Feel the sun on your face, the wind at your back (while enjoying time on a boat), and the sand in your toes. Add in the golf courses, wineries, orchards and fruit stands, hiking and biking trails and beautiful weather and it’s easy to see why Kelowna is a sought after paradise.
Photo Credit: Contributed.
It’s that fresh, fun, relaxing Okanagan vibe that urges many people to move here and call Kelowna home. Ask around. You’re likely to meet many people who have moved here from the Lower Mainland (like my family and I), Alberta (like my brother Darren and his family), Saskatchewan, across Canada and the world.
Photo Credit: Contributed.
So, when we work with buyers (from Kelowna and beyond) we like to go beyond the typical buyers’ questions. We find that just as important as the number of bedrooms is ensuring the home and location also checks off many of the lifestyle boxes, too.
Kelowna Home Buyer Checklist For Summer Living
Proximity to the beach
For some of our buyers, they’d prefer to walk, bike or easily drive to the beach rather than their office. Thankfully, many neighbourhoods in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland and Lake Country offer easy routes to the water (boat launches and beaches).
Lakeview
Being able to watch the sunrise or set over the lake is a big one for people in the Okanagan. The good news is we have many mountainside communities that offer spectacular views of Okanagan Lake and the city.
Waterfront
Taking only a few steps to dip in the lake is a quintessential Kelowna luxury. In addition to spectacular waterfront estates, there are also several townhome and condo communities that are on the lake.
Pool
Some of our buyers will put having a pool right at the top of their wishlist. They’re already envisioning the Instagram posts of them laying on a giant Unicorn floatie while sipping on a glass of wine (or beer, frozen cocktail etc.).
Photo Credit: Contributed.
Boat/RV parking/storage
For many, having a boat or rv is part of the package when it comes to living the Okanagan lifestyle. When buying a home in Kelowna, consider where you will park/store your toys, such as triple car garages, extra long garages, side-yard parking etc.
Ease of commute
Some things to consider include which side of the bridge you want to be on, where your office is, and how long you want to spend driving to the larger grocery stores/big box stores. Of course, there are always bonus points if you can stop by a winery/fruit stand on your drive home
Access to hiking & mountain biking trails
Kelowna is a mecca for the trail-enthusiast. If you like to hike or mountain bike, you’ll have plenty of choice near Kelowna’s popular trails.
Maintenance-free yard
Many of our buyers come to us in search of a maintenance-free or low-maintenance yard so they have more time to spend living the lifestyle (instead of mowing the lawn or weeding the garden).
Large family-sized yard
Other buyers want to ensure the kids have a place to play, they can plant a couple fruit trees and they have room for a pool.
Area for outdoor entertaining / outdoor kitchen
Summer bbq season lasts from the first signs of spring right through fall. Do you like hosting your friends and family? Look for a home with a large deck, multiple decks and even outdoor bbq kitchens.
A spare room
It’s no secret, when you live in Kelowna your out-of-town-friends and family will be begging to visit! Want to be able to show them some Kelowna hospitality? You’ll need a spare room (or two or three).
Are you thinking of moving? We hope our summer-inspired buyers’ wishlist can help you think beyond the ideal number of bedrooms, size of the kitchen and being close to a particular school. The REALTORS® at Nyrose & Associates love helping Kelowna buyers prioritize their wish list so they can find the perfect home to match their lifestyle. Give us a call! We’d love to find out what features of a home and neighbourhood are most important to you!
