Making It Work On The Coast | S2 E1 “More Than Just Ocean Views”
Location: Sandy Hook
Outdoor:Beaches of Sandy Hook
This summer, Sarah will sit on her new patio with a glass of vino, taking in the stunning views of Porpoise Bay and glacier-capped mountain peaks off in the distance. While she’s owned properties before, this home, perched in Sandy Hook, is the first she’s purchased on her own. As a single mum of two gorgeous daughters, Grace and Ruby, Sarah has made this her permanent view.
Having just taken possession of her new home after Christmas, Sarah hasn’t had a lot of time for it all to sink in just yet. She just knows that purchasing this Sunshine Coast property on her own has left her feeling empowered and accomplished.
“I picked the keys up and I just kind of drove up here and I just sat here,” says Sarah. “It was like a real strange moment for me. It was a real turning point to have done that- to have made that decision and go through all of that myself. It was something I needed to do.”
I met Sarah last fall, when she began her quest for a new home The Coast. She and her daughters relocated to the Sunshine Coast from North Vancouver in 2016, but had been renting previously. She says she was originally drawn to The Coast – and its magical shoreline – after a family vacation several years prior.
“I just remember thinking this was one of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen. It changes throughout the day,” she says. “I just remember being in love with [the area] then – and never thinking for one moment I’d be able to look at that every day.”
Access to nature, the quaintness of rural living, and the stark contrast of affordability made the Sunshine Coast a perfect landing spot for her new nest.
Flash forward to 2017 and Sarah found herself purchasing this brilliant property – one of the first ones she visited with me on our real estate tour. She revels in the feeling of spaciousness and openness that ocean views envoke.
“I have this affinity with the sea and that’s one of the reasons I think why I moved up here. I just felt it was pulling me,” explains Sarah, who originally hails from Shoreham-by-Sea in England.
The family of three is content here. Each of the girls now has her own room, and Sandy Hook park is directly across the street from their driveway. Little Ruby just loves spending time there. The playground slide quite possibly has one of the best views around!
Sarah owns her own craft business called Dorothy Ellen Designs. She makes decorations out of burlap and fabric. She’s also launching a second business, a Sunshine Coast-inspired t-shirt design business called Tugboat and Whale.
While new to the Sandy Hook community, Sarah is fast discovering what a connected and engaged community it is. She’s joined the neighbourhood association and will be spending time getting to know her neighbours – who often spend summer nights picnicing on the beach while the kids paddle and play in the ocean.
For now though, seeing the influx of Sunshine Coast tourists over spring break has gently awoken Sarah to her new life – one that is only just a vacation for some:
“It’s spring break. We’re here. People travel up here for a vacation and they come to this kind of property and they rent this property for a week. And we’re here and we get to do this everyday. And we don’t have to be here for a week.”
For those who are thinking about taking this leap, Sarah wholeheartedly encourages it. She emphatically declares that it’s been worth the effort – and it probably will be for you too!
Interested in learning more about making it work on the coast? Get in touch and let’s chat.
