There are cat people and there are dog people. Chocolate or vanilla? Lake home or beach house? When it comes down to it, there is no right or wrong answer, but here are six reasons why we prefer a lake home to a beach house!
Reason #1: Sand
Sand. Sand everywhere.
If you spend time out on the beach, prepare to bring pounds of it back home with you.
You can rest assured that the hard-to-clean-up substance will end up in your shoes, your car, all around the house, and even in the bed.
Oh, and that’s without even mentioning sand spurs or sand gnats/flies!
Reason #2: Salt Water
Some may prefer the saltwater to the freshwater, but it’s nice to be able to look around underwater unaided by goggles and without burning your eyes.
Reason #3: Sharks
While not a completely rational fear, there is a percentage of the population who is afraid of sharks.
If that’s the case, come on over to the lake.
There are no freshwater sharks, with the exception of the bull shark, which can travel up rivers but generally stays near the coast.
Not to mention, there is no way for a bull shark to get over a man-made dam which almost all lakes of size are created by.
Reason #4: Rope Swings/Cliff Faces
Beaches do not offer trees, nor does it offer a “deep area” where someone can just jump in the water from some height.
You are forced to wade into the shallow water until it gradually gets deeper.
On the other hand, lakes can be hundreds of feet deep right at the edge of the shoreline. This provides ample opportunity for cliff jumping, launching from a rope swing, or perfecting your dive!
Reason #5: Docks
A large portion of lakeside properties includes a private dock or the ability to construct one, whereas many beach homes do not.
Similar to reason 4, this can provide a platform to dive into the water, even from as high as 25 feet if you have a double-decker dock.
In addition to diving, the dock provides an excellent platform to fish from, and many species of fish will naturally take cover in the water under the dock.
It’s also the perfect place to relax or hang out.
You can grill out, sunbathe, read a book, or whatever you’d like, all the while enjoying the sounds and scenery of being right on the lake.
Reason #6: Cost/Availability
While both freshwater and coastal shorelines can only provide a finite amount of real estate, there are actually many more miles of lake shoreline than coastal.
In fact, there are more lake shoreline miles in the state of Alabama than there are coastline miles on the entire Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico (in the U.S.) combined.
What does this boil down to? Supply and demand.
Both properties are more costly than your average primary home, but there is a much larger supply of lake property, making it a lower price point in many instances.
At the end of the day, both lake and beach properties make for fantastic getaways. And though we may be a little bit biased, there are pros and cons to each location.
We just choose to head to the lake.
Do you prefer the lake? If so let us know why in the comments below!
Eli,
Great job on this article. I could not agree more! ( In addition, lakes often have trees nearby thereby providing shade. There is NO shade anywhere on a beach. In this time of vigilant protection from the sun’s harmful rays, having a shady spot by the lake is a great added value to owning a lake home!
Another positive – friends can come to visit by boat. Not so at the ocean ( for the most part).
Very true Lynda, excellent points!
My husband and I are thinking about getting a waterside property. Thanks for the advice about how if you live by the beach you’ll always have sand everywhere and normally no trees right by the water. Anther great thing about lake properties is that you can go boating on the lake and have it be glass smooth from most of the day depending on the weather.
We are happy you find this article useful! Salty water and air also cause vehicles and other items to deteriorate more quickly. There are numerous amazing reasons why a lake home is more applicable than a beach house. Please let us know if you would like one of our expert agents to show you around lake properties.
Exactly! All of the above is true. My home is lakefront facing east. From my sunroom, morning sun shines like a million diamonds on water ripples. Full moon shines across the water and you feel like you are on a cruise. Lake living rocks….
I have been spending 3 weekends now browsing the internet on anything pros and cons of lakefront house purchasing for future retirement. I love the beach. Especially walking in early morning or late in the afternoon. I always dream of owning even a very small beachouse. I came across a site showed lake homes properties. I was amazed how affordable the prices. I can’t afford a beachome 1b/1b for almost $800k. Now I see the big pros and cons of lakefront homes or living in the lake as very convincing. Property prices are also big consideration when thinking of retirement. Thanks for all the comments. I will continue browsing until I close on either 1: lake vs beach.
My parents are thinking of buying a house near the ocean or a lake. You stated that. You stated that lake properties offer a deck or the right to build one. This is something my dad will love since he enjoys boat riding.
Lakes dry up during droughts. They can be grassy and host alligators and/or snakes if in warm areas. If in cold areas, they’re too chilly to swim in. If northern, they may have large rocks under the surface. The water is brown and opaque and there isn’t always a breeze. The bottom is often slimey and full of leaf litter. Mud is sticky/sand is not.
The ocean is……The Ocean. Clear water/sugary sand. Wonderful breezes and a view that goes on forever. Oceanfront property will always be more valuable than lakefront. Yes, there can be bad weather but years of wonderful weather are worth one or two serious storms.
Tell people you live on a lake. Tell people you live oceanfront. See which brings a more envious response.
Either location is great!
But the beach can’t be beat. If you can afford it.
Owning a lake house I can definitely add to this….
During Covid lock downs, beaches were being closed and even beach front owners were not allowed on the beach. No one can close my back yard or my dock that I own on the water. I don’t have to share the space with anyone.
Another great reason for the lake is that I park my boat and jet skis on the dock steps away from my house. I can take the boat to the restaurants around the lake. I can float in the water for hours with nothing biting me and no rip tides carrying me away. I like to visit the beach, but after a week of sand and wind, I feel gross and want to head back to the lake. Nothing beats the beauty and calmness of the lake!