Often, out-of-area buyers view property only during seasons of the year when there are no adverse weather conditions. Knowing how weather might affect a certain property or certain types of structures could be a vital deciding factor. Since there are many microclimates in our region, a great deal of research can be done and information gathered before making a decision to purchase.
In my area, which is an extreme snow belt, many new homeowners from warmer regions have come and gone, usually lasting only one winter before deciding that it just isn’t for them.
If you have the fortitude to handle areas that accumulate such high snow levels, then care should be taken to look for proper construction methods that can not only physically handle snow loads and other weather-related issues but also include styles that lessen the impact when conditions are adverse, such as covered porches and metal roofs that shed snow away from doors and driveways.
Manufactured homes typically have a sticker inside the home (often in a kitchen cabinet or electrical panel) that indicates the insulation factor, along with the engineered roof load and whether it is sufficient for the area in which you live.
How is the road getting in and out? It may be fine now, but just wait until February or March! Does the road have steep grades, shaded areas, or narrow passages? Who maintains the road? Is there a written road maintenance agreement? Is there flooding in the spring, and is the runoff properly ditched?
Be sure to look in the pump house. Is it properly insulated? Is there a heat source to keep it from freezing? Too many times, a new owner has experienced frozen pipes because they did not know to turn the heat on in the pump house during that first winter.
Those beautiful trees and green shrubs near the home you loved so much when you looked at it in the spring—are they too close to the home? If a tree falls in a windstorm, is it close enough to damage the home? Are the trees and shrubs far enough away to make your home defensible against ever-increasing wildfires?
When looking for your next home in the country, choose a local real estate expert who is aware of the factors involved in owning rural properties in all seasons of the year—not just in the summertime when most buyers look.