Should I Buy A Vacation Home In The Suburbs?

If you’re a city dweller like me, you probably can’t imagine the idea of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city for suburban living. Recently, I started hearing about the trend of urbanites buying a second home in the suburbs. This group uses their second home as a weekend vacation spot in a location 60–90 minutes from the city. It piqued my interest and I wondered why would someone buy a vacation home in the suburbs?

Certainly, the suburbs are not a place that I’ve ever considered as a viable option for a second home. And traditionally, when you hear of people moving to the suburbs it’s often spoken of as though they’ve been given a one-way ticket with no return option. But once I dove into looking at this closer, I found that being a bit creative about your second home location can save time, money and help to create a lifestyle balance. Here’s what I found.

Unexpected Locations

We traditionally think of vacation second homes as properties that are located in high tourist, seasonal destinations, like Lake Tahoe, the wine country, Santa Cruz or Carmel in the Bay Area. However, hidden realty gems are located just outside many major metros and have much of the appeal of a vacation destination without the heavy commute time and premium pricing. Those purchasing suburban second homes, look for things like outdoor recreational opportunities, a slower pace of life or a small community. Many of these traits can be found 60 minutes from a city. Sara Clemence mentioned the trend in the Washington Post, stating. “In suburbia, they get many of the pleasures of being in rural or resort areas — including space and fresh air — along with the resources that come with being among full-time residents. Restaurants and stores are within easy reach; kids can join weekend sports teams.” So to that end, one might be looking for a pool or a yard or biking and hiking trails, a sense of space and quiet, lake or beach views or access. Depending on your particular needs for a second home, you might be able to easily find these closer to your primary residence. It’s worth drawing a radius around your city to see if you can find what you’re looking for in a suburb nearby.

Time Savings

If your second home is only an hour away it opens up additional options in how you use it. Many have found they can more easily get to their second home on a Friday afternoon or stay on Sunday night and commute back to the city on a Monday morning. With a shorter commute you can be a bit more spontaneous with how you use the property and come back and forth for an event in the city. Maintenance issues and upkeep are easier to deal with if your commute is shorter, as well. Either way, you’re spending less time in the car and more time relaxing, recreating and enjoying your second home.

Cost Savings

While vacation destination properties are still traditionally premium priced, better deals can be had by looking at nicely located suburban second homes. Many are finding that they can get most, if not all of the benefits of the traditional second home, with a smaller price tag given their unexpected location and lower cost per square foot. And, these homes are still appealing as occasional rentals, given their proximity to the city and lifestyle amenities. So, an Airbnb listing for example can help offset a mortgage payment for the times that you’re not using your property. And there might be a creative way to finance your investment property with a tool like, the Tellus superapp that would make owning a second home within your budget.

Balanced Lifestyle

For those that have purchased their suburban second home, this model allows them to “have it all” in a sense. They feel they get the best of both worlds. The owners of these suburban properties tout the benefits of space and quiet and easy recreation like hiking, biking or swimming as reasons why they love their second home. Others like the slower pace of being in a small town, knowing their neighbors, enjoying a backyard barbeque, visiting a farmers market or just getting away from the hectic action of the city and relaxing.

By retaining their city property, this group doesn’t give up the proximity to cultural, culinary or other attractive city amenities. And, their work commute remains easy during the week. Others with children talk about the idea of being in the bubble on the weekends and out of the bubble during the week as a way to give their kids different perspectives and experiences. So, while these properties may not reside geographically far from one another, they’re a world apart in terms of how they live and can provide balance over the course of a week, a month and a year.

Final Thoughts

This exploration opened up my eyes to a different type of investment. There’s no doubt that there are compelling reasons why a suburban second home is a viable option for city-dwellers and why it’s trending. Depending on how you want to use your vacation home and taking into account factors like time, cost and desired amenities, a suburban second home might just be a great option for you or your family.