Having a vacation home gives you a built-in vacation spot. Figuring out how to make this home a truly fun home away from home can take time though. Starting with some of these ideas can help you take small steps towards creating the space where you really want to spend your days off.
Create an Outdoor Space
Creating an outdoor space with things like outdoor dining, a grill, or a firepit will make your vacation home much more fun when you’re hanging out. Having this space multiplies the living space in your home, making it possible for friends and family to be outside as well as inside.
This is especially valuable because a lot of vacation homes don’t have as much interior sitting space as a regular home would have. Maximizing your outdoor space to use it as not only a place for playing sports or doing other activities will give you more flexibility on vacation.
Add Guest Bedrooms
Adding guest bedrooms will help your home feel more like a space dedicated to sharing time with friends and family and other loved ones as opposed to your primary residence. Having these guest spaces will make it easier to make your vacation home a place where you can accommodate all the different people you want to vacation with.
As you add guest bedrooms, make sure to think carefully about the different goals you have for your guest spaces—do you need to accommodate large numbers of children? Or a few individuals in separate bedrooms at a time?
Depending on your needs, you may need to get a little creative. For example, consider purchasing a couple air mattresses or mattress pads to lay out in an open basement space for grandkids to sleep. They’ll love the idea of having an almost-sleepover and it will make your space a lot more versatile.
Add Fun Amenities
Having great amenities in your home away from home will make it feel like such a fun spot that is totally removed from your everyday home. When it comes to adding amenities, think carefully about the types of amenities your family would enjoy. Maybe you have a family of swimmers and boaters—if that is the case, invest in a boat to keep at the vacation home.
Alternatively, consider investing in memberships with different clubs that allow you access to certain amenities without requiring the upkeep—there are certain pool clubs that you can get a membership with. Or go the route of actually adding amenities to your home—start with adding a deck and smart home features.
Buy Stuff that Lasts
Another important step to focus on when designing and building your vacation home is the quality and type of the materials you use. It can be easy to justify getting lower quality materials because you won’t be using the home as frequently. But that is the exact reason why you should invest in quality materials and stuff in general.
Typically, vacation homes are something you hold onto for a long time. Even if you go through periodic updates now and then, having good bones goes a long way. For example, using high-quality cabinets ensures you won’t have to sink more money into your kitchen.
Pick a Fun Theme or Style
Planning your décor for your vacation home is a fun process especially because you can go a totally different route than what you already have at home. As you go about decorating your vacation home, try to identify a theme—like the beach—or a style—like mid century modern—to unite all the rooms around.
Try to go with a style that feels familiar yet different from your current home to give your vacation home its own separate vibe. Work to incorporate mementos from vacationing into the décor to give it an even more personal feel.
Focus on Location
If you’re in the process of looking for a vacation home property, think carefully about your location. Ask yourself questions about the use of the actual home, how frequently you plan to use it, and what times during the year you will use it. On one hand, you may anticipate having your children and grandchildren come visit you at the vacation home often. And if this is the case, it might be good to still be relatively close to a grocery store for feeding everyone during these parties.
On the other hand, if you anticipate using the home so that you can do a variety of different outdoorsy activities, maybe being as close to the lake as possible is more important than being close to a store. Picking the right location for your vacation home can make a big difference in your overall satisfaction with vacationing there.
Have Traditions
One of the best ways to really set your vacation home apart from your real home is to start creating vacation home traditions. Having special outings, foods, or even games for the “cabin” or the “beach house” will make your vacation home feel like a space where your routine is different, more fun, or refreshing.
Figuring out the right traditions to implement really depends on what you want out of your vacation—maybe you love simply strolling around the downtown area or maybe you love more intensive sports like backpacking or canoeing. Think through your different interests and decide on traditions that are doable year-round and still doable for people with varying levels of activity.
Have Wood-Burning Fireplaces
Another somewhat unique but still incredibly meaningful way to make your home even more fun when it comes to vacationing is to build a wood-burning fireplace.
Having a wood-burning fireplace inside allows you to cozy up inside and have the lovely fresh scent of pine burning fill your home. A wood-burning fireplace can also be an important asset in an emergency with a power outage.
As you figure out how to create your vacation space into what you really want, think carefully about your family’s needs. Figuring out what is the most important in a vacation space will help you narrow down your to-do list to the most important things. Then, go for it!
Read this next: What You Need to Plan the Perfect Trip to Florida
