There is no doubt about it: Having a home on an island is a fantasy for many, especially if they already have a boat. Cool breezes on a hot day, a warm afternoon sun, waves crashing against the shore, quiet evenings around a fire pit, and the potential of wondrous views of distant mountains can make owning an island property very attractive.
Lake Winnipesaukee boasts 258 islands within its 72-square-mile boundaries. Six islands are connected to the mainland by bridges but, for the remaining islands, a boat is a necessity for access. Going out to a place on the lake provides a break from routine that beats many other options — but only if you’re prepared for a little inconvenience.
“You gotta be adventurous,” says Frank Roche, president of Roche Realty Group.
He should know: Frank and Nancy have owned a small camp on Welch Island for 23 or 24 years, experiencing everything that island living brings.
“I live in Gilford so I couldn’t have had a more convenient place to have a second home — a getaway, so to speak, where you could get away and decompress from the day’s work,” Frank said. Going for a kayak ride after dinner, swimming, and enjoying the property with the children and grandchildren provides a perfect get-away.
“It’s really a favorite place of ours for family gatherings and campfires at night and sitting out there during the day,” Frank said.
Betty Ann Bickford of Island Real Estate said people who own properties on the lake tend to be more independent. “It’s not like you’re going to call the plumber, for instance, and he’s going to drive out.”
When she started selling real estate nearly 40 years ago, islanders were “very very modest-income people” who could not afford a lakefront home on the mainland.
“They would buy a piece of island property and put up a shed and they literally did everything themselves, from the building to the plumbing to the electric,” she said. “And those people are certainly there.”
Today, though, the range of properties runs from small cabins to “mega-homes” on sizable estates. Whether large or small, they provide a more subdued pace than life on the mainland.
“You may have get-togethers or little parties,” Betty Ann said, “but you’re not going to have parties that go on until one in the morning.”
Frank said, “It’s like going back in time, the way the lake used to be along the main shoreline. … The water clarity generally is very, very clear out on island properties because you’re out in the middle of the lake.”
It does not take a huge home to enjoy an island property, and Frank said that, for him, having a little cabin or cottage on an island with nice exposure to sunrises or sunsets and views of the mountains is more appealing, and more in keeping with what the Lakes Region was before it was developed.
Betty Ann agreed, saying, “For most of the people looking for island property, they’re looking to sort of get away from the hubbub of the mainland. … It’s not like your neighborhood would be on the mainland, so there’s some solitude along with it, which these days, people like.”
After docking a boat in crystal-clear water, residents are able to let their children wander, knowing that they are not going to run out in the road, Betty Ann said. If they forget how to get back, they can find a neighbor who will call and say, “Your kids are here.”
“It’s like a community when you’re on the island,” Betty Ann said. “People will be as friendly as you want to be. If you want to just wave when you come in, if you want to be best friends, whatever. But if someone is in trouble, you’re going to have help immediately, whether it’s a medical situation or your boat won’t start.”
Frank backed that up with a personal story about when his boat refused to start. A neighbor came over and got it running in short order.
Many islanders extend their friendships to those on other islands and make trips back and forth.
Islands also offer plenty of wildlife, from deer to loons, along with walking paths and scenery that promotes relaxation.
Bear Island has walking trails throughout the island and even a little church. “It’s a pretty walk,” Frank said. “You’re out there and there’s deer out there, and it’s just peaceful. It’s something you look forward to every season.”
“Islanders are out there for the love of the lake,” Betty Ann said. “You’re going to see the islanders just enjoying that time at their cottage.”
That may include cookouts, sitting on a deck and watching the sunset, or spending time in a hammock.
Mail boats on Lake Winnipesaukee deliver to postal stops on the islands, allowing residents to keep in touch with their friends during extended stays, and many islands have electrical and cellular service.
The properties available range from rustic camps to large homes with exotic woods and beautiful cabinetry with granite countertops.
Frank offered figures showing that, between July 13, 2021, and July 13, 2022, there were 22 sales of island homes, ranging in price from $255,000 for a 1,900-square-foot cottage with 100 feet of shorefront on 0.39 acre on Cow Island to $1,275,000 for a 2,880-square-foot home with 211 feet of shorefront on 4.17 acres on Mark Island. The median sale price during that period was $686,000.
