Building Your Dream Home and Vacation Homes on Kiawah Island!
The future of building in Charleston is an interesting one. While it is one of the most popular places to live, the amount of land that is available to build on is becoming less and less. However, the future is still bright, and one of its shining beacons is Kiawah island!
Welcome to the Architecture Plus blog, a great space to learn about building your dream home, vacation home, and future business buildings in Charleston, SC, and its surrounding areas. Here you will find and learn more about commercial and residential architecture, the adaptive reuse of older buildings, architecture in general, and much more. In one of our most recent blogs, we mentioned how Charleston has become one of the most popular cities to move to, as has the state of South Carolina. Hundreds of houses have quickly been built across the state to accommodate this, and available land to purchase and build on is becoming less and less. While the population rises, there is still so much hope and a bright future still available for the Charleston area. Dream homes and vacation homes are still waiting to be built and the Lowcountry still has so much left to give. One of the most exciting areas in the Lowcountry that is going to see some very exciting growth over the next few months and years is Kiawah Island! Today, before this excitement begins and a lot of exciting things start on Kiawah, we wanted to talk a little bit about Kiawah Island's history and why it is such a great place to build your home and vacation home.
The History Of Kiawah Island
This small beautiful island has quite a rich history! It is a barrier island that is home to a very rich maritime forest and incredible natural ecosystem with ten miles of beaches. Today it is a beautifully landscaped private gated community that relies upon and supports both a residential and business community. This community has amazing restaurants, world-famous golf courses, pools, stunning resorts, and much more. However, its colorful history had a very interesting start before it became what it is today. The island was first inhabited by the Kiawah Indians until the mid-1670's when the English began to arrive. The English "purchased" the land from the Indians with goods, beads, cloth, hatchets, and other manufactured items. Due to dispute, disease, and the guns brought over by the English, the Kiawah Indians were rapidly killed off.
In 1699, George Raynor was granted the island, which at the time was known as a 2,700-acre plantation by the Lords Proprietors. Raynor himself was rumored to a reformed pirate, with a direct connection to one of the most infamous pirates of all time, Captain Kidd. However, due to his expansive wealth, this rumor was overlooked when it came to this business dealing. The island was divided into two sections, one half was sold to Captial William Davis and the other remained in Raynor's possession, and was passed down to his daughter Mary. In 1717, John Stanyarne bought the whole island of Kiawah from the Raynor and Davis families. He used the island to raise cattle and grow crops. When Stanyarne died, one-half of the island went to his granddaughter Mary Gibbes and the other went to another granddaughter, Elisabeth Vanderhorst. In 1769, the whole island belonged to the Vanderhorst family, which they occupied with James Shoolbred and his family.
The Vanderhorst family remained on the island through the civil war and had plans to continue farming. However, one of the last Vanderhorst's, Arnoldus Vanderhorst IV, was killed in a hunting accident and the farm couldn't be revived no matter how hard his son worked to do so. Vanderhorst IV's ghost is said to still roam the island, and many residents still see him to this day. Through the total of the 200 years that the Vanderhorst family was on the island, it had a very rich history. It was a place of refuge for soldiers during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the first shot fired of the civil war, on Fort Sumter, was heard on the island. The Vanderhorst mansion still stands on the island to this day. The Vanderhorst family legacy ended in 1951 when CC Royal, a lumberman, bought the island for $125,000. Twenty-some years later his heirs sold it for $18.2 million, to the Kuwaiti Investment Company. It was this investment company that started and founded the world-class resort that opened its doors in 1976 and they were the ones to set the foundation for the island that we all know and love today. In 1993, the ownership of the island that makes up the resort was purchased by South Street Partners of Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2004, The Sanctuary resort opened its doors with fine dining, spa, and golfing.
What Is Kiawah Known For?
