Warm Climate VS. Cold Climate Living

A hot and sunny beach may sound like a nice getaway, but to many, the allure of gorgeous snow covered mountains calls more. 

Deciding where to live has a lot to do with personal taste, finances, and where you want to see yourself in the next few years.  Unfortunately, there’s no right or wrong answer for where to live- here are the pros and cons of both warm and cold climate living to help you make the choice that suits you!

Warm Climate

Pros

The pros with a warm climate are more evident at first, mostly because of widespread media making a massive deal out of them.  Warmer temperatures mean longer summers, more chances to go hiking, swimming, and fishing, and seem to exude an outdoors lifestyle. 

These places are usually the top results for people who want to vacation and maybe the home where many consider retiring.  You can rest knowing you’ll never have to shovel snow.

Cons

You’ll have to mow the lawn almost every single week for over half of the year.  Okay, that’s a little dramatic- but there’s a lot more lawn maintenance going on in warmer climates. 

If you live in a dry area like Arizona, you might be able to get by with a rock yard, but generally, you’ll be looking at a lot of grass mowing and high property costs.  Because these are where people move to retire, you may also be surrounded by an older population than you’re used to.  Tourists even annoy many locals in warmer climates, but that’s all based on your tastes.

Cold Climate

Pros

There’s nothing as beautiful as snow-covered mountains and valleys.  You get the joy of a fire roaring in your home, and thick comforters and duvets feel just that much more worth it. 

People in colder areas are generally less likely to bother strangers with noise or attention, so if you want a close-knit group of friends to go ice fishing with, cold weather is for you.  Some people who live in these areas may travel south for some parts of the winter, but most love the cold.  Winter sports are incredibly popular and make many people jump at the chance of finding Ottawa homes for sale.

Cons

If you live in a house, you’ll be shoveling snow for almost half of the year.  Although this isn’t an everyday occurrence, not even every week, it’s a big and tiring chore that most don’t want to do. 

Rent and cost of living are usually higher in colder areas, especially if you’re near a big city- so be careful with finances if you plan on moving somewhere cold.

How Do They Stack Up?

Generally, they’re about even!  Warm weather offers the feeling of year-round paradise, just with some tourists and snowbirds, and cold weather has gorgeous views and winter sports with the pain of the cold and snow shoveling.  Think about what suits your life, and go for it!  If neither fit, you could always find a place in a more temperate area.