On moving closer to the ocean and discovering what coastal living demands.
3rd September 2026
I think MBE is genuinely a beautiful place to live. It is well planned and walkable, and there is something special about waking up, stepping onto my balcony and seeing the ocean. I love the breeze and the general feeling of being here.
But several things have happened within a very short period that have left me feeling disillusioned and unsure about the move.
Some of it is simply the reality of moving into a new house and a new coastal estate. There are teething problems, including the ongoing water and leakage issues, and I probably haven’t had to deal with this kind of thing for a long time because I was settled in my previous home.
The part that has affected me most is the garden. I moved my plants here believing I would immediately have an established, lush landscape. Instead, most of them have died because they couldn’t tolerate the wind and airborne salt from the ocean. I initially assumed it was transplant shock, but by the time I understood what was happening, much of the damage had already been done. I feel stupid for not anticipating it, even though I genuinely didn’t understand how severe the exposure would be.
I now have a possible solution: establish salt-tolerant trees and plants around the exposed parts of the property to create a windbreak. That means planting things like coconut palms, tropical almond and Casuarina, then gradually rebuilding the more delicate planting behind them. It is solvable, but emotionally, it feels like starting the entire garden again when I wasn’t mentally or financially prepared to do that.
The same salt exposure is affecting other parts of the house. Our sheer curtains become dirty because we leave the doors open to enjoy the breeze, and the gym equipment at the back is already rusting. So what initially felt like the greatest benefit of living here, being close to the ocean, has also become the source of several unexpected problems.
I don’t think I hate the house or even regret moving here. I think the reality of coastal living has collided with the version of it I had imagined. Right now, I’m overwhelmed by how much adaptation, maintenance and additional spending the house seems to require before I can simply enjoy it.
The Cost of the View
On moving closer to the ocean and discovering what coastal living demands.
3rd September 2026
I think MBE is genuinely a beautiful place to live. It is well planned and walkable, and there is something special about waking up, stepping onto my balcony and seeing the ocean. I love the breeze and the general feeling of being here.
But several things have happened within a very short period that have left me feeling disillusioned and unsure about the move.
Some of it is simply the reality of moving into a new house and a new coastal estate. There are teething problems, including the ongoing water and leakage issues, and I probably haven’t had to deal with this kind of thing for a long time because I was settled in my previous home.
The part that has affected me most is the garden. I moved my plants here believing I would immediately have an established, lush landscape. Instead, most of them have died because they couldn’t tolerate the wind and airborne salt from the ocean. I initially assumed it was transplant shock, but by the time I understood what was happening, much of the damage had already been done. I feel stupid for not anticipating it, even though I genuinely didn’t understand how severe the exposure would be.
I now have a possible solution: establish salt-tolerant trees and plants around the exposed parts of the property to create a windbreak. That means planting things like coconut palms, tropical almond and Casuarina, then gradually rebuilding the more delicate planting behind them. It is solvable, but emotionally, it feels like starting the entire garden again when I wasn’t mentally or financially prepared to do that.
The same salt exposure is affecting other parts of the house. Our sheer curtains become dirty because we leave the doors open to enjoy the breeze, and the gym equipment at the back is already rusting. So what initially felt like the greatest benefit of living here, being close to the ocean, has also become the source of several unexpected problems.
I don’t think I hate the house or even regret moving here. I think the reality of coastal living has collided with the version of it I had imagined. Right now, I’m overwhelmed by how much adaptation, maintenance and additional spending the house seems to require before I can simply enjoy it.