Will river front property increase your home value?

A river front property is a property that is located next to and often offers views of the river from the back porch. Your parcel of land must be in direct contact to the river with no easements or secondary access. A river is defined as larger than a creek or stream. A river is a full time river and not a seasonal stream or creek. The best kind of rivers are deep enough in some areas to swim in (3 to 4 feet deep) and wide enough to easily see.

The reason why I define a river in this way is because I’m going to make a bold statement and say that in all cases, a river front home will always increase the value of your home if you have the correct river and you are not located too close to the river where it becomes a hazard. Seasonal streams or creeks that you have to roll down a steep hill to see and fall into the creek to find will offers little to no value.

I’m a full time real estate appraiser. I’ve appraised homes located on larger rivers such as the Columbia River and homes that are located on seasonal creeks and streams. In all cases, the homes that offer river frontage with the easiest access, the best view of the river the best functional utility (good fishing river and good swimming river) will command the best price and usually sell quicker than other homes with everything else being similar.

There is one case that a river front home may not increase your home value and in fact may decrease your home value. I’ve seen a few properties where the home is too close to the river. In the spring time when there is a large amount of water flowing in the spring, the water comes several feet from the home. In times of storm and heavy water fall, there is a good chance that their home is in danger of being flooded or damaged by the water. In this case, the home may be located in a flood zone area. The owner will have to pay for addition flood insurance. During flood season, these types of homes will not sell if they are flooded. Many times, homes that offer basements will flood often when they are next to the river.

In conclusion, yes a river front home with good fishing, good swimming and easy access to the river will increase the value of your home, unless your home is too close to the water and the home offers a good probability of getting flooded every other year.