Sandwich · Relocation
Relocating to Sandwich
Learning the South Coast and the Cape from someone who lives here, before you commit to a town you have only seen in August.
The first town over the bridge, which is worth more than it sounds
Being the closest Cape town to the mainland changes the practical shape of a life here. A trip off Cape is a shorter commitment, which means people do it without planning a day around it. Anyone with obligations toward Boston, Plymouth or the South Coast feels that difference every week.
Relocating buyers who want the Cape but are not ready to feel far away from everything tend to land in Sandwich, and they are generally right to.
Ask me what Sandwich is like off season
The oldest town on the Cape, and it looks it in the best way
Sandwich was settled in 1637 and the village around the mill pond still reads that way. The boardwalk across the marsh to Town Neck Beach, the glass museum, the old burying ground, the antique houses along Route 6A: the town's character comes from the fact that almost none of it was torn down.
Living inside that is a pleasure and it carries obligations. Historic district review applies in parts of town, and the older housing stock asks for a particular kind of upkeep.
What stays open when the season ends
Sandwich quiets down after Labor Day rather than closing. The year-round population supports groceries, a pharmacy, restaurants and the ordinary business of a town through the winter, and the historic village is genuinely nicer in October than in July.
People relocating from a city sometimes find the winter quieter than they expected and people relocating from a rural place find it busier. Both reactions are common and neither is a surprise worth being caught by.
Two Sandwiches, roughly
There is the old town along 6A and the bay, and there is the newer inland town toward Forestdale and South Sandwich, where the construction is more recent and the lots are ordinary suburban lots.
People picture the first one and frequently live very happily in the second, because it is easier to own and easier to afford. Deciding which of those you actually want is the beginning of a real search rather than a drive around.
Where to start
Tell me how often you expect to go off Cape and whether an old house is a dream or a chore to you. Those two answers put you in one half of this town or the other.
When you are ready, get in touch, or read about buying a home in Sandwich.
This describes my general process and is not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sandwich shut down in the winter?
It quiets rather than closes. The year-round population supports groceries, a pharmacy and restaurants through the winter, and the historic village is arguably nicer in October than in July.
What is the advantage of being the first town over the bridge?
Going off Cape is a shorter commitment, so people do it without planning a day around it. If you have any regular obligation toward Boston, Plymouth or the South Coast, you feel that every week.
Is all of Sandwich historic?
No. There is the old town along Route 6A and the bay, and there is the newer inland town toward Forestdale and South Sandwich with more recent construction and ordinary lots. People picture the first and often live very happily in the second.
Sandwich
What relocation looks like in Sandwich
The oldest town on Cape Cod, with a walkable historic village and the Bay beaches on the quiet north side.
Sandwich is the first town over the canal and the one that still looks the way people picture Cape Cod: a village center you can walk, Shawme Pond, classic homes, and the boardwalk out across the marsh to Cape Cod Bay.
The north-side Bay beaches are a different experience from the Sound beaches further down: wide tidal flats, calmer water, and the sunsets that come with facing north and west. For a buyer who wants a traditional Cape setting without going far down Cape, this is usually the first place to look.
The method
How I do it in Sandwich
Relocation: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Susan Gorden Ryan?