Why Experience Counts
What you see is the view. The water at sunset and the mountains beyond. All the ways you and your family will be able to paddle and boat, read on the dock or talk by a fire late into the night. That you’ll wake up to that view every day. It’s easy to fall in love with a beautiful home on the water, but with so many years of selling Kelowna waterfront homes behind us, we know there are a lot of questions you’ll want to have answered before putting in an offer or listing with just anyone.
At Jane Hoffman Realty, our founder, Jane, began selling homes in neighbourhoods near Lakeshore Road thirty-five years ago. What appealed to homeowners then—the breathtaking beauty of Okanagan Lake and the simple joy of lakefront life—continues to draw buyers from across Canada. While luxury properties have become more unique and intricate, so too are the regulations around what is permitted and what you need to know before imagining yourself moving in.
With lakeshore in particular, there is additional due diligence required by an agent to assist a buyer in understanding all the unique considerations and changing government regulations.” Kristy Huber, REALTOR® with Jane Hoffman Realty
Sherry Truman, another Jane Hoffman Realty agent says when you specialize in waterfront properties, “you can ensure there aren’t surprises, especially costly errors or missed opportunities.”
Why does it help to have experience selling Kelowna waterfront homes?
While you and your partner begin to imagine adding a little guesthouse by the rocks or maybe a dock upgrade, members of Jane Hoffman Realty who specialize in waterfront real estate will have already begun to consider the questions you might not know to ask, including:
Docks, foreshore boundaries
- The type of dock license the property has & what it means for your plans to use certain types of dock materials. For example, a waterfront property with a designated ‘black’ zone on the water is prevented from building a permanent dock.
- Age of the existing dock. We have relationships to help determine the year it was built so you have a sense of its lifespan.
- Riparian areas and coloured zones of fish habitat (black, red, yellow, clear) also indicate types of building activity that can be done within a certain range of the water
Lakefront home regulations and considerations, especially for rebuilding
- Setbacks, elevation and site line rules indicate how close to the water you can build and any height restrictions if you were thinking of building up.
- Water source is important to know so you understand if you’ll have additional costs and responsibilities in sourcing drinking water, and the quality of that water.
- Boat traffic and public access is important: Is the property in an area near the core or a public boat launch where you’ll see a lot of passing boats and loud music? Are you up for the Kelowna boat life energy or were you hoping for a little more tranquility?
- Wind and sun considerations. Do you want to be on the west side of the water, and enjoy the sun all through the day, or have you fallen in love with a property on the east that welcomes the sun in the afternoon, just in time for cocktails? If the property is on a high elevation point, will it be windy on the patio or a just-right breeze?
- Intricacies and complexities of luxury properties. These homes tend to have unique design with advanced technology to make the most of the location and the lifestyle, or new ways to save energy—and having experience in this market helps ensure you notice and understand everything there is to appreciate.
Home history and valuation
Since Kelowna’s lakefront buyers and sellers have been turning to us for more than three decades, we bring a deep knowledge of the history of a neighbourhood, a builder and often the home itself.
“I have sold many of the homes over, and over again, and with this experience, I really know the properties!” says Kristy.
We are fortunate to have represented thousands of waterfront homes for sale over the years, and draw on this expertise every time we work with a client.
“Over the course of a long career, it’s likely you’ll sell a property more than once, and this history helps to know areas that may have issues, benefits or value,” says Sherry.
Kelowna’s waterfront community is unlike any other in Canada, and when you’re able to lean on a group with this much expertise, it means you can sell your home with confidence or make an informed buying decision knowing this is the house for you!
Are you looking for a Kelowna real estate group that specializes in luxury and waterfront properties? We’re proud to put our unrivalled expertise to work for you! Contact us so we can share our knowledge and start you on the path to a successful home sale or purchase.