Things to consider when purchasing a waterfront property

As pontoon manufacturers we often get the call from people who have just purchased a waterfront property and are very excited to get a pontoon only to be told, sorry you can’t have one. Its something we hate telling people and we try our hardest to find a way, but more often than not it’s a NO!

In this weeks blog I wanted to provide some helpful tips on the signs of a bad water frontage and ones that can’t have a pontoon.

Things to look out for

1. Water front blocks in corners of cul-de-sacs, these are quiet often a bad culprit. We see time and time again people being told that they can have a pontoon by an agent or whoever and yet amazingly they can’t! PLEASE do yourself a favour and give us a call prior to submitting ANYTHING, we will do a no obligation, confidential appraisal of the block via sateilite imagery and tell you most of the time over the phone or within 24 hours in most cases.
2. Properties with boundaries angling in towards each other \/ this again is often a bad sign particaully on blocks that don’t have a great deal of water frontage to start off with. Customers often think they have for example 10m of frontage at the revetment wall, but yet the measurement for a pontoon is taken at the quayline. The quayline is a measurement set by local/state authorities (Gold Coast Waterway Authority and GCCC on the Gold Coast for example) here is a little example.
3. Properties with seagrass in the general area where a pontoon would go! YES i did say sea grass and it is a little more common in particular areas like Paradise Point and Tweed Heads we have had several cases. In most cases this will be cause for you to not have a pontoon! We have seen a few applications allowed through on the basis that the gangway/walkway out to the pontoon uses a grated mesh in place of carpet etc to allow the sunlight through with minimal impact on the sea grass. In all the cases i have seen the pontoon was never allowed to be installed with piles due to the seabed impact from piling and a strut or cable pontoon had to be used.

So if you are in the market for a waterfront property and you are unsure about anything pontoon related give us a call on 1300 207 848 or email us your question and our professional team will help.