Dishwasher

Pending on how often you run your dishwasher, as well as how gentle you are when loading it (to avoid bending or breaking prongs) this is one of the household appliances that you can easily extend the average life expectancy on, however, the average is generally between 9-10 years.

Washer and Dryer

Surprising to many, even if you buy your washing machine and dryer at the same time this doesn’t mean that they will need replacement at the same time as their life expectancy is different. For washers, 10-11 years and dryers 12-13 years. 

Related: Are Home Warranties Worth It?

HVAC Systems

Another large ticket item when it comes to replacement is your HVAC system, while these systems do generally last between 15-20 years, they are quite costly to replace which is why regular maintenance and cleanings are vital to the systems life expectancy and functionality. 

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to sell your home and need a qualified seller’s agent to assist you, or if you have any further questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our officeat any time. 

 

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Additional Tips for Buyers

• Why Your Offer May Not Be Accepted
• Why is Multigenerational Living Becoming so Common?
• House Broke: The Common First Time Buyer Mistake
• Why Was my Offer Rejected?
• 10 Tips for Moving Across the Country
• Buying a Vacation Home