11 Reasons Retirees Regret Moving To The Beach

Every year, billions of visits are made to beaches across the United States. Around the world, it's no secret that many tourists and locals alike enjoy the combination of sunshine and sand. Some come to like it so much that they believe that there is no better place to spend their later years than on their very own beachfront property.

Whether you settle down in Florida, an exotic Caribbean island, or choose to live by a cozy spot near the Mediterranean Sea, the goal is often the same: to spend as much time relaxing as possible, either alone, with a spouse, or perhaps friends. Despite what those goals were leading up to retirement, the outcome doesn't always go as planned. For instance, a Clever Offers survey of 1,000 Americans revealed that 29% of those who moved to a new location to improve their happiness and living situation found that it didn't help.

Retirees may find themselves in similar circumstances, especially if they move, assuming things will improve without looking more closely for signs that this type of move might not be the best. Here are the reasons why retirees could come to regret deciding to move to the beach.

It may seem counterintuitive at first, but just because your new home is on a lovely beach doesn't necessarily mean you no longer have to worry about bad weather. For instance, in some tropical and subtropical regions, beaches are located in areas that experience a rainy and dry season. During the dry season, you'll likely experience very hot weather where it hardly ever rains, making it the perfect time to get out and lie on the beach.

However, these beaches may be situated in areas directly in the path of hurricanes and monsoons, which often bring torrential downpours, destructive winds, and massive flooding. What was supposed to be a new life of peaceful relaxation may become a source of annual stress and worry, with a single bad-weather event capable of destroying your lovely beach property. Even more upsetting is the possibility that, should you experience the worst, you find that you do not have the finances needed to rebuild, or even move to a new home. The Guardian noted homeowners may have their home insurance claims denied because the policy covers wind damage but not flooding. Even if you manage to pick a beach property out of the path of extreme weather, you might still have to worry about higher energy bills, especially if air conditioning is an absolute must year round. 

Imagine dreaming of a beachfront home, spending decades working and saving to own one, successfully retiring there, and then, one day, having to stand by and watch helplessly as it crumbles and falls into the ocean. This nightmarish scenario played out for several homeowners in North Carolina's Outer Banks, as reported by ABC News. Per the report, the National Park Service (NPS) advised members of the public to stay away and also reached out to the homeowners regarding their plans to clear the debris.

Whether it's lingering damage from past storms or due to ongoing coastal erosion, your home might not be as stable as you thought it was before purchase. This is why it's always a good idea to get a house inspected before finalizing any real estate deal. Some home buyers move forward without an inspection or any form of real estate consultation, hoping to save money. Instead, you might find yourself suddenly homeless or without valuable investment property, while now also financially obligated for the immediate removal of any remaining debris found on the nearby beach.

While some retirees might not mind tourists or locals walking around or near their beach home, not everyone is so open to prying eyes and will do as much as possible to discourage trespassers. Unfortunately, your best efforts may be for nothing and even result in a fine if they run afoul of local ordinances.

For example, High Country News reported on a tech billionaire was ordered by the state of California to restore public beach access to a popular surfing spot. In fact, owners of private beach property who frequently permanently limit or cut off access to public beach areas are a constant source of strife and legal controversy, especially if they aren't native to the area.

A desire for privacy is understandable, especially for the purposes of enjoying your retirement. If that's the case, you should avoid settling near beaches known for tourism or as popular hangout spots for locals. Doing so and then demanding privacy could make you wildly unpopular very fast, on top of finding yourself sued in court or fined.

What often comes to mind when picturing life on the beach is the sound of waves crashing against the shore or a gentle breeze through palm trees. While some retirees can secure a quiet home in a peaceful area, others realize too late where they moved, and regret the decision. Some beaches are very popular with tourists; during the high season, you may have to contend with dozens or even hundreds of people trampling nearby at all hours. As one aggravated local complained on Facebook, "We wake up to noise pollution from 6:30 am," before adding that "beautiful sunsets" were ruined by motor gliding and "crazy noise until dark."

What some retirees may need to consider before moving to the beach is how different the sights and sounds will feel when they're a permanent resident and no longer a visiting tourist. The sounds of frogs in the evening and roosters in the early morning might initially feel novel, but they can quickly become monotonous and aggravating. Coupled with noise pollution from tourism or development, it can make your beach life feel miserable.

Rhode Island residents had multiple reasons to resent pop music icon Taylor Swift. First, according to CNBC, she blocked visitors from accessing public beach areas by erecting a massive sea wall in front of her multi-million dollar beach property. Then, they found themselves hit by the so-called Taylor Swift Tax, the name given to a state-imposed levy on secondary or vacation homes.

While you might not be a massive star like Swift, you could still find yourself subject to an enormous property tax thanks to a sudden change in laws. It's always a good idea to find out what your tax obligations could be once you relocate. Even if you carefully budget on anticipated expenses, failure to perform due diligence could leave you facing severe tax obligations that you weren't prepared for.

Get advice and do research before your move, so that you at least can know how much savings you need in your bank account when factoring in additional tax obligations. That aside, you may do everything right and still come to regret the move because a pop star your grandkids love brought a little too much attention to her nearby beachfront home.

Some American retirees choose to move abroad. Instead of settling down on beaches found in the United States or even the mainland of other continents, they move to an island. The location is likely charming. However, there is a huge caveat to island life: shopping. Some items you previously had easy access to are no longer available in town shops.

