Latest / On The Lake with James Pitropov / Cottage Buyer's Guide (Part 1): The Lake, The Land & The Law

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Cottage Buyer's Guide (Part 1): The Lake, The Land & The Law · On The Lake with James Pitropov

• 0:00
  let's build the unbuildable, but let's not buy the unbuyable So, if you're finding that diamond in the rough and that gem, chances are that you cannot build on it immediately.
• 0:09
  And realistically, you could be 18 months, 24 months.
• 0:12
  On a really tricky property, uh, that can go into a couple of years, I build the unbuildable.
• 0:17
  We work on tough sites.
• 0:18
  What I'm suggesting to you is it just takes more commitment.
• 0:21
  It's not an immediate easy ride.
• 0:23
  Nothing is, and a lot of things in life are worth, uh, working towards, but it takes time.
• 0:27
  Hi there everyone, and welcome back to the On the Lake podcast by-Lakeside Architecture, Lakeside Construction Management, and myself, of course, James Pitropov Today I'm presenting what we're calling the Cottage Buyer's Playbook.
• 0:43
  I think you'll find this quite interesting.
• 0:44
  If you're considering purchasing a cottage or a waterfront property, it's quite easy to be seduced by the views, the drive-in, the look of the cottage, the lighting, and all that wonderful first impression stuff that we, we see.
• 0:59
  However, purchasing a cottage is a little bit different than buying a regular home.
• 1:04
  You're buying waterfront.
• 1:05
  It's land.
• 1:07
  It's about access.
• 1:08
  It's about available services, environmental conditions, and in many cases, there are severe restrictions or constraints on the use of the property, which may have a very big impact on what you would build there.
• 1:23
  Today, I'm going to be looking at the Ontario cottage market and then walk through some of the things that I look at as an architect and as a construction manager, because this is what I do for our clients before purchasing a cottage property.
• 1:36
  The main idea that I would like you to remember is very simple.
• 1:40
  You can redesign the cottage, but you cannot redesign the lake.
• 1:45
  Really important to find a good fit for yourselves and your partners and your families.
• 1:49
  So let's jump right into it.
• 1:50
  Part one: The 2028 cottage market.
• 1:54
  previous decades, back in the'80s and'90s, the cottage market, it was a lot softer.
• 1:59
  It was pretty easy to still purchase a reasonable property in relatively good shape, have a little bit of work done on it, and the expectations were a little bit different than they are today.
• 2:12
  Today, the land values have skyrocketed.
• 2:15
  Availability isn't always what it used to be because there have been more cottages built on the lakes.
• 2:20
  And the expectation for a lot of people these days is that they will be, in many cases, retiring from the city and going to work remotely at their cottage.
• 2:31
  It seems to work.
• 2:32
  There's high...
• 2:33
  fidelity, internet services in most lake areas.
• 2:37
  It's quite easy to work remotely.
• 2:39
  That's the way things are, are the trend is these days.
• 2:42
  So the cottage becomes more of a long-term investment.
• 2:45
  It's more in line with what someone might look at building, in the city or as a, as a city, urban, or country home.
• 2:54
  They are more of a home now, and that affects the logistics and also the investment value of, of purchasing a property, renovating, rebuilding, and so on.
• 3:06
  According to the Royal LePage 2026 Spring Recreational Property Report, the weighted median price of a single-family cottage property increased only by four, four percent in 2025, however, reaching 631K.
• 3:23
  Whereas the w- the waterfront median went in the opposite direction, and it declined to 809K.
• 3:30
  So on top of the changing costs, the availability of good properties is decreasing.
• 3:37
  Interestingly, for this year, the report forecasted that the median recreational property price would increase to approximately 643K.
• 3:46
  Whereas nationally, it increased at a higher rate, but ended up at a lower benchmark at 604K, six hundred and forty thousand dollars.
• 3:56
  Now, these are not guarantees of costs, but it does suggest that values are still moving forward rather than returning to pandemic area, era conditions.
• 4:07
  Now A lot of cottage properties, you'll find that they are...
• 4:11
  Good properties are becoming rare.
• 4:13
  There is competition for prime properties, but it doesn't mean that they're always easy to s- buy and to sell.
• 4:19
  So, for example, there is an, uh, re- there is a sixty-one percent reported increase on average days on the market.
• 4:28
  As an interesting example, in the Bluffs area of Toronto, recently, there has been a very unique mid-century modern home that looks like a cottage in the city, and it's perched on the bluff.
