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Buy the Way: This couple used a line of credit to buy their dream cottage in P.E.I.

Photo by Marcia Ruby

The search
Marcia Ruby and Tom Howard always hoped they’d get back to the Maritimes. Tom’s from Saint John, N.B., and for more than 30 years, the Kitchener, Ont.-based couple would travel east with their two daughters to visit family. “But when the grandparents passed, we had no easy place to go,” says Marcia. “Our hearts were there, but our wallets weren’t.”

So when Tom’s sister sent them the listing for a cottage on P.E.I. in May of 2021, their first instinct was to shrug it off. “But when we looked at the place, we just saw ourselves there,” says Marcia.

What they got
It was a modest, two-bedroom, 621 sq. ft.-bungalow listed for $199,900, across the street from the ocean in Fernwood, just 20 minutes from Summerside on the Northumberland Strait—a spot known for the Seacow Head Lighthouse from the 1985 Anne of Green Gables movie.

They hadn’t been looking to buy anything, but they still had some bank credit available from when they’d downsized from their house in Kitchener to a condo nearby a dozen years ago. “A light went off. We could use the home equity line of credit we’d established when we bought our condo,” says Marcia. (A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, is a revolving line of credit that allows you to borrow against the equity you’ve already accrued in a property.) Their fixed interest rate was decent at 1.8 per cent, so it was beginning to look like the perfect time.

Within a few hours, they’d found a local realtor and put in an offer of just over $200,000. By the next morning, the place was theirs.

The silver lining
The cottage is just what they’d hoped it would be: their daughters—now 34 and 39—host friends in the spring, and the couple spends their summers there. Of course, there’s always a hiccup: the septic tank couldn’t be repaired. The family switched to a holding tank that filled up faster than they realized. To offset pressure on the tank, daughter Amelia immediately got to work building an outdoor shower, which they love even more than the indoor setup.

“It just made sense financially for us to buy this way,” says Marcia. “And we’re pretty happy to have the means for our family to stay rooted in the Maritimes.”

Marcia Ruby and Tom Howard standing on a beach in Prince Edward Island
Photo courtesy of Marcia Ruby

Line of credit know-how

Before you use a home equity line of credit to purchase a cottage, accredited financial counsellor Max Mitchell has tips.

Be careful about interest rates—especially if you’re on a variable mortgage

“In a previous interest-rate environment, a HELOC would be a lot more appealing or much lower risk than it is today, when interest rates are much higher,” says Mitchell, who’s based in Vancouver. Marcia and Tom have a low, fixed interest rate, and are currently paying down their principal as quickly as they can, before their mortgage and HELOC renews in a few years—likely at a higher rate.

Research the appreciation potential of property in the region 

“Anytime you’re using debt to purchase an investment, you should make a very educated guess to make sure your return is going to be higher than what you’re risking,” says Mitchell. “That doesn’t mean asking your realtor, who’s incentivized to make a sale.” In other words: do your own research.

Be prepared for future cash-flow crunches 

“If something comes around a year from now—such as having to pay for your kid’s wedding—you can’t sell the toilet from the cottage, you can’t sell the porch,” says Mitchell. “You have an incredibly illiquid piece of property.” Also, if renting out the cottage is part of your cost-covering plan, consider if you can still make the monthly payments if a flood, fire, or other event makes the place unrentable: “If everything goes sideways, how will you be impacted?”

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Buy the Way: An unusual mortgage arrangement allowed this writer to buy a 320 sq. ft. getaway

Photo by Jim Moodie

The search: As the child of canoe-toting itinerants, sharing a tent with my sisters or the back of the Volvo wagon with our epileptic dog, I dreamt as a kid of a cabin to one day call my own. There was a secluded point on one of the Algonquin lakes we frequented in my youth where you could make out the remains of an old ranger’s abode.

I paced it off one time, two feet per step. It was 16-by-20. That, I thought, would be perfect for me.

Finding my 320 sq. ft. of bliss, on a 2.6-acre nook of Panache Lake, Ont., turned out to be a cinch. It popped up immediately in an online search in the fall of 2017 and, within a week, the owners had accepted my $180,000 offer (about 10 per cent less than the asking price)—conditional on financing. That’s when the real hunt began.

The first banker I approached advised me to “walk away from it,” citing the lack of amenities and a driveway as cons. Needless to say he wouldn’t give me a mortgage; nor, he predicted, would any other institution. That proved true when the credit union also shot me down.

