Here is the continuation of the checklist for how to pick the right location when buying a new home at Smith Mountain Lake, courtesy of Kenyon Blunt, a lake home specialist.
After you’ve gone through this inward questioning, it’s time to develop a plan for comparing locations. The key is to ask a lot of questions. When you’ve got some answers, develop a checklist or some sort of ranking mechanism so that you can easily compare homes and locales. One potential trap is deciding with only partial familiarity with an area. There are just too many things that can go wrong when you make decisions with incomplete data.
Here are some more questions to ask about your potential lake home:
- How important are lake activities in your selection? For example, you may want to rank your choices on the things you like to do such as boating, fishing, golf, tennis, walking/running, etc.
- How convenient is it? Rank your spots by the time it takes to get there (e.g. <1 hr., 1-2 hrs., 2+ hrs.)
- What are the restaurants and entertainment like? If you’re like me, you don’t want to cook when you’re at the lake. Make sure there are some restaurants and things to do (unless you are after peace)
- What’s the shopping like? Even guys need to buy groceries. You may want to scout locations for routine shopping (food, gas, etc.), bargain shopping (Walmart), fun shopping like antiques or farmers’ markets, or even upscale shopping such as galleries and home furnishings.
- Are you close to health care services? Make sure you verify the health facilities and their capabilities especially if you have any medical conditions that require specific care.
- Will you have government services? One of the biggest problems I have at the lake is trash disposal. But other services like police, fire, sewer, and water are all important to consider in a location.
There are a lot of questions to ask when buying a lake home. Take good notes so that you pick a home that’s right for you.
About the Author:
Kenyon Blunt is the publisher of “Lake Home Tips.”
Kenyon Blunt, LakeHomeTips
10026-A S. Mingo Road #274, Tulsa, OK 74133-5700
Telephone: 918.630.0554