• 4:39
  And at one point, you would think that somebody would have picked it up immediately, and they may have.
• 4:44
  Currently, hundred and sixty-four days on the market.
• 4:48
  Why is this happening?
• 4:50
  Very great features, design features, one of a kind As we go along, when we invest, we wanna make sure that we maintain and/or increase the value of the property.
• 4:59
  One very good reason for renos, rebuilds, and that sort of thing is find the right property in the right location and then be able to add and maintain value to it.
• 5:09
  So these are some of the factors.
• 5:10
  So what does this all mean to you?
• 5:12
  It means that you have an opportunity to look for these unique properties that are hard to find However, you may have the opportunity to negotiate depending on days on the market Site constraints, knowing the requirements, knowing the condition of, of a place.
• 5:28
  How much money is it worth to put into a particular property?
• 5:32
  So it's not all about first impressions and aesthetics because it's easy to fall in love with the ideal-- what looks like the ideal cottage until you realize it costs X amount of dollars, which could be$200,000, it could be$2 million to bring a property up to the right value.
• 5:49
  And also there are factors such as insuring and, um, site servicing in some of these urban environments where you're looking at these leftover parcels of land.
• 6:02
  Sometimes they'll back onto a ravine or they have original- Unknown caller This happens.
• 6:08
  I get calls all the time.
• 6:09
  We have projects under construction.
• 6:11
  We have projects under construction on Chandos Lake, on the Bay of Quinte.
• 6:15
  We've been planning approvals for super custom home on, Glamour Lake.
• 6:20
  There are a lot of factors that we need to look at on properties that are on the lakes that will affect not only the cost, but the cost to bring a place up to a particular level so that it, even for your own marketing resale value, you may fall in love with the place and be committed to be there indefinitely.
• 6:39
  However, you wanna make sure that you are able to get the money that you put into it out of it.
• 6:43
  So this starts to mean that if there's significant work or if a property's, even an ideal property, is on a market for a very long time, it, um, may be a, a, a big warning sign for you.
• 6:56
  And cottages and houses that require significant work, we need to be aware of what some of those factors are so that we know how much money is putting into project.
• 7:05
  On one hand, you have the dream.
• 7:06
  You can turn this into your dream.
• 7:08
  This is the diamond in the rough.
• 7:09
  On the other hand, does it become a money pit, and how deep are you willing to go into the pit to shine up, polish up that diamond in the rough?
• 7:17
  Now The thing that supports the prices on the lake is that the waterfront is finite.
• 7:23
  We are not creating new waterfront.
• 7:26
  The amount of linear kilometers of shore are static in Ontario.
• 7:32
  So natural supply is limited, and prime properties you'll find tend to be in families for generations.
• 7:38
  So on particular lakes, on a particular point, some of those properties have been in the family for generations.
• 7:44
  Sometimes we're looking at subdividing those points so that properties can be shared by siblings between generations and so on.
• 7:53
  But it's this scarcity that supports prices even though we're, we're cautious about entering these negotiations where it costs a lot to improve a property.
• 8:03
  Now, if you watch the other On The Leak podcast, you will know that I am the, uh, the architect for difficult sites, building the unbuildable.
• 8:12
  Having said that, I want you to be aware of the factors and the work that it takes to achieve your dream so that you know what you're getting into, and you can cautiously and optimistically find the right property for your level of commitment and bravery when it comes to building your dream In Muskoka, we'll find that a lot of the buyers may be in upper price categories where they're less sensitive to fluctuating interest rates.
• 8:40
  There's more of a buffer there, and individuals may have various tolerance for the cost of investment, the cost of financing, and so forth.
• 8:50
  So the demand tends to stay fairly, um, constant.
• 8:57
  Things are fairly stable, whereas in some locations, and not that they are a lesser location, but there are other factors such as distance from the city A lot of people will max out at two or two and a half hours is as far as they, they really wanna drive.
• 9:14
  So if you find a, um, wonderful, gem that's four hours away, uh, that reduces the pool of people that would go for it.
• 9:22
  So your cost would correspondingly decrease the purchase.
• 9:28
  However, getting services and upgrading there might be a little bit more difficult.
• 9:32
  So there is a sweet spot.
• 9:34
  Rest assured, there is a sweet spot in that three-hour radius, 3 to 3.5.
• 9:40
  Beyond that, that's really a different selling category for a lot of people or, or purchasing or committing, uh, category.
