The opportunity to add a second home to your portfolio marks an exciting milestone. Embarking upon this next chapter of homeownership—and taking into account factors like where to buy and whether it’s better to build—takes time and thoughtful consideration.
As far as locations go, you have plenty of options. You could consider an urban pied-a-terre for maximum convenience. Golf enthusiasts may see the allure of country club living, with amenities such as clubhouse dining, racquet and swim clubs, and easy access to the links. And with some help from the sharing economy, condos and cottages in bustling resort communities offer a chance to enjoy a change of pace for part of the year while renting it out for passive income the rest of the time.
The best option, however, may be the most traditional: the classic rural retreat. A rural home represents a stark contrast from the travails of big city life, providing a respite not just for your immediate family but for extended relatives and friends to enjoy as well. For years, homeowners in the United States and Canada have taken advantage of the ample space to carve out areas they can truly call their own, using these blank slates to finally design the homes of their dreams. Here are four reasons to build your second home in a rural area.
Avoiding the Sensory Overload of Noise and Light
Do you remember the first time you had a chance to truly get away from it all? Maybe it was going to summer camp as a child, or taking a family vacation up north to cottage country. Of all the new sensory experiences, surely one stood out: gazing up at a clear night sky that seemed absolutely littered with stars. Whereas picking out one shining star may have felt special in an urban or suburban sky, now you could finally see a truly starry sky. Such is a world without light pollution.
The light pollution that attends city life does more than just get in the way of stargazing. Constant low-level illumination can have adverse effects on our health, as well. Light pollution can disrupt our circadian rhythm, which in turn affects sleep quality, mood, and even cardiovascular health. As if your busy life isn’t already standing in the way of a good night’s sleep, your urban surroundings could be as well.
Just as pernicious is noise pollution when it comes to our well-being. What we romanticize as the sounds of a vibrant cityscape can become a din that affects our health in similar ways as constant streetlights, headlights, and illuminated office windows. Long-term exposure to ambient urban noise can lead to heightened anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Fortunately, a rural second home offers a change of scenery with benefits that go beyond the aesthetic.
Designing Specifically for Each Unique Property
By building in a rural area, nature can be your main source of inspiration. This allows designers to pursue plans that make the most of each client’s piece of land. Irregular lot lines, uneven terrain, and even waterways can provide architectural inspiration.
At Turkel Design, we begin each project with a visit to your land. By building a digital model of your site, we can ensure that your home is designed to make the most of any nearby hills and bodies of water and that every room captures the best possible view. Whether it’s accommodating a steep slope or a heavy snow load requirement, we take pleasure in designing a beautiful home that perfectly fits the challenges and opportunities presented by each piece of land.
Finding the Beauty in a Home’s Relationship to Nature
Seeking a new home in the countryside is more than a move away from traffic, noise, and crowds.
In a rural setting, your designer can create a timeless home by emphasizing traditional, natural materials. Custom rural homes provide the opportunity to make the most of natural building materials that complement their surroundings, from rough-hewn stone to real wood with all its beautiful imperfections. By designing and building with natural, regionally appropriate materials, we can partner with you to create an understated contemporary home that’s as much a work of art as it is a living space. At Turkel Design, we embrace sustainability at every step, from selecting energy-efficient materials and systems to minimizing the number of trips we make to your building site. By using sustainable materials and off-site prefabrication, we strive to make less of an impact on the land you love.
Creating a Family Gathering Place
Looking beyond the metropolis to build your custom second home can benefit you in many ways. Easy access to state and national parks may beckon, and you can finally get the wide-open space, unbridled creativity, and peace and quiet you couldn’t find in your primary residence. You may even finally get that elusive view of a pristine body of water.
But one of the best reasons to build your second home in a rural area is the opportunity to build a long-lasting legacy for your entire family. While you may be the primary beneficiary, you can give an amazing gift to your relatives by inaugurating a new summer tradition: one of decamping to the understated elegance and natural aesthetics of your country house. Your home will last for years, and so will the memories you help create there. When you can sit back and reflect on this gift you’ve given, you can truly enjoy a peace that goes far beyond a quiet night under a starry sky.
If you already have the perfect rural property in mind for your second home, let Turkel Design partner with you in developing a contemporary prefab home that you and your whole family will adore. And if you’re still looking for the piece of land that inspires you to build, we can help guide you through the selection process.
Our panelized prefabrication process makes custom homebuilding more efficient and sustainable than ever. Explore our portfolio and library today for more inspiration.
