Shore House, Backyard Pool, or Mountain Escape: What's the Best Summer Upgrade for a North Jersey Homeowner?
If you could upgrade your summers, what would you choose?
For a lot of North Jersey homeowners, the dream probably looks like one of three things: a place down the Shore, a great backyard with a pool, or a mountain or lake house where you can get away from it all.
I've had plenty of conversations with homeowners and buyers about what they want out of their homes and their lifestyles. And if I had to rank the three based purely on what gets people dreaming, I'd probably put the Shore house first, the backyard pool second, and the mountain or lake escape third.
But the best choice isn't necessarily the one that sounds best.
In fact, my advice as a real estate professional would be to start somewhere completely different: Don't buy the summer lifestyle you imagine. Invest in the summer lifestyle you actually live.
The Shore House: Still the North Jersey Family’s Summer Dream
There's something about owning a place down the Shore that is hard to duplicate.
For many people in North Jersey, it's something they've thought about for years. It's not simply owning a second property. It's Friday afternoons heading south, weekends with the family, summers with the kids, and potentially having a place that stays in the family for generations.
From a real estate standpoint, there's another important difference between buying a Shore property and improving your existing home. You're buying another real estate asset.
Depending on the property and location, a Shore home may appreciate over time. There may also be opportunities to generate rental income during weeks when you're not using it.
But that doesn't mean I'd tell someone to buy a Shore house simply because they think it's a good investment.
The Costs Don't Stop at the Purchase Price
A second home brings another set of expenses:
Property taxes
Insurance
Utilities
Maintenance and repairs
Furnishings and upkeep
Potential mortgage costs
Travel back and forth
If you're renting the property, you also have to think about managing those rentals, cleaning, turnover, wear and tear, and the weeks you want to reserve for your own family.
And then there's something that doesn't show up on a spreadsheet: you actually have to get there.
Sitting in Shore traffic on a Friday afternoon is a little different than imagining yourself already sitting on the beach.
That's why I'd look at your existing habits first. If your family already spends several weeks or weekends down the Shore every summer, rents regularly, and loves that lifestyle, ownership might be a natural next step.
The Backyard Pool: The Vacation That's Already Home
Pools are interesting from a North Jersey real estate perspective because they're still very buyer-specific.
But I do think they've become more desirable than they were years ago.
A great pool today isn't necessarily just a rectangle of water in the backyard. When it's done properly, it can become an extension of the home.
Think about a pool surrounded by a great patio, landscaping, an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, and maybe a covered entertaining area. Suddenly, buyers aren't just looking at a pool. They're looking at an outdoor living space.
In North Jersey, where buyers are already paying a premium for property, a backyard like that can absolutely help a home stand out.
I've seen buyers walk into homes where a pool wasn't originally on their wish list. Then they step into a beautifully designed backyard and you can almost see their attitude toward the house change.
That emotional reaction matters in real estate.
But Will a Pool Pay for Itself?
I would never tell a homeowner, "Put in a pool because you'll get all your money back when you sell."
That's not necessarily how it works.
Some buyers love pools. Others immediately start thinking about maintenance, insurance, safety, and the fact that our swimming season in North Jersey only lasts part of the year. Families with very young children can be especially divided.
But there's another way to look at the return.
If you're going to live in the house for years and your family will use that pool constantly, the return isn't only what a future buyer eventually pays for your home. It's all those summers you got to enjoy it.
I can speak to that personally.
I own a pool, and my family really uses it. It's swimming, having family over, entertaining, spending weekends outside, and simply being able to finish work on a summer afternoon and walk into your own backyard.
There's no packing. There's no traffic. There's no deciding whether it's worth making the trip.
For my family right now, if you gave me the choice between these three options, I'd choose the pool.
The Mountain or Lake House: The Underrated Alternative
The mountain or lake house probably isn't the first summer dream for as many North Jersey homeowners, but the people who want that lifestyle tend to really want it.
And I understand why.
You may get more property for your money in certain areas. You can potentially have land, privacy, lake access, hiking, fishing, or simply a quieter environment.
There's also one major advantage over something that's purely a summer destination: you may use it throughout the year.
Summer at the lake can turn into fall weekends in the mountains and winter trips when there's snow on the ground.
From a real estate perspective, you're also purchasing another asset rather than simply putting money into your existing property.
But I'd ask the same question I would about a Shore house.
How often are you actually going to go?
The idea of packing up and escaping to the mountains sounds great. Doing it regularly after a busy week is another story.
If your family already loves hiking, skiing, lake weekends, or renting cabins, ownership could make a lot of sense.
If you've never really lived that lifestyle, I'd probably rent in the area first.
So Which Summer Upgrade Makes the Most Sense?
There's no universal winner because these three choices solve three very different problems.
Choose the Shore House If...
You already find yourself heading down the Shore throughout the summer. You love the beach lifestyle, you're comfortable maintaining a second property, and you want the possibility of owning an asset that your family can enjoy for years.
Rental potential and appreciation may make the numbers more attractive, but they should be part of the decision, not the entire reason for making it.
Choose the Backyard Pool If...
Your family loves being home.
You entertain. Your kids have friends over. You like having family around. You want something you can enjoy on a random Tuesday afternoon just as easily as a Saturday.
For the right homeowner, it's hard to beat the convenience.
And if the pool is part of a thoughtfully designed backyard rather than an isolated feature, it can also create the type of emotional reaction that helps a property stand out when you eventually sell.
Choose the Mountain or Lake Escape If...
You genuinely prefer quiet, nature, land, lakes, hiking, skiing, or a change of pace from North Jersey and the Shore.
It may also be the most versatile option if you choose an area your family will enjoy during multiple seasons.
But again, make sure you're buying somewhere you'll actually use.
Final Thoughts
If a North Jersey homeowner came to me and said, "Steve, I've got the money to do one of these. What should I choose?" I wouldn't start by calculating which one could appreciate the most.
I'd start with a much simpler question: How does your family actually spend its summers?
Do you already go down the Shore every summer?
Do you spend most weekends entertaining at home?
Are you constantly renting lake houses or heading to the mountains?
Start there.
Then look at the real numbers. Consider the purchase or installation cost, taxes, insurance, maintenance, travel, financing, and how many days each year you're realistically going to use it.
A second home can potentially appreciate and produce rental income. A great backyard can add appeal to your existing property. Both can be smart uses of money under the right circumstances.
But neither is a great investment if you don't actually enjoy it.
The biggest mistake is buying the lifestyle you imagine instead of the lifestyle you actually live.
For me and my family, I'd choose the backyard pool because I've lived with one and know how much we use it.
For someone else, nothing may beat having the keys to their own place down the Shore.
And for another family, the perfect Friday afternoon might involve driving away from the beach traffic entirely and heading toward a quiet lake in the mountains.
That's what makes this less of a real estate question and more of a lifestyle question.
Choose the one your family will actually use. If it also adds value or turns into a great long-term investment, that's even better.