• 9:47
  And beneath that, things really tend to be in the prime price range.
• 9:51
  So it really depends to you.
• 9:52
  a lot of people are looking at investing in properties in Northern Ontario.
• 9:57
  You can get great value.
• 9:59
  Uh, others have looked at New Brunswick, and you as a viewer may know of different parts of the country where the costs are, uh, a little more mar- moderate, but I would caution you, it always comes with, with caveats.
• 10:12
  There's always a trade-off.
• 10:14
  So we need to find where you...
• 10:16
  where your zone is, your, your comfort zone, and where you will find the balance between having the dream, buildability, financability for yourselves so that your, your project doesn't become onerous to you So the market isn't uniform between different areas Now, a beautiful cottage on an excellent waterfront and great access, good orientation, is going to command a premium and competition on bidding.
• 10:45
  An outdated cottage with a marginal waterfront or difficult approvals, which may be due to the width of the waterfront, a smaller lot, you may be maxed out already on the cottage size.
• 10:58
  Perhaps there's difficulty in accommodating the required new septic area on a s- lot with a limited site.
• 11:06
  Costs will be lower, but we need to factor in the cost to get to compliance so that you can get your site plan approval and y- and you can build the place or renovate.
• 11:16
  So, there is a point where the question is, how much m- money do we need to put in to bring it to the point where it complies, it fulfills your dream, and is a reasonable investment for you, and it not-- doesn't become so onerous that it would make sense to look further afield possibly?
• 11:34
  My advice is to be a little flexible And recognize the, the right property for you.
• 11:41
  In many cases, a property that is costing a little bit more is an indicator that it will be easier to develop.
• 11:50
  Now, seeing as I build the unbuildable, you would think that I would enthusiastically encourage you to find the property that you can put in a lowball offer and do wonders with.
• 12:01
  And that's, that's a possibility, but at the same time, some of these may be water access only, some of them may be distant.
• 12:10
  Historically, they may, they may be on, on...
• 12:13
  in an area that historically hasn't attracted a big pool of buyers.
• 12:18
  So, one of the questions might be, how long would you be willing to pay for it?
• 12:21
  The particular property that I introduced earlier, it is...
• 12:24
  it's a gem, but it's on the market for over 160 days.
• 12:29
  So, it's a diamond in the rough, rest assured.
• 12:31
  However, let's build the unbuildable, but let's not buy the unbuyable or, or unfinanceable and so forth.
• 12:38
  I wanna help you reach your goal and, and, and get you into the zone quicker and find out what works for you before you, you jump in to the wrong part of the spectrum.
• 12:47
  That's what it is.
• 12:48
  It, it's...
• 12:48
  there's, there's a, there's a spectrum there.
• 12:50
  We wanna make sure we're right on the right wavelength for you, if that makes sense.
• 12:53
  So, a good property, if you buy it at a reasonable price, is going to be value...
• 12:58
  more valuable than a property that has some issues with it, such as, zoning issues.
• 13:02
  Now, you can go through committee of adjustment, you can go th- for a site-specific zoning bylaw amendment.
• 13:09
  This is what I do.
• 13:09
  I get approvals on the hardest properties, but that requires commitment from you as the owner as to you're willing to go through the approvals, and these approvals can take a month.
• 13:20
  they can take a year, six months, a year.
• 13:21
  They can take two years.
• 13:23
  It's all in the Municipal Act.
• 13:24
  There are regulated timeframes, and any changes or redevelopment must be distributed by the municipality before the public.
• 13:32
  There's meetings and so forth, site plan approvals, pre-consultations.
• 13:36
  Gotta look at your timeframes.
• 13:38
  So, if you're finding that diamond in the rough and that gem, chances are that you cannot build on it immediately.
• 13:44
  And realistically, you could be 18 months, 24 months.
• 13:48
  On a really tricky property, uh, that can go into a couple of years, meaning beyond 24 months, a couple of years, and then some, is, is what I'm getting at.
• 13:56
  Part two.
• 13:56
  starting with the property and not the building.
• 13:59
  When most people attend a cottage showing, they walk right in, and they're looking at all the fun stuff.
• 14:04
  So they are looking at the kitchens and the bathrooms and bedrooms, the fireplace.
• 14:09
  Of course, uh, cottages and, and homes that are being resold are going to be, redecorated and fluffed and staged, and generally, they look pretty good.
• 14:18
  the curb appeal is great.