It's not uncommon for islands to lack natural resources and to instead rely heavily on imports. This leads to high import taxes, which severely impact the price of local goods and services. As such, you may not only have to cope with higher prices when shopping, but also face higher shipping costs. Even if you don't move to a beach on an island, you may still get slammed by high prices as beaches with high tourism may raise prices seasonally to take advantage of the influx of travelers.

Lastly, when clothes shopping, be prepared for a bit of boredom, especially if you choose a beach where the weather stays warm and unchanged year-round. If you're used to seasonal clothes shopping, there may no longer be a need for it. You might find yourself regretting settling in a place where you no longer get to enjoy sweater weather and wear your favorite autumn wardrobe.

One day, you may go to close your door and find that it's a struggle to do so, or it's very difficult to shut. In other months, the door is easy to open, but suddenly doesn't stay closed. This is a common side effect of homes designed without accounting for wood's seasonal swelling and shrinking, particularly in regions with significant humidity fluctuations. Sometimes, it's not the effect of humidity on a wooden door, but that your home was constructed in a location that led to it quietly sinking for years, warping the structure over time.

What can be especially disheartening is that these changes aren't always immediately noticeable, especially with a new home. It could take years for structural problems to become visibly apparent. By the time they do, you may find yourself facing extensive, costly home repairs. You may also find that the damage is so pervasive that there is no way to fix the issue permanently. At that point, it becomes a matter of either perpetual repairs and related expenses or making the tough decision to move away. Should you opt to sell, the value of the home could plummet based on those pesky structural issues.

Unless your beach home is a short walk or bike ride from town, you will likely need reliable transportation. Some vehicles work well on pavement, but off-road, they aren't nearly as reliable. Before long, you may find yourself coping with damage caused by saltwater erosion and sand, or even a rapidly fading paint job. With that damage comes car maintenance fees and other expenses you might not be prepared for.

For retirees who move to the beach without a vehicle and rely on public transportation, there may still be problems. For instance, only after the move do you find that public buses are not reliable, or they may not stop as close to your new home as you would like, forcing you to walk in the heat to catch a bus whenever you have to go into town. Oddly enough, your beach home could be perfect, and yet you still find yourself regretting your move because getting around is such a headache.

Either way, if you decide that enough is enough, and you want to buy a vehicle more suitable to your life at the beach, there are still other expenses to worry about, at least if you're not buying your car locally. Depending on where you live, the price of importing a vehicle can quickly add up. For instance, importing a car from China into the United States can reportedly cost between $4,500 and $29,000. If you're in the Cayman Islands, meanwhile, you will have to pay import duties up to 42% of the car's cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value. Whatever the case, these costs can add up quickly, especially for retired Americans living on fixed incomes.

If a retiree is caught up in the romance of moving to the beach, they might come to regret the choice if the property's location leaves them vulnerable to crime. Some countries, like Costa Rica, continue to struggle with a negative reputation due to the presence of gangs or organized crime and illegal drugs. Some Americans may find themselves unwittingly relocating to a region known for kidnappings or corruption so pervasive that police officers threaten you if you don't pay bribes.

Even if you take great care to choose a beach in a peaceful area, safe from violence, you may still not be in the clear. Beaches with seasonal tourism are typically the site of non-violent crimes like pickpocketing and burglary. These types of crimes can lead to lost money or the need to call for repairs to replace shattered car windows or broken doors. Depending on the location, you may be looking at repairs that range from $200 to over $1,000.

Before leaping headfirst into a permanent move, consider a long-stay, both during the high and low seasons. At the same time, ask residents about how they enjoy life in the area. If you can find a community of retired expats to ask about crime and safety, even better.

Life on the beach is deceptive at times because it's not always as laid back as one would think. If you're someone who spent most of your pre-retirement years living and working in urban areas, or you never had the chance to visit the beach regularly, your decision to move might be based on what you assume it will be like rather than first-hand knowledge. If you're very unlucky, you may find it hard to adapt to local customs or form a friend group.

Socialization is very important, especially as studies show seniors experience levels of loneliness and isolation that can have adverse health effects. Even if you're willing and able to make friends, you might not have the budget necessary for frequent trips to local restaurants or to travel long distances. Between the price of gas and overly expensive local cuisine, you may find yourself forced to stay home most of the time.

Some retirees opt to buy a beach home as an investment property. They might live in their beach home part of the year and rent it out the rest of the year. But not everyone is so savvy. Sometimes, retirees may simply be looking for a calm, refreshing change of pace, without appreciating how expensive relocating to the beach can be.

Ultimately, the nicer your beach property and the surrounding area, the higher the overall standard of living is likely to be. In a Reddit discussion titled "Why is coastal California so much more expensive than coastal Florida?," commenters shared insights into how the factors driving prices in one location are far higher than those in the other. A user named trevordbs claimed to have lived in both states and credited California's diverse yet pleasant weather as the reason it was a more desirable place to live. Meanwhile, another Redditor commented that California "has fewer beaches and richer people."

Likewise, if you move into a popular area with heavy tourism, everything from groceries to utilities can become more expensive. This might not matter as much if you're a retiree with a high monthly income and substantial savings. However, if your post-retirement budget is very tight, you might ultimately regret your once-dreamed-of move to the beach.