My dream shack, I learned, fell into the category of a Type B cottage, being wood-heated, uninsulated, and unequipped with a water filtration system. These types of rustic getaways are trickier to mortgage than a Type A, which have permanent foundations and heat sources, along with year-round access. It’s okay if your Type B sits on blocks—or even rocks, as is the case for mine—but most banks will balk if you don’t have a proper chamber for ablutions (a.k.a. an outhouse won’t cut it).

I turned to Durham-based broker Steve White, who looked far and wide, including among B- and C- lenders—outfits or individuals who might not be so picky about things like a three-piece bathroom, the absence of which was a sticking point for the A contingent, owing to mortgage insurance rules.

The compromise: White exhausted all his options but suggested, as a last-ditch, I might propose a vendor take-back mortgage. “A what?” I said. This alternative, he explained, is like an owner holding a mortgage, except that the buyer in a VTB scenario obtains title to the property and can put it back on the market, if so desired, at any point, as long as they pay off the balance owed to the previous owners. In a nutshell, it involves the seller agreeing to become the lender, and getting paid off, with interest, over a period of time, instead of all at once.

The concept was new to the sellers too. They hadn’t done anything like it, or even heard of it for a cottage. The couple gave me a tour of their Panache Lake place before I made my offer. Because they were selling privately and they had met me, our arrangement seemed trustworthy.

The owners confessed that they still did a bit of digging on me (thankfully I only have one speeding ticket and have mostly made fans through my journalism) before agreeing to the scheme, which effectively made them my bank.

They had to assume a certain risk, but they said that they wanted to sell to a nice person who would enjoy it. In the end, it’s still a business transaction, so the couple had to do their homework. Having a formal mortgage agreement in place was important to ensure both parties had some security.

The silver lining: I got my cabin on a secluded point. The sellers got a smaller capital gains hit, as the gain gets spread out over a period of years. I didn’t have to install a septic field or holding tank, as a traditional lender would have required. The previous owners got a pretty good sense that I was in this for the long haul and wasn’t going to rent the place or flip it.

The interior of Jim Moodie's cabin
Photo by Jim Moodie

Bonus: They left behind a bunch of cassette tapes and don’t mind that I am enjoying them to this day.

Owner advice: The pros and cons of a vendor take-back mortgage

PRO: A vendor take-back mortgage will only intrigue those sellers who can afford to get their money over time. They will get extra income, but may not want the spectre of their borrower potentially defaulting.

CON: For the buyer, it is typically more costly; the interest rate and repayment schedule are up to the people who are willing to back you. (I got 6 per cent over 20 years.) But if done correctly, a VTB is really no different than a bank mortgage.

PRO: You hold the deed, and the deal can be structured so that you can pay out the lender at any time, without penalty.

Have you recently purchased a cottage? Tell us about it: edit@cottagelife.com.

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Buy the Way: This couple stretched their budget after a difficult medical diagnosis

Photo courtesy Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda

The search: Toronto couple Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda had been saving to buy property downtown. It had taken years—working in the film industry means that their income comes in on a job-to-job basis. Then, in early 2021, Jen was diagnosed with an incurable form of stage 4 metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. “With a diagnosis like that, it changes your priorities,” says Warren. It accelerated their property hunt, but the couple wasn’t impressed with what $500,000-$600,000 afforded them in the city. So, they expanded their search to cottage country. That summer, while renting on Lake Kennisis, Ont., they found a riverfront, three-season, A-frame for $499,000. “We offered $570,000 thinking, that’s competitive,” says Warren. It wasn’t—the property sold for $830,000.

The couple enlisted the help of realtor Carl Laudan, a former colleague. “Having someone who was a friend and a former filmmaker was a game-changer for us,” says Warren. “He understood what we needed and our situation, specifically as film people.” One night, Warren, who had become something of a realtor.ca savant, found a 1,100 sq. ft., three-bedroom cottage on Cordova Lake, Ont., listed at $614,000. Upon visiting the place, it felt right immediately. “We looked at each other and said, ‘okay, how do we make this work?’ ” says Jen.