• 14:20
  Let's face it, we all love to walk into what we think the dream is going to be.
• 14:24
  Now, when I visit this cottage property, and if I visit it with you, I'm looking at the site first because the site, like we, we s- established earlier, you can rebuild your place, but you can't rebuild the lake.
• 14:36
  By the lake, I mean the setting, the proximity to the water, the orientation to the sunset, sunrise, boatability for some people, having several lakes connected that they can boat along, such as the Muskoka Lakes, Kawartha Lakes, and so forth, Trent-Severn.
• 14:52
  This is what they need, and this is what they value.
• 14:54
  But those lakes have a lot of traffic, and they're noisier than the small lakes.
• 14:58
  Certain small lakes Well, there's lakes, there's smaller lakes that are a great environment for fish and birds, and if you want to see a moose and you want to see it while you're canoeing or kayaking, a small lake is maybe better for you.
• 15:11
  However, you're not likely to be doing a lot of tubing on smaller lakes that are in a very natural state because there are going to be logs and there may be logs, lily pads, rock structure in there.
• 15:22
  Another factor is some of the smaller lakes, and this is going to affect the price, they are on lock systems.
• 15:27
  they are dammed.
• 15:28
  So an interesting exercise would be to drive around your prospective lake areas that you're interested in prior to spring, and you'll see the water's drawn down on a lot of systems like Drag Lake, Burnt River systems, the water comes right down.
• 15:43
  So this may or may not affect your expectations, but this is what you can anticipate and that may affect the costs Now, the thing is that, the base condition of the building can be important.
• 15:56
  So if you're going to renovate or upgrade, having a building that has good foundations, that doesn't have termites or carpenter ants in it or mold, wet or dry mold, uh, that can be important.
• 16:05
  It's, it's important to have good bones.
• 16:08
  If you are thinking more than, say two or$300,000, like 250 to 350, that project may become a, a money pit.
• 16:18
  It could, it could become a money pit for you because there's constant repairs, upgrades y- you need to do that are practical even prior to doing anything that's interesting or, or beautiful.
• 16:28
  So the question then is, should you renovate or sh- you should...
• 16:31
  you rebuild?
• 16:32
  Now, if you look at the On The Lake podcast, you're going to find some earlier podcasts where I go right into those subjects deeply.
• 16:39
  Like how much should you spend?
• 16:41
  Like what's the benefit and cost ratio for bringing your diamond in the rough up to a nice polish?
• 16:48
  at a certain point, you may want to consider the, the total rebuild because it's costing more.
• 16:54
  However, the, the dollars that you're spending into it will build the beautiful spaces that, that you're looking for and not be repairing existing foundations and pumps and septic systems and that sort of thing.
• 17:07
  So just a little caution for you there.
• 17:09
  So you can change the cottage, but the things that you can't change are, well, not readily.
• 17:14
  The shoreline, changing the shoreline, there are a lot of regulations in place.
• 17:17
  If you're on a swampy, low-lying shoreline, if you want to have a dock and just fish off it and have a canoe off of it, it's great.
• 17:23
  But if you have boats and so on, it's gonna cost a lot of money to redo the waterfront, and a lot of municipalities are going to discourage it do you like the, the sun exposure?
• 17:33
  Do you like to have sunshine on the shore in the evening?
• 17:35
  I'll tell you now that, if you are, facing north or east, it's going to be a cool, darker shoreline that may or may not work for you depending on your lifestyle at the cottage Privacy.
• 17:47
  If you have enough privacy.
• 17:48
  If you're on a, on a small bay and you have a...
• 17:50
  It's a beautiful property, but if there are 10 cottages in close proximity, will that bother you?
• 17:56
  Because boats will be coming and going all day.
• 17:59
  Sound travels across the water.
• 18:01
  Different individuals or different people, cottage holders, have different expectations of fun on the weekend, and some tend to be louder and noisier and have fun later into the evening than others.
• 18:15
  So if you're looking at a property and you're thinking, Wow, that's pretty pricey compared to the second property," look at the privacy.
• 18:22
  You know, are you on the sunny side of the point and is it quieter?
• 18:25
  Conversely, you don't want to overpay, and by overpay I mean just to your own s- standard, on a back bay where you have a lot of neighbors and it's possibly in the shade a lot of the day.
• 18:38
  So that may or may not work for you.
