Help With Possible Island Home

[ishoot308]

My wife and I are going to look at a couple of island homes that are for sale this weekend. Currently we are looking at islands with electricity so no generator is needed.

From you experienced island dwellers here, what are some of the things I should be looking at and need to be careful about for before buying...

Thanks!!

Dan

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Here is my short list of things we did not know before we bought our place. Fortunately we got Lucky.

In no particular order

Where does the sun rise and set? If you love or hate the sun, what are you going to have on your house, deck and yard.

How rough does the water get in front of your place? If all your neighbors have break waters, you should be concerned if you don't.

What kind of trees do you have? Are you going to be dealing with sap, leaves.

What is the heat source? If it's propane, how are you going to get it to the island? (We converted to a heat pump to provide AC and Heat.)

Have the mice done much damage to the place?

This is a big one... when you go to the bathroom, where does it go? We started with an electric toilet and hated hated hated it. We like our composting toilet as we don't have to train guest on how to use it. I am jealous of the people with a septic systems. Don't underestimate the value of a septic system in a house.

Does the camp have legal running water?

What happens to the dock in the winter. How hard is it to deal with?

How does the camp get it's water? What is involved with setting it up in the spring and closing it down in the fall?

How well insulated is the camp? Cooler in the summer and warmer in the spring and fall. Easier to heat and cool as well.

My wife values having the grill close to the kitchen as we do a lot of outdoor cooking on the island. Get a side burner.

She also values a view of the lake while doing the dishes and cooking.

The path from the boat to the house will be well traveled. How hard is it to navigate? Think about how many stairs are involved. Don't underestimate the amount of materials and supplies you will have to lug from the boat to the house and back to the boat.

How far is your mainland slip from the island. This is a trip you are likely to take a few times.

What is the potential for rough water on your boat ride?

Does you island have an association, covenants?

Who lives next door?

The island home has to survive the winter without any help. Look for potential snow issues. Deck where snow can accumulate and cause problems.

How will you get INTERNET if you want it?

How will you get television if you want it? (We are still working on this one. our lot is not conducive to a dish) We don't work to hard as a lack of 100 stations seems to help our quality time. We also are very informed on all the news in Maine.

If you want to make changes to what you buy, you should read the new shoreline protection rules to know what you can and can't do.

Hope this helps.

Our purchase of an island home is one of our best decisions.

[Bear Islander]

Remember that everything you do will be by boat. You mainland access is critical.

If you get serious about a place I would talk to the neighbors. Find a phone number and call them up if they are not around. Neighbors are very important on an island. And they can answer lots of questions nobody else can.

Check out the septic system. Replacing it on an island will be 30k to 50k.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

"...She also values a view of the lake while doing the dishes and cooking..."

This got solved here by putting in a very tall, wide, mirror. It also helped with illuminating and "enlarging" the interior.

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

"...Does the camp have legal running water...?"

Ishoot308 is probably wondering what that means, just as I am: a pressure booster on Town-supplied water?

Recently, I saw what appeared to be a well casing being driven into the lake about 20' off an island shoreline. (Which was then surrounded by a breakwater.)

What is illegal running water?

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

"...Where does the sun rise and set? If you love or hate the sun, what are you going to have on your house, deck and yard...What kind of trees do you have? Are you going to be dealing with sap, leaves..."

Looking forward, perhaps the most important consideration.

1) I've been in houses that had "a view of sunsets" through a modest number of windows. That view cranked up the interior temperature 20° in the summer—overpowering the A/C's ability to cope with the surge in heat.

2) You'll also see solar panels on "unpowered" islands, which must have an unobstructed view of the sun. The largest panel I've noticed on islands near me was a 350-watt panel, receiving afternoon rays. That's a need for sun that's going to increase.

3) With energy costs to factor-in more in the future, it's best to keep leaf-dropping hardwood trees to the south and a dense stand of pines and hemlocks to the north. (Meaning, cool shade in the summer, and a block to icy-cold wind in the winter, which can draw heat out of house like you won't believe.)

Between now and retirement, there's time to plant some native trees that'll grow large enough to make a difference.

4) You'll still want sun on your dock, which is currently disappearing from many docks even in late August.

5) You also might want to find out why there is a sudden increase in "For Sale" signs on your selected island. (New expensive construction, new airport runway approach noise, property taxes, covenants, code enforcements, erosion, milfoil).

6) One big gripe could be is automobile headlights shining in windows—probably not a problem on most islands and, fortunately, not at my place.

[Webbsatwinni]

Ishoot,

As we only bought our little piece of island paradise last October, we are still learning something new every time we come up. I agree with all of the points made above, here are a few items I think you should add to the list that we discovered / realized.

Island home insurance is hard to come buy (there is another thread on it from last week) and can fluctuate in price or be hard to find at all.

Our boat was a trailer queen and the transition to taxi / utility barge has been a tough one for me. It's a 23 ft Crownline BR and was not bought with the intent of being a barge although that is what it has become.

