Owning A Waterfront Home: Special Considerations - Maine Real Estate

Owning a home on the water offers the benefits of great views and access to boating, swimming and other waterfront activities. However, there are some things you’ll want to take note of. The first is that ocean spray degrades decks and houses quickly, so adjust your maintenance budget expectations accordingly. Wind, too, can be a big factor, so be sure that if you have any outdoor deck/patio furniture, it is secured. Obviously, if the house is located very close to the water, you will want to find out whether it’s in a flood plain and how that affects your insurance needs. One more note about tidal properties: they look very different at high and low tide; make sure to visit at both times.
Not surprisingly, there are restrictions as to how close to the water you can build as well as how high (35 feet from the high water line is the common maximum). Additionally, there are maximum impervious surface allowance (usually 20%) and requirements concerning how much vegetation may be removed due to erosion and run-off concerns. Your septic system and well locations will also be impacted by not only how close they can be to the water, but also how rocky the ground is. It’s impractical to dig through the granite ledges that provide the Maine coast with its rugged profile. So be sure to understand any restrictions or limitations that the waterfront location, zoning regulations and the topography may present.
Boat/Dock
If part of the draw of owning a waterfront home is having a boat, you will need to carefully research any prospective property, as well as local regulations concerning docks, moorings, frontage, etc. Frontage refers to the horizontal amount of land along the shoreline that belongs to the property. Be sure to find out what the water level difference is between low and high tide to determine if you can use a dock or (if you have a large boat with a deep draw), whether you’ll need a mooring. Moorings usually have to be within 100 feet of the shoreline. There are also restrictions regarding whether you can install a permanent dock or a floating dock.
Further considerations if you are planning for a boat include the cost of not only purchasing the boat and dock and dock stairs, but also having them installed/removed/stored out of season.
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