The compromise: Comparable cottages in the area were going for $800,000—and competition was fierce. “On bid night, I was sweating out of places I didn’t know I could sweat out of,” says Jen. In a final push, the couple made an unconditional offer, and Jen wrote a letter to the sellers describing why they wanted the place. It worked— they got it for $777,000. Jen and Warren faced an additional hurdle to close. Because of their variable income, a traditional mortgage wasn’t an option. They secured financing through a B-Lender (an alternative lender, such as a non-traditional bank or a credit union) and by putting 35 per cent down.

the sunroom at Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda's cottage
Photo courtesy Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda

The silver lining: “Early on in my diagnosis, I learned to invent a safe, happy place in my mind that I could go to during anxious times,” says Jen. “Mine was immediately and vividly a cottage.” A year on, the couple still feel like the budget stretch was worth it. “When we bought the cottage, I didn’t know if I’d get to see what the summer sun looked like there,” says Jen. “The thought of dying before I had a chance to spend the money I had worked so hard for on something I loved is definitely what propelled me to go all in on our cottage.”

Broker advice: Mortgage strategies for freelancers

Having a variable income is common, and it won’t preclude you from applying for a cottage mortgage. “Anytime there’s a variance, lenders want to see an average of the last two years,” says Andrew Thake, a mortgage broker in Ottawa. If your average isn’t high enough, a broker can help you put together a financial plan. If you’re planning to buy in the next two years, “we could structure your tax filings around that purchase,” says Thake. That may mean not writing off as many expenses, but it will show the lender that you have the income. Plus, you can be saving and looking for a cottage simultaneously, even if you aren’t pre-approved yet. Mortgage brokers can also help you survey alternative lending (B-Lending) or private lending (C-Lending), in addition to exploring the best rates across traditional banks. “We know which lenders are going to be the right fit,” says Thake. And even if you start with an alternative lender, you’re not locked into that model. “We can help you even after you own the cottage to get you back to a traditional lender.”

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Buy the Way: This couple snagged a bargain by buying land through an estate sale

Photo courtesy Evan Timusk

The search: After five years of looking for a wilderness retreat, Sault Ste. Marie-based couple Evan Timusk and Jenn Vosper were beginning to lose hope. They had budgeted up to $80,000 for an isolated property surrounded by Crown land, ideally with water access. Mature forest was another objective that further pigeonholed their search. “It seems like most people clear the trees before they sell the land,” says Evan. “We were getting tired of looking at saplings and skidder trails.”

The compromise: In October 2019, they received a surprise tip on a remote, 76-acre parcel located in the headwaters of the Thessalon River, 40 km north of Bruce Mines, Ont. The former mining claim property hadn’t been visited by the family in more than 50 years and was about to be offloaded in an estate sale. Sensing a great opportunity, the couple bushwhacked there by GPS and discovered old-growth pine, rugged hills, and a clearwater river with gravel shores. “We instantly fell in love,” says Jenn.

Evan and Jenn hustled to make a bid before the property was listed. They offered $32,000, hedging that difficult access would dissuade competition. The family countered at $36,000, and the couple accepted. The deal closed after an eight-month wait while the estate was settled in court, which Evan says is normal for this type of purchase.

The silver lining: Evan and Jenn decided to build their own cabin, settling on a 16-by-20-foot structure using locally harvested (and milled by hand) rafters on stick-framed and insulated walls. They found trailer-loads of rough cut lumber on Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, along with windows and a stove for a sauna. (Building in an unorganized township allowed the couple to bypass graded lumber.) Total material costs— enough for a cabin, sauna, and shed— tallied $24,000.

Photo courtesy Evan Timusk

After making six weeks of concerted effort and hauling endless loads of materials to the building site, the cabin took shape. By first snow, they’d framed and sheathed the cabin and added a steel roof. The couple plan to finish the interior this year, with the goal of being able to relax and enjoy the place in 2023. “There was still a bit of uncertainty while we waited for the legal proceedings, especially during the pandemic,” says Jenn. “It’s been a great experience to work together on such a lengthy project. Every new step now feels like a victory.”

Owner advice: How to navigate an estate sale

Evan and Jenn admit they got lucky in many ways. For starters, pre-pandemic prices for recreational land in northern Ontario’s Algoma district typically ran $1,000 per acre, and they’ve surged since. It also isn’t easy to find an estate sale. The couple cast a wide net by leveraging contacts in real estate offices and speaking with agents who specialized in their target area. Finally, they made an informed offer: being aware of the remoteness of the property, the difficult access, and the fact that “no one in the family had likely stepped foot there and had no attachment to the place” enabled them to score a lowball deal, Evan says.

