Whether your ideal beach house is a homely, white-washed wooden cottage or a slick all-glass castle, your ideal beach holidayis unlikely to include hard labor to repair damage from natural disasters or overdue maintenance. Maintenance is unavoidable for any home, but a well-designed structure will help you to avoid some of the challenges of a property on the coast.

What are the risks of owning a beach house?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), living at the coast places your home at greater risk of damage due to flooding, wind and severe coastal storms. Wind andweather-related water damage account for 36 percent of insurance claims, the Insurance Journal reports. Then there’s the rust, erosion,andmold caused by an endless onslaught of sun, sea,and sand.

These three natural elements are probably also the reason so many Americans find themselves in coastal areas, despite the high risk they pose to a beach house’s exterior.

The NOAA report that 39 percent of the American population live on 10 percent of the country’s land mass – the coast. This figure dates from 2010 and was expected to have increased by 8 percent by 2020. 

This doesn’t take into account the homeowners that reside elsewhere inland and use their beach houses as holiday homes or investments, but that aren’texempt from the damage, risks,and repairs that come with the territory.

How Can I Design My Beach House to Avoid These Dilemmas?

Different beach house designs hold different strengths that equip them to deal with the specific risks they face on the coast. When considering the design of your beach house, it’s important to assess your greatest risk factor based on the area your house is located in. If your house is on the East coast, for example, you’re more likely to be hit by a flood than on the earthquake-plagued West coast. A house on the beachfront may also be at higher risk than one a little more inland, protected by other houses and trees.

Raising your house

Stilted or raised beach houses are a good design for areas where you’re likely to be hit by some floods, as it stops your interior and furniture from being damaged by water. Floods can also damage your foundation and electric systems, which is easily avoidable by raising or lifting your house’s foundation. The cost to lift an existing house, unfortunately, is big at an average of $3,500 - $5,800 according to Improvement. If you’re in a high flood risk area, however, it’s something to consider when taking future costs into account.

Building a well-sealed timber beach house

Apart from the beautiful, relaxed look of a timber beach house, it’s also a quick and affordable way to build, not to mention having a smaller carbon footprint than brick and mortar homes and being easier to heat up and cool down. Timber beach houses are ideal for beachfront stands, as they can be erected with minimal disturbance to the environment when placed on stilts.

Unfortunately, timber is susceptible to mold and mildew. It needs to be inspected and treated on a regular basis to keep the ocean moisture out and stop any unwanted growth in its tracks.

Building floors that can stand up to salt and water

Many beach houses have tiled floors due to the ease with which they can be cleaned of salty sea mist and water, sand and the regular holiday spills of cold drinks and ice creams. Similarly, concrete floors are resistant to just about anything and have the added advantage that cracks and chips can easily be fixed without having to source and replace a tile.

If you have a stilted wooden beach house, however, these floors will pose problems because of their weight. Timber floors can be very hard-wearing and water-resistant if treated with the appropriate sealants every year.

Using rust, weather, and corrosion resistant hardware

Beach houses with large windows and glass panels are popular because they maximize the surrounding ocean and landscape views. A house with many large windows also offers savings in airconditioning costs as the house can be cooled down significantly by opening strategic windows and getting adequate air flow.

Unfortunately, steel window frames and other metallic hardware pose the age-old dilemma of rust and corrosion at the coast.

Aluminum or aluminum-coated window frames are known for their rust resistant properties and are a popular choice for this reason. Make sure that you opt for anodized aluminium, as this treatment protects it from the corrosion brought on by prolonged saltwater exposure.

Another option to safeguard your metal frames and hardware against the elements is to regularly paint them with high quality, protective paints or purchase them already treated from a reputable supplier.

Regular maintenance is key

Even the best preventative measures and designs are subject to failure,and there are certain parts of a home that simply cannot be safeguarded from the elements. Regular maintenance of your beach house will ensure that rust, mold,andcorrosion never have the opportunity to settle in.

• Get a trusted handyman or paint specialist in during the offseason to inspect the exterior of your beach house for any signs of disrepair or damage. They will be able to advise you on the appropriate steps to nip any damage in the bud.
• Regularly wipe down metal surfaces to remove excess salt and sand and stop them from doing significant damage. Take care not to damage the anti-rust and corrosion coatings on these surfaces.
  
• Consider pressure washing your walls once a year to remove crystalized salt and sand and stop surface mold from spreading. It’s also a good idea to use this method to clean your house exterior before repainting or resealing wood.
  

How Can the Interior Design of My Beach House Avoid Beach Holiday Disasters?

Although there can be some value in an investment beach house, Business Insider warns that seasonal letting may have a negative return on investment of up to 10 percent. 

A beach house’s real value lies in the beautiful, relaxing environment it creates for the residents. If a relaxing holiday is interrupted by home-maintenance chores,however, it may cause homeowners to reconsider their investment.

A home that requires as little cleaning and tidying as possible, and always looks well styled and in good shape can go a long way in easing these maintenance-blues. 

Here are some interior design considerations for avoiding beach holiday disasters.

Organizers to keep your beach house neat

Because you’re less likely to feel like spending your holiday cleaning and tidying, it’s a good idea to let your home’s interior design do the hard work by installing cupboard organizers to keep your beach house tidy. Other clever ways to minimize clutter and free up your holiday-time are kitchen drawer organizers and wine and spice racks.

Beach house décor that lasts

Beach houses often have indoor-outdoor areas that require durable, yet stylish furniture that can withstand the elements. Indoor furniture often has to double as outdoor furniture when extra chairs are needed for a big summer get-together with extended family.

Both wicker and wood are good options for holiday homes. As with windows and doors, wood furniture is perfectly weather resistant if regularly treated and sealed. It can also be sanded down and restored, offering many years of use and a classic look that never goes out of style.

Wicker has a lovely laid-backlookwhile offering UV, mold and water resistance. This style goes especially well with timber beach houses.

Always opt for outdoor fabric when getting pillows made for your wicker or wood furniture. Outdoor fabrics come in a variety of designs ranging from colorful prints to simple stripes or plain fabric. They are UV and mold resistant, which means you can leave them outside for the entire holiday, and hose them down when they’re salty or dusty, without fear of ruining them.

Nautical-themed hardware

No beach house look and feel is complete without the appropriate trim and finishes. Nautical or ocean themed hardware such as doorknobs and switch plates are available in a variety of designs and finishes. While the traditional anchors or shells may be perfect for a timber home, simple, colorful crystal star-shaped knobs or brushed silver knotted rope designs may be better suited to a more modern beach house design.

Beach houses are often seen as the reward for hard work and should be enjoyed appropriately. Drawing up a maintenance list that regularly gets checked off makes it easier to tend to your beach house’s upkeep remotely. When you do have some touching up to do on your visit, remember to have fun and get the hard work out the way first.