• 18:39
  I'm not suggesting that you have to decide one way or the other, but these are factors that would affect not only the cost, but how much money should you put into the cottage before it fulfills your, your, uh, expectations.
• 18:52
  So here's some questions to ask for your-yourself.
• 18:55
  This can be your homework assignment, and feel free to email me or call me, uh, off the website and, uh, let's see what you come up with.
• 19:03
  So the waterfront.
• 19:05
  Is the waterfront suitable for the way that you want to use it?
• 19:08
  Do you want a flat waterfront so that you can, play lawn darts and beach volleyball and toss a football around?
• 19:16
  Is, is that what you're looking for?
• 19:17
  Or are you willing to go to a steeper shoreline with the dramatic views and the enchanting walkway down through the, the stone landscaping?
• 19:27
  You can be anywhere on that spectrum, but you, you gotta make that, value, analysis for yourself.
• 19:32
  Is the water shallow?
• 19:34
  That's all right unless you're boating, like unless you have big boats.
• 19:36
  Deep, deep is good for boating.
• 19:38
  Deep is also good for diving off a boathouse and going for swims.
• 19:42
  Is it rocky?
• 19:43
  Is it sandy?
• 19:45
  What's important to you?
• 19:46
  Is it muddy and weedy?
• 19:47
  Muddy and weedy lakes, certain lakes distributed in various areas, but more common towards the south, s-some of the Kawartha Lakes, lakes like Lake Scugog, for example.
• 19:59
  It's a wonderful lake for fishing, a lot of wildlife.
• 20:02
  you can find the property there where you may love the neighbors.
• 20:05
  It, it can be wonderful.
• 20:06
  The water tends to be a little shallow and, and muddy, and this is based on what we've seen, what we've seen with friends and so on.
• 20:13
  We know people on various lakes, so we tend to get the informal reports.
• 20:17
  So that can be okay, but you...
• 20:20
  So you know what to expect, and you can set your price point to tho-those are valuable, points to, to make.
• 20:26
  So to give you an example, friends that we have that moved from that lake, they moved to Tea Lake, a northern lake, deeper clear water.
• 20:35
  They're really happy with their personal change.
• 20:38
  Go Home Lake has a deep side, a point, and then a shallow back bay.
• 20:41
  You could get a deal on the, on the back bay.
• 20:43
  Friends that we know that did that, they're okay with the trees and the swamp in the back because that's where all the wildlife is, and truly it's a paradise for them.
• 20:53
  So there are decisions to make that will help you evaluate the property.
• 20:58
  Is it suitable for young children?
• 21:00
  So I would say overall, a, a beach-type property or like a l- a little beach where sandy, shallow water warms up.
• 21:07
  It's safe.
• 21:08
  It's great.
• 21:09
  Some of the dramatic cliffside lakes.
• 21:12
  We have friends on, on Kawagama.
• 21:13
  On Kawagama, there are some outstanding, very, very dramatic points.
• 21:19
  Looks a lot like the Ismuscoca, but it also has a little bit of that, uh, West Coast Hornby Island, very dramatic look.
• 21:26
  The, those rock outcrops are very steep.
• 21:29
  Like it goes down a long way, and it can get slippery as soon as it rains, slipping on the leaves, slipping on the rocks, on the bedrock.
• 21:36
  So if you have family members and friends that are either very young or more senior, they might find getting around a little bit hazardous on some of those super dramatic sites.
• 21:46
  I'm just putting that out to you because we want people to be safe and have a fun place and, uh, not an onerous relationship with the site.
• 21:55
  Can you approach your dock safely, particularly with various water levels?
• 22:00
  Is the shoreline exposed to heavy wind and waves?
• 22:03
  So, for example, just outside of right there on Georgian Bay You'll find out that I tend to have a lot of experience on the lakes and, and for ages, so I'm going to bring up real examples for you.
• 22:16
  Uh, please don't be offended if I point out some pluses or minuses in a particular location.
• 22:22
  All places, all lakes are great, and, uh, they just have different challenges that people should know about.
• 22:27
  So on Georgian Bay, for example, mooring the boat on some of th-those bedrock, some of the bedrock islands there, it can be, it can be a job and a half.
• 22:37
  So the waves, the wind comes in, the boat's going up and down, and unless you're on the lee side, you're in the wind, uh, particularly on some boat-only access islands.
• 22:48
  So there's a deal, boat access only.
• 22:50
  On, um, say on the French River system or Almack Lake, places like that, it's not a big deal.