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Buy the Way: A family of three shares a tiny home they can bike to

Photo courtesy Justine Penner

The search: For Justine and Olivier Penner*, the search for a weekend getaway started with a desire for a little more elbow room. The couple had been renting a two-bedroom apartment in Vancouver since 2011, and in 2018, when their daughter was four years old, they started looking for land that they could enjoy and that would be an investment they could pass along to their daughter.

Most importantly, they didn’t want to spend more than $100,000. “That’s a modest amount, unless you wanted to take on a mortgage,” says Justine. “And both of us are very debt-averse.” Olivier was keen to travel without a car, and so they narrowed their search to the Gulf Islands, which is accessible by ferry after a short bike or bus ride from the city (though they have a car and a cargo e-bike for transport when necessary).

They found a spot that looked ideal: a 1/2-acre plot of land in the woods where they could tent camp, that was a 20-minute walk to local beaches and close to the ferry. And it was potentially within their budget—if they could just get the list price down from $140,000.

The compromise: They researched the history of the land and discovered it had sold for $68,000 the year previous, so they had some hope of bringing the cost down—but unfortunately, their initial offer of $100,000 was quickly declined. But a few months later, Olivier noticed that the land still hadn’t sold. They asked their realtor to re-engage with the seller, and—after rallying a little more money—negotiated a price both sides could live with: $113,000. “I joked with Olivier that we just bought a really expensive camping spot,” says Justine.

The silver lining: Tent camping was the plan for the near future—until they learned their friend, Angela, had built a tiny house on another, more challenging-to-access island. She was hoping to find a place to move it to that was less remote. Local bylaws stated that so long as they kept the wheels on the 16-by-9-foot cabin, the tiny home could legally be “parked” and inhabited for up to 90 days a year as a recreational vehicle—meaning no camping for Justine and Olivier and a closer getaway for Angela and her partner, Daniel. The four of them hammered out a five-year time-share agreement in writing—and they divvied up the $5,000 expense to move the tiny home onto the property (thanks to highway permits and making the cabin road-worthy), along with ongoing maintenance costs. The getaway has been just what the family of three was looking for. “There’s enough room for us to sleep in the loft. We put up little lights, and it’s just naturally cozy,” says Justine.

*All names have been changed

Owner advice: Lessons learned from sharing a tiny home

Cover all the details
The couples spent hours creating what they describe as their “MOU”—Memorandum of Understanding—that lasts for five years. It covers how expenses and time at the place are shared and, perhaps more importantly, what happens if someone pulls out of the agreement early and how they would handle it. At the end of five years, they’ll discuss the arrangement for the tiny home again.

Put it in writing
The group uses Google Docs to track everything. There’s nothing formal that says who gets which weekend—“and I wouldn’t expect anyone to block out the whole summer,” says Justine—but so long as either party doesn’t exceed their allotted 45 days, it’s flexible.

Be prepared for some conflict
“You can never anticipate all possible misunderstandings,” says Justine. Lucky for the group, she’s a skilled mediator, so they’ve quickly dealt with anything that comes up. A group WhatsApp channel keeps communication lines open—and they make sure they get together for dinner at least once a quarter to discuss any issues that arise. “We have a pretty high commitment to each other and the friendship,” she says.

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Buy the Way: This couple renovated a cabin to set themselves up for retirement

Photo by Don and Yvonne Dreise

The search: In 1985, Chatham, Ont., couple Don and Yvonne Dreise started buying fixer-uppers to renovate and live in. “We enjoyed doing a project from start to finish,” says Don. “Every couple of years, we’d sell and move to a home that needed more ambitious renovations.”

During summers, Don, a project manager at a multi-trade contractor, and Yvonne, a now-retired BMO customer service representative, would take their three children camping in a pop-up trailer. The family travelled to parks throughout southern Ontario, from Pinery and Sauble Falls to Bon Echo and Algonquin. “We were never interested in getting a cottage because we didn’t want to be tied down to the same place,” says Yvonne. “We wanted to experience something new every year.”

The compromise: In January 2021, the Dreises took a drive to visit Yvonne’s brother in Shrewsbury, Ont., a little community on Lake Erie, 25 minutes south of Chatham. On the way, they came across a beautiful tree-lined street with cottages on the water. One of the cottages, a 640-sq. ft. two-bedroom, caught their eye. The cottage was in terrible condition—it had rotted hardwood floors and a sagging roof with holes in it. To make matters worse, the buildup of frost every winter had dangerously shifted its foundation. “But looking past the necessary repairs, we also saw lots of potential in its location,” says Don.

