budget. Plan carefully for not only the initial costs of buying a cottage, but also other costs like taxes, maintenance and utilities.
•Your tax situation. Check with an or tax advisor before purchasing a cottage to see how your taxes will be affected.
•Your vacation budget. How much do you spend on hotels, food and traveling costs now? How much do you estimate you will spend by owning a cottage? What’s cheaper for you or your family at this time?
•The type of cottage and the location you want. Do you want your own cottage or do you want a time-share? Where do you want your cottage to be located? Some places are more expensive than others.

Be sure to pay a visit to your bank as well. Chatting with a financial expert is the first step when beginning your search for that perfect vacation home, and to make sure you’ve got the dough to pay for it all.

Another thing you can do is offset the costs by renting the space. More and more cottage owners are renting them out to individuals, groups or families. Cottages are the new luxury hotel - anyone from recent grads to newlyweds can find a cottage package that will suit their needs. If you’re worried about financing your new cottage, then tapping into this lucrative rental market may be for you.

Good luck with your search - I’ll see you on the lake!

Brandon Langlois enjoys watching the sun set across the lake. When he isn't too 'busy' putting his feet up, he writes for homeplaninfo.com – an informative website where readers can find and compare home plans online, peruse cottage plans and more.

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