5 Ways to Make Sure Your New Home is Staycation-Friendly

5 Ways to Make Sure Your New Home is Staycation-Friendly

While some people love to travel on vacation, for those who travel for work on a regular basis or just crave peace and quiet, a staycation at home might be preferable.

Homeowner Staycation Spending Started Before the Great Recession

Vacations come in all shapes and sizes and one size definitely does not fit all. Whether out of preference or practical necessity, as a homeowner you may opt to spend your time off on a staycation instead of traveling.

A staycation by any other name might be a holistay. Though you might think of it as a phenomenon that arose from the Great Recession, the trend actually started years before. US Census Data analyzed by leisure and learning group WhiteHutchinson.com found that average household entertainment dollars spent 75+ miles from home (vacationing away from home) decreased by 1/3 from 2000 to 2009. Meanwhile, community based entertainment spending went from 56 percent of total entertainment spending in 2000 to 66 percent of total entertainment spending in 2009, near the beginning of the Great Recession.

So maybe the question isn’t whether you should look for a staycation-friendly home when you are buying a new house, but what you should look for to make sure the new home you buy is staycation-ready.

5 Things to Look for When Buying a Staycation-Ready New Home

1 – Location, Location, Location!

The first rule of real estate is also the first rule of staycation-ready home buying: location, location, location. A staycation-friendly new home will be located near:

  • Restaurants and bars the homeowner hasn’t yet, but has “always wanted to” try (after all, who wants to cook on vacation?)
  • Potential for day trips and adventures on the beach, in the mountains, in the water, on land, in the air; e.g., hiking, biking, boating, snorkeling, swimming, skydiving, etc.
  • Places to chill, like beaches and day spas
  • Places to socialize with friends and family (or places where they know they can avoid them!)
  • Access to entertainment like plays, concerts, comedy clubs, live music, karaoke, professional sporting events, museums, zoos, aquariums and so on

2 – A Happy Place

We all have a happy place. Typically it’s a spot where you just feel good the minute you walk in. When you’re looking a new home listings, look for spaces like reading nooks, bonus rooms and outdoor spaces that you know you’ll be able to trick out, paint, decorate, furnish and dedicate to leisure time. Your happy place might even be a favorite piece of furniture like a hammock or deck chair. Just be sure that your new home has a place where you can put your happy place must-haves.

3 – Party Food and Drink Space

Having a spot to put an extra refrigerator in the garage to hold party food and drinks takes the pressure off and ensures that you can stock up on your favorite snacks and beverages before your staycation. starts. This is especially important if you plan to invite others to come on staycation with you or will be entertaining.

4 – Access to Hobbies

If you’re an avid golfer, your ideal staycation might include a round of golf at all of the golf courses within driving distance of your home. If you’re a crafter whose everyday life doesn’t permit time for crafting, sewing, painting, building or some other hobby then your ideal staycation might be closer to home. When buying a new home, look for houses that have either the location or bonus spaces you need to feed your favorite leisure-time addictions.

5 – Game Space

From Beer Pong to Badminton and board games, look for houses that have space where you can break out the games you enjoy playing with friends, kids or house guests. These could be spaces large enough to accommodate a pool table or ping pong table, or spaces where furnishings can quickly be rearranged to accommodate tables for multi-player games like Bunco or Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, Twister, or family-size board games. This also includes outdoor spaces where you can set up volleyball or badminton courts or play horseshoes, corn hole or bocce ball.

You might also like: 6 Benefits of Buying a Brand New Home

If you are planning a staycation, make sure that you have a PLAN! Planning ahead can help to ensure that you get the most out of your staycation unless of course your plan is to do nothing at all.

What about you? Have you had a staycation before, and what did you enjoy most about it? Leave your comments below or let us know if we missed any other staycation-friendly home features.