If you’re like most people, your dream is to own a lake house. The joys of enjoying the great outdoors surrounded by nature and spending time with friends and family sound like heaven on Earth. If you’re also enamored by the idea of showing off your spectacular home in one of the scenic lakes near you, you should know there are many benefits to buying such a place. Here are reasons why it is a smart idea to buy a lake house.

1) Outdoor Recreation

When most people contemplate living in a lake home, they imagine waking up each morning surrounded by clear water and lush greenery—a welcome change from city life. And it’s true. Lake houses offer many opportunities for outdoor recreation. In this case, you will have access to the lake, which you can use for boating and fishing, and your new home will probably have a dock or pier where you can swim. In addition, many lakefront properties come with their own private boat garage so that you’ll always have a means of transportation as well as storage space for your vessel.

If you do not love swimming, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy outdoor recreation at a lake house. For instance, if you buy a new home at Garden Ridge Homes for Sale, you can run on the beach barefoot in the morning, go hiking through nature trails, play tennis at community courts, explore an aquarium at a local wildlife refuge. In short, the possibilities are endless depending on where you buy your new home.

2) Affordable Living

A common misconception about lakeside homes is that they’re expensive to buy and maintain. However, while some lake homes are certainly more luxurious than others, they are affordable. For instance, when looking at lake homes for sale in Texas, you can find a beautiful home for as little as $94,900. In contrast, if you’re looking for a luxury retreat with a dock and pier on an enormous lake, you might be able to purchase one for around $1 million, depending on your location. Of course, these prices differ depending on where you live and what amenities come with your new property. The point is: You really can find an affordable house at the lake near you.

3) Less Stressful Than Big City Living

In the city, there’s noise from traffic and people all around you 24/7. In addition to being stressful on their own, these noises become magnified when combined with stress-inducing factors like work deadlines and the never-ending to-do list. Commuting can also be stressful, depending on where you live and how far away you are from your job. Living in a lake home gives you the opportunity of letting go of these stressors and finding peace and quietness at least some of the time.

4) Better for Your Health

Fresh air is beneficial to your health since it is excellent for stress relief, breathing problems, and clearing up your headspace. However, what many people don’t realize is that your surroundings themselves impact your mood and behavior. For instance, waterfalls around Lake Austin homes for sale naturally produce negative ions, which can lift depression symptoms, so they’re often used as part of therapy for people who have been diagnosed with depression. Therefore, living near a lake or other water body can help you feel revitalized and relaxed simply by being in your environment.

5) Low Crime Rates

Compared with inner-city neighborhoods, living near a lake is much safer due to low crime rates. That is especially true if your new community has its neighborhood watch program. Neighborhood watches not only make residents more aware of what’s happening around them; they also help ensure that crime rates remain low.