The cottage was close to Rondeau Provincial Park, and there was a golf course and a zoo nearby—attractive amenities for prospective renters. On the other side of Rondeau Bay, a brewery and several restaurants were a short drive away. Eager for a new project, Don and Yvonne purchased the dilapidated cottage for less than $200,000 in a private sale and began renovations that March. Over four months, they gutted the interior, replaced the roof and stabilized the foundation. Don handled much of the work himself, adding interior panelling and insulation, as well as a 200-sq. ft. deck.

By June 2021, the hard work and about $75,000 in renovations had paid off. In between stays, the couple rented out the cottage: “Our guests became enamoured with it, and so did we,” says Yvonne. “That’s when we started talking about Rondeau Bay being the place where we might retire.”

The silver lining: Last September, the Dreises hosted a group at the cottage to celebrate Yvonne’s 60th birthday. “We had a great time, but we realized the cottage was too small,” says Yvonne.

Don and Yvonne began searching for bigger cottages or empty lots to build on. That fall, they snapped up a vacant lot two blocks away. They recently sold the first cottage to people who had been renting it since October, and they’re using the profits to build a larger cottage on their new lot this summer. But they’re also keeping their options open. “We’re always looking,” says Yvonne. “We just went for a drive one day and ended up falling in love with Rondeau Bay. So who knows what we’ll discover on our next drive?”

Realtor advice: Consider buying a property that doesn’t check all your boxes

Even if a cottage is small or lacks the access you desire, it still has value as an investment, says Doug Peterson, a real estate agent in Belleville, Ont. “You can always sell your property or build equity with it to afford something else.” Peterson adds that buyers should assess what’s most important on their checklist and what might be superfluous. For example, many buyers are simply looking for a place to escape the city and go for a swim or a hike. “You don’t need all the bells and whistles for that,” he says. But most importantly, Peterson recommends purchasing sooner rather than later—with the caveat that buyers shouldn’t overextend themselves to do it. “I’ve seen a lot of buyers get priced out of the market recently,” he says, noting that prices should keep trending upwards for the rest of 2022.

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Buy the Way: This family saved money by buying land and building a yurt

Photo by Claire Dagenais and Brady Del Rosario

The backstory: Toronto couple Brady Del Rosario and Claire Dagenais have always felt at home in a rural setting. While they both grew up in the GTA, Claire, a 37-year-old events and administrative consultant, often stayed at her grandmother’s farm in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Que., while Brady, a 39-year-old architect, was a regular at his grandfather’s trailer in the Ottawa Valley.

After their daughters Gabrielle, 8, and Cosette, 5, were born, Brady and Claire were eager to share similar experiences with them. “We’d go camping most summers, but we wanted a place of our own we could use year-round,” says Claire. In 2019, the family began searching for properties within a three-hour drive of Toronto. Also on their checklist: an acre of land and water access.

The compromise: With a roughly $200,000 budget, the family was priced out of Muskoka and the Kawarthas, where cottages and vacant lots started at almost $400,000. When the pandemic struck, prices soared even higher as demand for recreational properties skyrocketed. The family considered cheaper empty lots—even if they couldn’t afford to build a cottage on one quite yet. “We figured this was our last chance to get our foot in the door,” says Brady. “We decided to buy land so we could eventually build the cottage of our dreams.”

In the spring of 2020, the family booked a few viewings of vacant lots in Marmora, Ont., a small community located nearly two and a half hours east of Toronto. They fell in love with Marmora’s pristine farmland and majestic pine forests. That May, they found a wooded two-acre lot a short drive from town. They bought it for $150,000—slightly under the asking price—the following month. 

The family debated several affordable short-term building options, including bunkies and treehouses. “But then we thought, why not a yurt?” says Claire. In 2019, the family had rented a yurt during
a trip to Pinery Provincial Park in Grand Bend, Ont. They appreciated how a yurt required less upkeep than a cabin and offered more living space and protection from the elements than a tent.

In the summer of 2020, they purchased a DIY kit from Yurta, a company based in Greenwood, Ont. Over the next four months, the family regularly drove up to their property. Claire and the girls cleared branches and rocks off the land, and she and Brady built a deck to serve as the yurt’s foundation. The family assembled the 226-sq. ft. yurt on the deck soon after. That winter, they added a woodstove and stainless-steel chimney. All told, the yurt, deck, building supplies, and furnishings cost around $30,000. “Building the deck was a lot of effort, but working on our yurt together became a special bonding time for us,” says Brady.