• 22:56
  You can get a boat access only place if you're up for it.
• 22:59
  Uh, you can get a bit of a deal.
• 23:01
  Costs more to build on, but maybe that's your way of getting into the market.
• 23:05
  On Georgian Bay, however, boat access or Christian Island or Giant Tomb, you better be a good boater with a good boat, for some of that stormier weather, say earlier or later in the season.
• 23:19
  Beautiful destinations.
• 23:20
  Just wanna make sure that it's a good fit for you personally and what you're comfortable with.
• 23:25
  Privacy from the neighbors and passing boat traffic.
• 23:29
  Lake Muskoka is wonderful.
• 23:30
  On some of the points in the summer at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., the cigar boats are coming by, and it's relentless.
• 23:38
  So it's great if you're one of those people that are, are doing it, and if you are, have fun.
• 23:45
  you can have a wonderful time.
• 23:46
  However, if you're on one of those points, before you plunk down that deposit, be forewarned that it looks different in the middle of the summer than it does in the spring and the fall and the winter.
• 23:56
  Just to know what to expect Privacy from neighbors and passable traffic Orientation, the sun, time of day, and so on In Lake Muskoka's defense, as if it needs a defense, but in any lake's defense, there are a variety of orientations on the lakes, and a prime property, like a super prime property on a point, will usually have a windy side, and the leeway side, and then one of them will be steep, good for the boats and for rock jumping or whatever you wanna do, and then the lee side is sheltered.
• 24:26
  So that's what makes it expensive.
• 24:28
  It's not a vanity thing.
• 24:30
  It's a what can you personally fulfill with a particular property, and that va- that varies for various people.
• 24:38
  People have different needs, of course How's the walk between the cottage and the waterfront?
• 24:42
  So again, if you need a, a special lift get down to your shore because it's a sheer rock face.
• 24:49
  For some people, that's not a problem.
• 24:51
  For a lot of people, it is.
• 24:52
  So if you've been to Quebec City and you know that the funicular that goes from the upper city to the old city is like a vertical track.
• 25:00
  Now, there's different tinier versions of that, of course.
• 25:03
  But if you think that is enjoyable and exciting way to see the property, it is, but not for everyone.
• 25:10
  So that will and can affect your price.
• 25:12
  So the super dramatic properties, how are you gonna get around on it?
• 25:16
  Will your in-laws be able to get up and down the property?
• 25:20
  It's basic, but you don't want them to, to trip or it's supposed to be fun.
• 25:24
  So sometimes the extreme properties, they are fantastic.
• 25:27
  However, are they practical for your particular family and group of friends?
• 25:31
  And then again, a final factor there is with the changes in the water level, and it's not only the, the water-controlled lakes.
• 25:38
  Previously, water levels had dropped a lot on Georgian Bay.
• 25:41
  Water even on the Muskoka Lakes, they're all on what originally were river systems, and they have...
• 25:46
  They're water-controlled.
• 25:48
  The water control is more consistent on some lakes and some of the smaller lake systems, they drop right down.
• 25:52
  So what are you looking at in the fall or the winter?
• 25:56
  So if it's not water-controlled, if it's a natural lake, you're looking at the same thing all year.
• 26:00
  If it's water-controlled, in the summer it's great, you may be looking at a mudflat with stumps in it in the in-between seasons.
• 26:06
  That may or may not be what you're looking for.
• 26:10
  Now, that can affect the cost downward, so that might be helpful to you if you want to get into that market.
• 26:15
  And I'm not saying that it's either good or bad, it's just what to expect, and that affects the cost.
• 26:19
  So visit the property at the shoreline, ask the neighbors, and don't, uh, only look at it on a beautiful evening in the late spring when everything is ideal.
• 26:30
  If you can spend a little bit of quiet time there, listen for the road noise.
• 26:34
  I mean, there are some lakes that you would be on, and you can hear Highway 400, for example.
• 26:40
  I'm not going to name any area in particular, but you can, you can guess.
• 26:44
  And the tra-- the sound does travel, and that may or may not be a deal breaker for you.
• 26:50
  It's not, It may or may not be, be an issue, but if you get a deal and it fulfills, checks off the other requirements on your box, be creative.
• 26:59
  Check it out.
• 27:00
  Okay, next Check for boat traffic, see what the neighbor's up to.
• 27:04
  One of the great blessings in cottage life is to have good neighbors.
• 27:08
  So neighbors that, that you can get along with.