When looking at your property, keep in mind that everything that is there (everywhere) and you think you may not want it, will need to be carried off the island (or burned, shhhhhhh!). When we bought our house, it had been redone a few year prior and all of the construction debris was stuffed under the house. We said, how bad could that be (the love for the lake and the house clouded our estimation of that effort), well guess what, there was a refrigerator and other large items (couches and chairs) that needed to go. We used the advice of a neighbor, wait until the ice freezes and drag it off, that worked great for us. The what you want needs to come to the island, that is the same effort just with clean stuff.

We also have a GPS with the Bizer chart loaded, we come up after work on Fridays and most times in the dark. The GPS allows you to better navigate your trip over in any weather conditions.

Also invest in a good enclosure for you boat, we didn't start with one and it has made a big difference in my family's happiness in the rain and cold.

For us it was all worth it and we would not change it. We are on the broads side of rattlesnake and we were warned not to buy here because of the rough conditions. We love the view and the changing personality of the lake, the view and the solitude.

Good luck!

[secondcurve]

Ishoot:

The posters before me have a created a very good list. I don't have an island property but have considered one. A couple of other thoughts:

1) What will you use for a mainland slip? Can you get a long-term lease? Slips are relatively loose right now, but that isn't always the case. If you don't like your existing slip, get your name in line right away for another marina and or slip;

2) Remember that it won't always be summer time at your island house. So many people underestimate this fact when purchasing an island home. Are you truly willing to own a home that is unusable or inconvenient for 2/3rds of the year?

3) The cost of everything on the islands is much more expensive than on the mainland. Don't forget this fact when negotiating the purchase.

4)Negotiate, negotiate and negotiate when buying your home. You are at the right point of time in the seasonal buying cycle. Add to this the economic uncertainty and there are a lot of motivated buyers. You are in the cat bird's seat. Don't be afraid to insult a seller......there are a lot of them so don't worry about finding another property to bid on.

5) Make sure you will love the place for at least the next five years as prices are likely to be flat or falling over this period of time and as things get worse from an economic standpoint vacation properties and island vacation properties specifically, will likely be difficult to unload.

Good Luck and tell us about your buying experience as it unfolds!!!

[Webbsatwinni]

Second Curve,

While I agree with you, most of the people I have uncounted on the islands are heartier and more of a "do it yourself" group than those on the mainland. That said, my comments are below:

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Ishoot:

2) Remember that it won't always be summer time at your island house. So many people underestimate this fact when purchasing an island home. Are you truly willing to own a home that is unusable or inconvenient for 2/3rds of the year?

I spent almost every weekend there and over 5 weeks this summer. There are the times when the ice is not safe, but if you can heat your house, you can get many winter weekend in (we did 9 last year and by all accounts it was a bad year for ice)

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Ishoot:

3) The cost of everything on the islands is much more expensive than on the mainland. Don't forget this fact when negotiating the purchase.

One exception, the price of the house. If you want water front, mainland is (from my observations) double to three times the purchase price of an island property.

[secondcurve]

Webbsatwinni:

Very good points. I just wanted Ishoot to give the decision about buying an island property some long and hard thought. It is a perfect arrangement for some people but an unacceptable choice for many others.

[Webbsatwinni]

Very true, we rented both mainland and island properties for many years in various places around the lake for our family vacations before deciding on island property.

I agree that is not for everyone, most people who visit think we are nuts (They thought that before as well) and one of the toughest things is explaining to non lake Winni people that we have a house on an island.

[Island Life]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Guy

What is the heat source? If it's propane, how are you going to get it to the island? (We converted to a heat pump to provide AC and Heat.)

Heat??? AC??? Electricity???

[Pricestavern]

On an island you obviously need a boat. As you can imagine, the boat is critical. Can you afford a dependable one that's big enough to bring you and your stuff out to your place? Don't overlook this expensive aspect when considering a place.

[ishoot308]

Thanks all for the great advice!

One other thing our realtor recommended was to stick with homes that have state approved septic systems.

We looked at all types of island homes this weeknd, in many price ranges and different lot types.

A couple things we have decided...

#1. We do like the much lower tax rate of Alton as compared to Gilford!

#2. We most likely will stay away from the steeper lot homes. We went to a couple of these and wow,... even with a trolley system I can certainly see where getting your supplies to your camp would be quite a chore!

#3. Breakwater dock sure would be a nice feature and certainly adds value, and on many camps a requirement!!

Thanks again!

Dan

[islandAl]

While the mainland slip has been mentioned, also consider the car parking, not just yours, but visitors as well.
Naturally, location is the key factor in how critical some of the considerations are. How far and across what stretch of open water must you travel back and forth.
You learn to deal with out something that you forgot to purchase before you traveled to the island.
I love it but that’s all I have known.
Care to share where you are looking?

[Seeker]

Hopefully of interest in this thread: What islands, accessible only by boat, have electricity?