The silver lining: Claire and Brady plan on building a permanent cottage within the next 10 years. But for the time being, the family is enjoying the yurt. They have since made the trek there at least once a month. During those visits, Gabrielle and Cosette can be found swinging in hammocks or on birdwatching expeditions in their little neck of the woods. “Our yurt has made us realize we won’t need a showstopping lakeside cottage,” says Claire.

Owner Advice: Is a yurt right for you?

You get a yurt for a fraction of the cost of a cottage
Starting from as low as $11,000, yurts offer an affordable point of entry for families with modest budgets. “Yurts are also expandable,” says Brady. “If you want more square footage, it’s just a
matter of adding some carpentry and fabric.”

If you aren’t a DIYer, yurts might not be the best option for you
Brady and Claire erected their yurt in a day, but building its foundations and flooring required months of work. If you aren’t handy with a power saw, and Ikea furniture assembly gives you nightmares, the added cost of hiring a contractor could make the project unfeasible. 

Yurts offer versatility and adaptability
Lightweight and collapsible, yurts can be packed into a trailer or moved around a property. “We built ours on a floating deck with adjustable footings,” says Brady. That makes yurts perfect for families with evolving plans. For example, Claire and Brady aim to use theirs as a guest house in the back half of their land once their cottage is built. 

Yurts aren’t ideal for the winter months
“Our yurt’s woodstove keeps us surprisingly warm, but we wouldn’t want to spend the night if temperatures dropped below -15°C,” says Claire. And since their yurt doesn’t have plumbing, the family uses a camping toilet inside a separate tent.

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Buy the Way: An inland cottage was the move for these ski enthusiasts

Photo by Philip Preville

The backstory: Philip Preville’s fondest childhood memories are of skiing on the slopes of Quebec and Alberta, where he grew up. “Getting up early on a cold winter morning and grabbing my skis is part of who I am,” says the 53-year-old freelance writer and Cottage Life contributor. Philip introduced his beloved sport to his wife, Lynn, a 46-year-old surgeon, and their three sons: 15-year-old, Luke and 12-year-old twins, Noel and Ivor. Skiing became the family’s favourite winter pastime, with the boys all joining racing programs from an early age. After the family moved from Toronto to Peterborough, Ont., in 2011, they became season’s pass holders at Devil’s Elbow, a local ski resort. But when Devil’s Elbow closed in 2018, the family needed a new place to ski. Friends invited them to the Muskoka Ski Club, operating out of Hidden Valley Highlands, near Huntsville, Ont., which is about two hours north of Peterborough. The family rented an Airbnb in 2018 and fell in love with Hidden Valley’s picturesque peaks and tight-knit community. And while ski club family memberships can cost upwards of $70,000 in Ontario, the Muskoka Ski Club’s membership was about $11,000. Instead of continuing to rent Airbnbs, Philip and Lynn decided to buy a Huntsville cottage to use as a permanent homebase during ski season. “Unlike most people seeking a summer getaway, we were looking for something with winter specifically in mind,” says Philip.

The search: In the fall of 2019, the family began looking to buy a three-bedroom cottage. “A waterfront property was also on our checklist, but it wasn’t a must-have,” says Philip. “The priority was finding something as close as possible to Hidden Valley.” They hoped to spend less than $500,000 on their new cottage, but quickly realized they were priced out from any waterfront properties, which were listed at $750,000 and above. The family shifted their search to more affordable inland cottages. That October, they toured a three-bed, two-bath cottage that was a 10-minute drive from Hidden Valley. Part of a recently built subdivision on the outskirts of Huntsville, the one-storey home sat on a 15,000-sq. ft. wooded lot that backed onto Deerhurst Highlands Golf Course. Though the interior has a good amount of living space, “At 1,500 sq. ft, there isn’t a lot of room for guests,” says Philip. The cottage was listed for slightly higher than their $500,000 ceiling, but the couple still made an offer. The sellers accepted, and the family took possession in November, just in time for the 2019-2020 ski season.

The silver lining: That winter, the family spent most weekends and Christmas at their new inland cottage. Despite sporadic COVID-related closures at their ski hill in the two years since, the family continues to savour their weekly winter escape. When they’re not skiing, they enjoy hiking the nearby woods and cozying up together for movie nights. They also mountain bike in the summer. “Skiing transforms your entire experience of winter,” says Philip. “You can socialize and have fun, no matter how cold it is outside. That’s why it’s worth making the long drive every weekend, without a doubt.”