• 27:10
  And by good neighbors, maybe I should rephrase that to compatible neighbors, compatible activity.
• 27:15
  So if you are looking for a fun lake with fun neighbors, you're gonna find out who they are pretty quickly.
• 27:20
  And if you're looking for a quiet lake, you're gonna find out who those same fun-loving neighbors are because y- you're going to, uh, you're gonna be seeing them, hearing them, getting to know them.
• 27:30
  So find the right fit Think about how your cottage property is going to feel on a typical day, even in the off-season, and not just on that beautiful, ideal afternoon.
• 27:41
  Now let's move on to part three.
• 27:43
  understand what you actually own.
• 27:46
  Now, this is a biggie.
• 27:47
  So we need to know what is included in the property, and one thing that you need to know is that, a lot, if not most Properties on the, on the lakes had shoreline-- the lakes had shoreline allowances arou-around them, owned by the municipality, dating back to the days of, of logging.
• 28:05
  Now, the municipalities these days are generally trying to liquidate them.
• 28:09
  So if you are going to try to rebuild or renovate a place and you think,"Wow, look at this beautiful property," you're gonna find out that the municipality might own the, the front part between you and the lake.
• 28:19
  Now, in all likelihood, they're going to try to sell it.
• 28:23
  However, because they own it, they will make...
• 28:25
  they will attach conditions prior to, making the shore, road allowance purchase possible for you.
• 28:32
  And the regulations these days tend to be much more conservative, and there are more strings attached.
• 28:40
  So when you see that perfect property, and you know it's owned by the municipality, and possibly there's a, there's a wetland nearby, and there might be adjacent sensitive wildlife habitat and everything, it may limit you on what you can build on the property.
• 28:54
  Now, on one hand, the existing building, cottage, it may allow you to...
• 28:59
  In a lot of cases, you can grandfather a new building over, build over the existing footprint, which is great.
• 29:04
  However, there are going to be strict limitations on how far you can go with it and how much coverage you can have on the site.
• 29:10
  Now, you're adding property to your lot, so it's increasing the size of the lot, and therefore, you can build a bigger place.
• 29:17
  That's good news.
• 29:17
  However, is the m-municipality actually encouraging y- that, or are they going to discourage it by not making recommendations at council that you develop the property?
• 29:27
  And a lot of people come into this late and wonder why they have such, uh, difficulties getting through the regulatory process.
• 29:34
  I build the unbuildable.
• 29:35
  We work on tough sites.
• 29:37
  What I'm suggesting to you is it just takes more commitment.
• 29:39
  It's not an immediate easy ride.
• 29:41
  Nothing is, and a lot of things in life are worth, uh, working towards, but it takes time.
• 29:45
  also related to that, there may be easements that are owned by the, municipality for accessing the lake for various reasons, including, fire suppression and so forth.
• 29:56
  They wanna be able to pull up a pumper to the lake.
• 30:00
  Shared accesses, which means that neighboring cottages, cottages would be able to pass by your place to get to the lake, which might mean s- minor...
• 30:11
  Well, I'm not gonna qualify it, privacy issues.
• 30:14
  Because they'll, they're going to be coming, walking up and down that lovely little lane that you thought was yours Uh, there could be encroachments Neighboring, uh, your property might already be encroaching beyond setback lines and so forth, and not all new construction can be grandfathered.
• 30:30
  So it becomes important.
• 30:31
  It gets a little bit, more complicated, and docks or boat houses that are on the shore road allowance, you might not be able to, uh, rebuild them.
• 30:41
  So these are some of the factors that need to be checked out.
• 30:43
  It's just part of the process.
• 30:45
  So here's what a real estate, uh, consultant would do for you or, uh, like a legal, a legal advisor would do for you.
• 30:52
  You need to know the, the legal description of the property.
• 30:54
  You need to know the ownership of the shoreline, and you need to identify required easements and right-of-ways You need to know about encroachments.
• 31:04
  You need to know about private road agreements because in some cases, the municipality, in a lot of cases, they don't own the road.
• 31:11
  So there are agreements and costs involved in maintaining roads, and you'll find on some...
• 31:17
  with some lake associations or cottager associations, there's various degrees of cooperation.
• 31:23
  So you need to get involved.
• 31:25
  If you, if you are in one of those situations, you really should get involved with the group there making decisions, who's clearing the snow, who's adding gravel to the road, how are things insured, can you move your vehicles around?