With its rich history, amazing resorts, and beautiful communities, the island is known for so much. There is so much happening in and around Charleston that the island itself sometimes goes unnoticed or goes under the radar, which its residents and vacationers love. It's a quiet getaway that still boasts its natural maritime beauty, golden beaches, luxurious offerings, but is still steeped in the laid back Lowcountry vibes that Charleston and its surrounding towns are known for. It gives both its visitors and residents a beautiful blend of relaxation and play. The resorts are award-winning, there are five golf courses to choose from, plenty of water sports to enjoy, bike paths, fishing to be had, perfect beaches to look for seashells, and plenty of beautiful areas to enjoy the natural plant life and wildlife.
Building Your Vacation Home on Kiawah
With so much beauty and relaxing luxury waiting to be enjoyed, it should be no surprise that Kiawah is a very popular destination for vacation homes and second homes. It's an amazing place to enjoy with all of your family and friends, and it is a very popular location for people to buy land and build the island getaway of their dreams on! This is a very exciting and wonderful step in life, and a process we have been very lucky to be apart of with our customers. If you're thinking about building your vacation home on Kiawah, we wanted to share a few things to think about. Have you been renting a vacation home on Kiawah for years or have you recently visited and fell in love? It might be time to build a vacation home of your own, so every time you return it always feels like coming home!
Every home built on the island is designed to reflect its natural surroundings, which is one of the biggest principles in our design firm. We believe that architecture must be durable, functional, culture-based, and responsive to those who are having a home built, and it must reflect the special character of its setting. Kiawah is so beautiful that it's very easy to reflect that beauty in the homes built there. Each home respects the land and works hard to preserve the natural elements in and around the island.
Every home is unique, no two homes are the same. The natural topography of the land and the focus to build each to mimic the land around it, the island itself helps to create homes that are unique with every build.
Building your dream vacation rental means you will be getting exactly what you want in your dream vacation every time you visit. It will be customized as you see fit. Plus this means you can vacation anytime you'd like! You don't have to wait for your favorite rental to be available anymore. This is also an excellent opportunity to generate rental income when you're not using your vacation home. There are a few trusted rental companies on the island who can help you deal with this, leaving you very little work and an extra stream of income coming your way!
The island operates on a streamlined building process, which while it might seem like it takes longer to build, this process results in a perfect home and a perfect build. The process also gives you time to plan and prepare and allows the time needed to create the perfect home of your dreams.
What About Living Full Time On Kiawah?
The perks of living year-round on Kiawah are very similar to building your dream vacation home on the island. Its beauty, serenity, and landscape will be there for you year-round, giving each homeowner a combination of feeling like they're at home and on vacation at the same time. The process will include involving the Kiawah Architectural Board of Review, Charleston County requirements, and the unique building vernacular that gives vocabulary to the style of homes built on the island, which is why we wanted to offer a few things to think about in this process too!
Hire locally! Architecture companies like ours know how to build and work with the native surroundings to make it the home of your dreams. We understand the weather, the land, and other elements that will play a huge role in the construction process of your home. This will include building to reflect and enjoy the natural aspects of the island, and building a home able to withstand hurricane season. We also know how to work with other local contractors, the Kiawah Architectural Board of Review, Charleston County, and everyone you need to work with to make sure your house is built to code and built as needed.
You will need to plan ahead to allow for the design and all of its systems to be approved, which is why working with local companies like Architecture plus can be so beneficial. We know how the process works, who to work with, and what to expect in the building process!
Living on Kiawah Island is the picturesque ideal that Charleston represents. The natural beauty, the artistry of the homes, and the proximity to anything and everything you could want make it a very desirable location. It is one of our favorite locations to build on and we can't wait to continue to do so. If you have any questions about building on Kiawah Island or working with Architecture Plus to build your dream home on Kiawah Island, we are always here to talk! While the island may be small, it still has a very big future. We are excited to see its expansion and growth and what's in store for this beautiful island's future! Until next time, stay safe and stay inspired!