Lake Life: What's your dream cottage?

[AmphoraArchitecture]

We've been working on quite a few projects in Lake of the Woods lately. If you could build your dream cottage what would it look like?

Here's a few concept images to get your creative juices flowing. To see more of our work, visit our website at amphora.ca

[Dengler Avenue]

You’ll have much better luck asking this in the Manitoba thread.
I don’t think any Ontarians in this thread live west of Thunder Bay.

[Loco101]

While those designs look quite cool I don't think that they would work well in Northern Ontario with so much glass. They wouldn't stand up well to the climate here. There's the snow and ice that have to be taken into consideration and also what falls from the trees (branches, twigs, needles, leaves, sap, etc) and the insects which can mean constant cleaning.

[Gresto]

Dream: A log house on a private or semi-private lake with 500 acres of land. The cottage doesn't have to be massive or lavish. Maybe 4 br, 2 bth, at most.
Actually, we do already own what most would deem a "dream" cottage, with 2+ acres, 220 ft of nice waterfront on a quiet, medium-sized lake, and a cottage with 7 bedrooms, 2 baths, a huge screened porch, a games room, laundry facilities, a movie room, lakefront balcony, etc., etc. Extremely private.
But it's not a log house on 500 acres with a private lake.

[MolsonExport]

^Sounds like heaven. I will also gladly take your current cottage/property off your hands.

[swimmer_spe]

I live on a lake. The longer I live here, the more I have learned that the issues that I would change has nothing to do with the building, but the land. Things like a wider lot, a more gentler slope, a nicer water entry are among the issues. I could tear down the house we have now, and build my dream house, but the land is much harder to change, and in the end, that is what really makes a good or bad lake life experience.

[GeneralLeeTPHLS]

In the most hypothetical of scenarios, I'd consider a cottage in the Kawarthas. No, not because I'm a typical Torontonian who likes to go to the family cottage out in that area, but because I went up there once for my first job. It was a great time, mostly to see the woods up there and be by a big lake so unlike the great lakes. It was a brief trip that ended badly, but to this day, I want to go back to that area.

Anyways, it'd be a lot (say, 2 acres or so), going down to the lake, preferrably with stairs if the grading is steep to the lake, and a log cabin, either one floor with a basement, or more likely 2 floors and no basement (assuming the land has difficult soils to lay a deeper foundation in possibly, or issues with seepage)


Of course, this is unrealistic and not something I'd consider due to the state of the housing market in the province.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

^Sounds like heaven. I will also gladly take your current cottage/property off your hands.

It is wonderful. We got it for a relative steal at the time. It's right at the very end of 15 kms of gravel road, so the quiet and privacy are fabulous. Cinephiles would say we're the "last house on the left", but minus the rapes and chainsaw murders.

[1overcosc]

This is the sort of cost that the "dream" is now.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ll-lane-cloyne

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

This is the sort of cost that the "dream" is now.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ll-lane-cloyne

There are plenty of houses on lakes in Sudbury and it is only an hour longer. My house was under $400k 3 years ago.

[thewave46]

My dream cottage?

First choice: Someone else’s. Preferably someone who is hosting the party.
Second choice: One I rent for a week once in awhile to get away.

I just can’t see tying up that much money in something that gets that little use and ties me there every weekend in the summer. In ye olden days when they were cheap and other travel was expensive, sure, maybe I go for it.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

This is the sort of cost that the "dream" is now.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ll-lane-cloyne

That place is less than 30 minutes from ours. The high cost is in large part for the substantial acreage and extreme privacy, though the cottage is beautiful, too. That listing has been up for quite some time (six months, give or take). I have been watching it. One off-putting, worrisome feature is the shallowness of the lake (~10 ft.) in that corner. It's not worth $2 million, I think.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Gresto

That place is less than 30 minutes from ours. The high cost is in large part for the substantial acreage and extreme privacy, though the cottage is beautiful, too. That listing has been up for quite some time (six months, give or take). I have been watching it. One off-putting, worrisome feature is the shallowness of the lake (~10 ft.) in that corner. It's not worth $2 million, I think.

North Frontenac/Addington Highlands is peak cottage country in Southern Ontario, IMO. Privacy is good, lakes are nice, and it's a bit less known so it's not nearly as busy as say, Muskoka or the Kawarthas are.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

North Frontenac/Addington Highlands is peak cottage country in Southern Ontario, IMO. Privacy is good, lakes are nice, and it's a bit less known so it's not nearly as busy as say, Muskoka or the Kawarthas are.

Yes, that region hasn't been discovered yet, and I hope it stays that way. Does your friend still live in Ompah? I must say, Ompah is largely dilapidated and unappealing. Plevna, just down the road, which is the hamlet closest to our place, is much better-kept. Amazingly, for a dot-on-the-map of fewer than 100 permanent residents, it has a school, a (dreadful) grocery store, H.H. building centre, LCBO, bakery, gas station, restaurant, and community centre.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Gresto

Yes, that region hasn't been discovered yet, and I hope it stays that way. Does your friend still live in Ompah? I must say, Ompah is largely dilapidated and unappealing. Plevna, just down the road, which is the hamlet closest to our place, is much better-kept. Amazingly, for a dot-on-the-map of fewer than 100 permanent residents, it has a school, a (dreadful) grocery store, H.H. building centre, LCBO, bakery, gas station, restaurant, and community centre.

Yep. He loves it there, although he'd definitely agree that the beauty comes from the landscape and not the village! Ompah is an odd place. It almost feels like something out of Appalachia.

I neighbor of mine is a teacher who did a LTO job at the Plevna elementary school once (it's in the same school board as Kingston). At the time, she said the school had about 40 kids total, with only 3 classrooms - multiple grades in one class. Absolutely wild.

[swimmer_spe]

One thing about lake life that no one thinks about till it happens is flooding. Right now, my waterline is about 4-6 feet higher than it should be at this time of year.

[Innsertnamehere]

waterline variability on lakes has always been a huge part of cottage life. There is a reason floating docks are popular.

[harls]

Originally Posted by thewave46

My dream cottage?
First choice: Someone else’s. Preferably someone who is hosting the party.

The last 20 years I've done this. Have friends 3 hours away and they have hosted our group of friends over and over. Then, some other mutual friends bought a cottage 10 minutes away from them and they do the same thing.

Not that I would like to have my own place, but what's the point?

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

waterline variability on lakes has always been a huge part of cottage life. There is a reason floating docks are popular.

True... This year, one of our lake neighbour's floating dock is sicking half out of the water. The other end where it anchors to is under 4-6 feet of water. Where I stored my dock sections are in 2 feet of water. The great thing is, we have neighbours that have been here over 30 years, so they know what to expect.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

One thing about lake life that no one thinks about till it happens is flooding. Right now, my waterline is about 4-6 feet higher than it should be at this time of year.

We're fortunate in that regard. Firstly, the water level of our medium-sized lake doesn't deviate more than about 1-2 feet from a norm, and secondly, the cottage is 10-20 ft above the lake on a fairly gentle slope. Interior flooding is not a problem we will face, but it is one of many variables that makes cottage ownership daunting and off-putting to many people. As someone who has had cottages in the family his entire 48 years, I can understand that distaste. Cottages do involve a lot of work (and sometimes expense), especially at the beginning and end of the season, but once that toil and trouble is out of the way, typically within the span of a weekend, the sense of tranquility is unbeatable. Much of the question surrounding whether a cottage is right for you comes down to whether you have enough time to spend there. If not, don't bother. Renting or mooching off cottage-owning friends/relatives are better options.