[ishoot308]

"Care to share where you are looking?"

Currently looking at islands in Gilford and Alton which have electricity. We prefer Alton because of the better tax rate, but we do love the convenience that Gilford has to offer...

We looked at Tuftonborough, Wolfboro, Center Harbor, Meredith and Moultonborough, but for convenience these places were on the wrong side of the lake for us as we currently live in Chester, NH and work in Manchester...

Dan

[codeman671]

I saw you poking around yesterday just down from me on Mark, I recognized the pontoon.

I will send you a PM with something that may or may not be of interest.

[ishoot308]

Yes, that was me! There's a place for sale very close to you on Mark that we saw a for sale sign in front of...Didn't get a inside look yet, as I let the wife set those up with the realtor!

[Bear Islander]

Originally Posted by Seeker

Hopefully of interest in this thread: What islands, accessible only by boat, have electricity?

Interesting question. The only large residential island without electricity I can think of is Diamond. The smaller islands can go either way.

[HUH]

Camp island in Gilford has no juice although it only has a few homes on it.

[Slickcraft]

I can't add to the great list of island considerations posted here so far but I'll expand a little on two items:

1. Which side of an island? We are on the west side of Welch which is subject to the prevailing NW wind so we and our neighbors have the necessary breakwaters. The NW wind often makes docking a real challenge; good boating skills and a well trained and agile crew person are necessary on many days. Also that wind can take the enjoyment out of some otherwise nice days. However we get those unforgettable sunsets and many summer days are fairly calm. On the SE side there is normally (not always) little wind and the sunrise to view but you will have to boat or walk to see a sunset. Our verdict? We will stay right where we are.

2. Islanders by and large are a do-it-yourself lot. Here not only your skills but your neighbors’ skills and attitudes are important. We are fortunate to be part of group of neighbors that have complementary skills, tools, materials and spare part supplies. There will be a few things that go south every year and we take turns helping each other out. Be wary of a camp where the neighbors have never picked up a hammer.

I'll also mention that a while ago there was a thread on what kind of boat makes a good island boat aka floating pickup truck.

[Mr. Moyer]

ishoot308,

I think everyone who has posted so far have made so many great points. it's such an exciting time that your experiencing. I know, i just went through it about a year and a half ago. We bought a place on Rattlesnake, on the non-broads side. I really don't have any useful points to add, except that I think your making a great move going to an island. I actually thought I may not have liked the island property. And altough, it is a bit more work, it's worth it. I bought a fixer upper on rattlenake and have spent many weekends up there over the past 2 summers. It has been one of the most rewarding expeirences of my life. The island is such a peaceful place, and one which I can envision my daughters (3yr old and 5 yr old) enjoying over the next 15-20 years. When you are there it is as if the rest of the world stops moving and you truly get to relax.
As a side note, there is a place for sale right next door to mine. It is a very nice lot, with very good access to the mainland and rattlesnakes private dock. It is a least a 3 bedroom and it's going for low 200's (listed with cullen or curren I think). The dock is beat up, so many don't stop to look. But for the money, you won't beat this place. I wish it was on the market when we bought ours. Add to it that you have great neighbors, how can you go wrong.
Best of luck with your search

[Rattlesnake Guy]

One of the things that occurred to me this weekend was the potential extra need for dock space on the island. If you have family and friends they can't come to the island property by car (sans bridge). Although you end up ferrying most of your guest, you may find you have friends with boats. We have had many forum members to our place and if we only had one slip it would be pretty difficult.

Then again, some days, it would make a great excuse.

After 6 seasons this do it yourself family has only had one repairman come out. We picked him up at the dock and it did not really cost a premium. The property may sell at a discount due to the lack of desirability and the shorter season but I get the impression that having people help you out cost more. But it sure sounds good now that the kids are off to school and took all the money with them.

Our season is dictated by the ice. Ice melting in the spring and ice forming in the engine in the fall. This year we are going to add a month by delivering the boat to the marina in the water instead of on a trailer.

Dial up on our island was at about 12K (Very painful with modern internet) Air card made it fun again.

[fatlazyless]

If your boat has an outboard, it can be used until about January 10, as long as it is kept straight down and into the unfrozen lake water.

The water drains down and the unfrozen lake keeps the water inside the lower area of the outboard warm enough so it won't freeze.

There's a few people with little row boats and outboards who go out to the islands, somewhere, right into January. Watching the navigation lights on these small boats as they round the south end of Bear Island and disappear into the night from the safety of my hot tub, it always impresses me. How cold is that water?

[HUH]

Almost all my neighbors rent dockspace to IR's and they are the best renters. We are looking for an island gem, more peaceful out there for sure. Ill take southwest exposure with a nice beach. Gilford docks seem to work pretty well now dont they..

[steadyon]

ishoot,
I am inspecting a place on Mark Is. on Friday (in the rain ) If you need an inspection send me a message and we can chat.
thanks,
steadyon