Betty Ann said, “We sold a little cabin last year, it was cute as a button. It had a really old septic, which you would be looking at replacing at some point, but it had outstanding views. It was 100 and something feet of frontage. So you can have that type of cabin, then you can have a cabin that’s more tucked in the woods, and you have an electric toilet or a gas toilet and then a drywall for your gray water. And then you can go to a two-bedroom, a three-bedroom, a four-bedroom — It’s really what you’re looking for.”
As people fled from urban centers to the countryside during the pandemic, home prices rose exponentially, including those on the islands.
“One of the really big advantages of being out there is island property sells for anywhere from a third to a half less than mainland waterfront,” Betty Ann said.
Even then, island property is a good investment, with values continuing to rise over the years.
Things To Consider
Those considering the purchase of an island property need to keep practical considerations in mind.
“Accessibility is the number one thing,” Frank says. “You’ve got to have a boat; a boat becomes your car. That’s your vehicle for passage. And then, of course, to have a boat, you’ve got to have a slip on the mainland, unless you want to be putting it in and out with boatyard storage, which a lot of island owners do. That would be one of the disadvantages. If you’re coming up from Massachusetts, then you’ve got to go to the marina or you’ve got to get your boat and launch the boat. You’ve got to drive the boat out to the island, bringing all the groceries.”
If entertaining guests, islanders may have to shuttle them back and forth, unless they have their own boats.
Those with island properties soon learn to make sure they pack everything they will need, or keep a stock of supplies at their island home. No one wants to return to shore to get something that was forgotten.
“Lists are your best friend,” Betty Ann said.
Frank describes island living as, “You’ve got to become the chef, bottle-washer, and you’re taking out the garbage.” He also noted that some islands are very steep, with a lot of stairs.
Other considerations when thinking about buying island property include the limited seasons. They generally are three-season dwellings. During the winter, homes may be accessible by snowmobile once the lake freezes, but many places are not winterized.
Unless the property has an artesian well, the homes will draw lake water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing, but bottled water will be necessary for drinking.
Then there are the septic systems. No one wants to have 25 people gathered for an Independence Day celebration and have the septic system fail. There are companies able to install and pump out the systems, but it is much more expensive to do on an island.
“Ideally, what you want to do is get together with two or three of your neighbors and pump at the same time,” Betty Ann said. “That cuts down on the barge cost.”
The higher cost of septic pumping for islanders is mitigated by the fact that systems are able to recover during the winter months when there is little to no use, allowing them to go years before needing to be pumped.
Frequent inspections also help to avoid such incidents.
Consider also that, when buildings require maintenance or repairs, it is not as simple as making a trip to a home supply store. The material has to be taken to the island in a boat or, for larger projects, on a barge. Barges, heavy equipment, and work crews that can do island work are more expensive than their land counterparts.
“There’s several companies that specialize in doing island work around the lake,” Frank said, “and there’s a lot of barge services and a lot of island support groups to go out and help the islanders do odd jobs, carpentry, electrical, plumbing; they deliver propane, they build breakwaters, they rebuild docks, they put in portable docks, they build permanent docks, as well as do additions, but it takes more time and there’s sometimes a waiting list to get things done.”
Another concern for islanders is what the weather may bring. Those on the windy side of an island may need a breakwater, and boats will have to be tied with more than the two lines normally used.
A severe storm may cause a tree to fall on a cottage and require outside help to repair the damage. A bad winter with a lot of ice on the lake may damage docks that have not been pulled up or removed, or are protected by a breakwater. If the wind comes from the wrong direction, even breakwaters can be damaged.
Even the transportation can be a problem if the boat hits a rock and sustains serious damage.
In case of a medical emergency, the New Hampshire Marine Patrol is able to transport people to a waiting ambulance on the mainland; or, if the person cannot be transported, Marine Patrol can bring in emergency responders.
It doesn’t take particularly bad weather to make the journey to or from the island uncomfortable.
“If you want to go out there and it’s a really rough day or it’s raining, you’re going to get wet. You’re going to hit the swells,” Frank said. “So you’ve got to be adventurous, but that’s kind of the fun.”
This is all to say that owning island property can be a lot of work, but as Frank says, “It’s worth it.”
This story originally appeared in The Laker.