Philip’s reasons to consider an inland cottage

1. Water activities aren’t your main priority
If your passion happens to be skiing, cycling, hiking, or even bird-watching, Philip cautions that a waterfront cottage may go unused and become a superfluous perk. “Why pay for premium waterfront when you might never be on the water?” he says.

2. You get more of a plug-and-play cottage experience
Philip’s inland cottage is hooked up to municipal water and hydro on a road that also has services such as garbage pickup and snow plowing. Those conveniences eliminate much of the work that comes with roughing it in more isolated waterfront cottages.

3. There are always other ways to access the water
This past summer, Philip made a habit of biking three kilometres from his Huntsville cottage to a public beach on nearby Peninsula Lake for a morning swim. “We don’t have our own private waterfront,” he says, “but there’s plenty of rivers, marinas, and beaches close by.”

Did you recently buy a cottage in a non-traditional way? We’d love to hear about it! Email alysha@cottagelife.com.

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Buy the Way: An inland cottage was the move for these ski enthusiasts

Photo by Philip Preville

The backstory: Philip Preville’s fondest childhood memories are of skiing on the slopes of Quebec and Alberta, where he grew up. “Getting up early on a cold winter morning and grabbing my skis is part of who I am,” says the 53-year-old freelance writer and Cottage Life contributor. Philip introduced his beloved sport to his wife, Lynn, a 46-year-old surgeon, and their three sons: 15-year-old, Luke and 12-year-old twins, Noel and Ivor. Skiing became the family’s favourite winter pastime, with the boys all joining racing programs from an early age. After the family moved from Toronto to Peterborough, Ont., in 2011, they became season’s pass holders at Devil’s Elbow, a local ski resort. But when Devil’s Elbow closed in 2018, the family needed a new place to ski. Friends invited them to the Muskoka Ski Club, operating out of Hidden Valley Highlands, near Huntsville, Ont., which is about two hours north of Peterborough. The family rented an Airbnb in 2018 and fell in love with Hidden Valley’s picturesque peaks and tight-knit community. And while ski club family memberships can cost upwards of $70,000 in Ontario, the Muskoka Ski Club’s membership was about $11,000. Instead of continuing to rent Airbnbs, Philip and Lynn decided to buy a Huntsville cottage to use as a permanent homebase during ski season. “Unlike most people seeking a summer getaway, we were looking for something with winter specifically in mind,” says Philip.

The search: In the fall of 2019, the family began looking to buy a three-bedroom cottage. “A waterfront property was also on our checklist, but it wasn’t a must-have,” says Philip. “The priority was finding something as close as possible to Hidden Valley.” They hoped to spend less than $500,000 on their new cottage, but quickly realized they were priced out from any waterfront properties, which were listed at $750,000 and above. The family shifted their search to more affordable inland cottages. That October, they toured a three-bed, two-bath cottage that was a 10-minute drive from Hidden Valley. Part of a recently built subdivision on the outskirts of Huntsville, the one-storey home sat on a 15,000-sq. ft. wooded lot that backed onto Deerhurst Highlands Golf Course. Though the interior has a good amount of living space, “At 1,500 sq. ft, there isn’t a lot of room for guests,” says Philip. The cottage was listed for slightly higher than their $500,000 ceiling, but the couple still made an offer. The sellers accepted, and the family took possession in November, just in time for the 2019-2020 ski season.

The silver lining: That winter, the family spent most weekends and Christmas at their new inland cottage. Despite sporadic COVID-related closures at their ski hill in the two years since, the family continues to savour their weekly winter escape. When they’re not skiing, they enjoy hiking the nearby woods and cozying up together for movie nights. They also mountain bike in the summer. “Skiing transforms your entire experience of winter,” says Philip. “You can socialize and have fun, no matter how cold it is outside. That’s why it’s worth making the long drive every weekend, without a doubt.”

Philip’s reasons to consider an inland cottage

1. Water activities aren’t your main priority
If your passion happens to be skiing, cycling, hiking, or even bird-watching, Philip cautions that a waterfront cottage may go unused and become a superfluous perk. “Why pay for premium waterfront when you might never be on the water?” he says.

2. You get more of a plug-and-play cottage experience
Philip’s inland cottage is hooked up to municipal water and hydro on a road that also has services such as garbage pickup and snow plowing. Those conveniences eliminate much of the work that comes with roughing it in more isolated waterfront cottages.

