Pakistan’s real estate market has recently seen an onslaught of golfing communities in all the major cities, where pre-built villas are available for sale, opening up directly onto the greens. If you’ve also seen the adverts, you might be wondering whether it’s worth investing in a golf course property. Well, we’re here to discuss the major pros and cons of living near a golf course to help you gain a deeper insight into what buying a home on a golf course is all about!
Pros and Cons for Buying a Home on a Golf Course
Buying or investing in property is a big decision, and it becomes more complicated if you are investing in real estate on a golf course. While the investment comes with a lot of perks, you might have to deal with an equal number of cons as a result of your investment. So what are the pros and cons of living near a golf course? Let’s discuss them below.
Pros of Investing in a Golf Course Property
Following are some of the biggest benefits of buying a home on a golf course:
- Prestigious real estate
- Amazing views
- Well-landscaped surroundings
- Better access to amenities
- Proximity to the greens
All of these advantages of having a home in a golfing community are elaborated below.
Prestigious Real Estate
Housing schemes containing private golf courses are generally considered to be elite projects occupying pristine real estate, and they come with their share of prestige. There are plenty of homebuyers who avoid buying a home in a rundown neighbourhood simply because they do not want the surroundings to affect their lifestyle and want to give out a particular impression to the guests that visit their home. If you want a house in a prestigious neighbourhood, there’s nothing better than investing in a golfing community where you’ll probably be surrounded by beautiful landscaping and cultured neighbours.
Amazing Views
As mentioned above, investing in real estate on a golf course offers you well-landscaped and beautiful surroundings. With the green fairways stretching for as far as the eye can see, a golf course property is never short on beauty and greenery, with plenty of opportunities for sitting on your porch to enjoy the setting sun amid panoramic views.
Well-Landscaped Surroundings
You’d love to live in greener surroundings but hate gardening. Then why not let someone else take care of the acres of property around you and simply reap the rewards? Golfing communities are very well maintained, with all of the grounds being watered, mowed, and cleaned by professionals. Thus, you never have to sweep leaves off your lawn and can still enjoy lush green grass all-year-round!
Better Access to Amenities
Playing a round of golf is usually one of the many things you can do in a golfing community. Most golf clubs also contain a central clubhouse with space for indoor sports, a gym, a sauna, as well as an assortment of other sports-based facilities. Thus, you get a range of amenities and facilities close at hand when you buy a house on a golf course.
Proximity to the Greens
If you’re an avid golfer, golf-view villas can be a dream come true for you, because they offer you walking access to the tees and driving range. The provision of golf carts makes it even easier to commute across the fairways to reach the various holes around the course.
Cons of Investing in a Golf Course Property
Since we’re discussing both the pros and cons of living near a golf course, here’s the other side of the coin, where we discuss some of the significant drawbacks of investing in a property that’s located on or near a golf course:
- Higher risk of home damage
- Privacy concerns
- High noise levels
- Rules and restrictions
- Difficult to resell
A little detail on each of these disadvantages is shared below.
Higher Risk of Home Damage
Wayward golf shots can often end up in the water, the sand trap, or the trees. But you know what’s worse? When a golf ball comes right through your home’s window, shattering the glass and maybe even injuring some of the occupants of the house. Golfing communities are quite safe in terms of the immediate surroundings as few intruders can find their way to your villa in the middle of the course. But unless you’re reinforcing your windows with certain types of tempered glass, you’ll be worried about stray golf balls damaging your property, especially during the golfing season.
Privacy Concerns
Your house is located in the middle of the fairway, close to a clump of trees with the ninth hole visible from your front porch. It’s an idyllic setting with lots of privacy, right? Wrong! If your golf course property is too close to the tees or the holes, you’ll probably have a constant inflow of golfers in your immediate surroundings, forcing you to draw your curtains on the scenic views.
High Noise Levels
As mentioned above, proximity to the holes means lots of foot traffic near your villa, and enthusiastic or frustrated golfers can be loud and disturbing. But that’s not all. Most fairways are mowed and maintained using large mechanical mowers every morning during the season, which means that your peaceful sleep is bound to be disturbed in the early hours due to the extreme level of noise and disturbance outside your window.
Rules and Restrictions
Real estate on a golf course is also often maintained in an orderly fashion under strict rules and regulations for extensions, renovations, and repairs. You will also need to conform to the society’s building laws if you’re buying a plot to build your home on a golf course.
Difficult to Resell
Investing in real estate on a golf course can be tricky. While the property will rarely diminish in value due to its well-kept surroundings, you’ll only be able to sell the property to someone who’s looking for the same kind of perks that you enjoyed after buying a home with a golf course view. Thus, finding buyers for resale might become a challenge in the long run, since not everybody is eager to live in a golfing community.
Golfing communities make the ideal opportunity for investment for retirees and for those living abroad, who only visit Pakistan to relax during their vacations. We’ve listed the pros and cons of living near a golf course above to help you decide whether it’s an investment worth making. We’ve also previously discussed the benefits of living near a commercial area that you should consider if you’d rather reside near a commercial hub in the city.
Have you got stakes in a golfing community in Pakistan? Share your experiences with us at blog@zameen.com. You should also subscribe to our newsletter so that you don’t miss out on any important investment opportunities in the rapidly developing golfing societies in Pakistan.