3. There are always other ways to access the water
This past summer, Philip made a habit of biking three kilometres from his Huntsville cottage to a public beach on nearby Peninsula Lake for a morning swim. “We don’t have our own private waterfront,” he says, “but there’s plenty of rivers, marinas, and beaches close by.”

Did you recently buy a cottage in a non-traditional way? We’d love to hear about it! Email alysha@cottagelife.com.

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Cottage Life

Buy the Way: This family bought a ‘trottage’ in Muskoka

Photo by Kathleen O’Hare

The backstory: Growing up in a working-class Toronto family in the 1970s, Susana Martinez didn’t have many opportunities to vacation in rural Ontario. “We couldn’t afford to rent a cottage, let alone buy one,” she says. But when she was 10, her parents splurged on an all-inclusive stay at Elgin House, a lakeside resort on Lake Joseph, Ont. Susana, now a 53-year-old client service administrator for a Toronto wealth management company, has fond memories of waterskiing and long nature hikes from that rare childhood trip. “I fell in love with the calming effect of being near the water,” she says.

Years later, she was keen to share those same experiences with her husband, Ben Bull, a 53-year-old IT security consultant, and her four kids. In 2008, they began renting cottages in Muskoka and the Kawarthas every summer. After three years, they noticed rentals were getting pricier: a two-week stay in a cottage to accommodate their family of six could cost as much as $4,000. When her mother passed away in 2011, Susana received a small inheritance that got her and Ben thinking. They wanted a place in Muskoka, which was a convenient two-hour drive from Toronto. A cottage was out of their price range, but what if they got a trailer in the same area? 

“It took some convincing for me,” says Susana. “I wrongly associated trailers with the rundown yards and doors hanging off hinges that you’d see in TV shows like Trailer Park Boys.”

The compromise: Susana soon discovered that her preconceptions about trailer parks were ill-founded. In July 2012, she and Ben came across a Kijiji listing for a trailer in Port Severn’s Hidden Glen on Georgian Bay—what is now a gated community less than two hours from Toronto. Sited on the water, the trailer was in excellent condition and came with a new front deck, as well as a dock. It had 600 sq. ft. of living space, with a double bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, as well as an extension with enough room for the kids to sleep. The trailer was listed just under $60,000, but after a quick negotiation, Susana and Ben bought it within their budget for $50,000. They also had to pay approximately $4,500 (it has since increased to $6,000) in annual dues to lease their lot from Hidden Glen, which also covers park maintenance and septic pump-out.

the front deck of the trottage looking out over the lake
Photo by Susana Martinez

They spent about $6,000 on upgrades including a back deck and new bedroom floors. Dubbing their new retreat the “Trottage,” the family visited most weekends and for the holidays. Susana and Ben, who don’t own a car, spend $140 on a rental per weekend.  

The silver lining: With their children now grown up (their youngest is 18), Susana and Ben realized they wouldn’t be using their trailer as much. So last September, they sold a third share of their lease to a friend, who will spend time there when the couple isn’t using it and pay a portion of the annual dues. They plan on keeping their trailer as a possible retirement getaway. “Having a place to escape to has been so important,” says Susana. “This has been the spot where we can all relax and share time together, no matter what else is going on.”

Susana’s three reasons to embrace trottage life

1. A million-dollar cottage view—for a fraction of the price
Susana knows that she won’t be getting the same return on her investment that a cottage would offer since Hidden Glen owns the land that her trailer sits on. “But it’s still an investment in my quality of life,” she says. “Plus, I wouldn’t be able to afford this little slice of Muskoka waterfront otherwise.”

2. Built-in communities
Trailer parks offer lots of opportunities to socialize and take part in events such as horseshoe tournaments and disco nights. “It’s been great for our kids to share this park with so many other families,” says Susana. “We’ve also built close friendships with neighbours who we even vacation with outside the park.”

3. Less upkeep
“In the spring, all I have to do is put out the outdoor furniture and do a little cleaning,” says Susana. “With a cottage, it can take days to get things in order.” Another trailer perk: for a $100 annual fee, Hidden Glen takes care of winterizing her trailer in the fall. “For that price, somebody else does it for us, and we don’t have to worry about the pipes bursting—it’s great.”

Did you recently buy a cottage in a non-traditional way? We’d love to hear about it! Email alysha@cottagelife.com.