• 31:39
  There are some factors that are on more on a neighborhood level there, believe it or not.
• 31:43
  Shared driveway arrangements.
• 31:46
  On one particular project, it turns out that the access road actually goes through private property to own cottage.
• 31:53
  So it took a little bit of negotiating to get the permission to bring in heavy construction vehicles, concrete trucks, line pumps, materials.
• 32:04
  You need to know who owns the road.
• 32:05
  That's a big one.
• 32:05
  You should write that one down.
• 32:07
  Who owns the road?
• 32:08
  And then documentation of original docks and boathouses.
• 32:12
  So you cannot assume that you can build everything there.
• 32:16
  I wouldn't even assume that it's all compliant, and you do not know yet what the municipality will approve and not approve or authorize because a lot of structures might be legally non-conforming, and the various municipalities will have different rules and levels of resistance or s- support for your particular type of building.
• 32:36
  So the question is not like, What's here today?
• 32:40
  I love what I see here.
• 32:41
  This is great," you know.
• 32:42
  Let's work with James.
• 32:43
  Let's hire Lakeside Architecture Inc., and then get, uh, Lakeside Construction Management to build us the dream.
• 32:48
  This is what we want." The question is, within the regulatory requirements, legal constraints What is the actual buildable envelope?
• 32:58
  By envelope I mean, once you take all those factors and current setbacks and maximum percentages and maximum width of the cottage, depending on the distance from the lake and so forth, what can I actually legally build as of right in compliance or with a reasonable amount of approvals or zoning by-law amendment in, or committee of adjustment and so forth?
• 33:20
  What can I maintain as of right, alter, expand, or rebuild?
• 33:25
  Before you make that offer, we should talk about that.
• 33:28
  What are-- what is the real potential here?
• 33:30
  So note that down.
• 33:32
  What is the actual potential of this place, and does that add value?
• 33:35
  Because if you know the potential of it, then you've added value to it, and you become your own mini developer because you'll be able to pull your money out of the project one day.
• 33:44
  I know that you'll love the design that we put together for you, but you wanna be able to liquidate things because it's sensible Part four: Can and should you renovate or should you rebuild?
• 33:55
  This is one of the most important parts of your cottage due diligence.
• 33:59
  So when you fall in love with that beautiful, grand old cottage that's 10 or 15 feet away from the lake And you have your ideas, and then you, you send me your AI-generated list of your wants and your needs, and it can look like this.
• 34:13
  It's gotta be like that.
• 34:15
  And it's, James, it's just, one small committee of adjustment application.
• 34:19
  We're sure'cause you make it sound so easy in your early videos." Well It doesn't necessarily mean that you can build it exactly in the same location.
• 34:26
  Now, this is part of the design process because we're gonna get you to the optimum solution for your site.
• 34:31
  But when you're looking at purchasing, I want you to think about that, like what, what can you actually build there?
• 34:36
  So there's some due diligence there.
• 34:37
  Some of the factors on waterfront properties can be the municipal zoning, the setbacks, the coverage.
• 34:44
  Various lakes might be under different conservation authorities.
• 34:47
  Conservation authorities have different rules on what they'll allow you to build on the lake There's different floodplain restera-- floodplain restrictions.
• 34:57
  There's different regulations regarding environmental protections and zoning and so forth.
• 35:02
  Every lake and chain is different and municipality You may have a big property.
• 35:06
  Sometimes people come in and they found these big properties that they have a little bit of frontage on the lake, and they have a big swamp in the back, and they figure, We've scored.
• 35:14
  Like, we got this giant property, and it is such a deal." However, they find out because part of the property, and it's way back there, but it's on, a wetland or, or, a marsh or a swamp, and there's various birds and amphibians breeding in there, and they're rare.
• 35:29
  That means that you need environmental assessments for the whole property, and it's all considered or may be considered as one parcel and one application.
• 35:37
  So you got all this stuff, but this can become a liability in the back to you because it sets the constraints on the entire property.
• 35:44
  Even though you want to build a cottage way over there close to the lake, it's still next to an EP area or an ESA area.
• 35:51
  So you've got to look at those rules.
• 35:53
  Approval is not automatic.
• 35:55
  Compliance is something that you work towards.
• 35:58
  Even when we're doing tight applications, I'm working towards compliance and good design, and these factors will result in a good optimum solution for your site, but it's not automatic.
• 36:11
  And again, before we come up with the beautiful AI-generated designs, and you've got all the clippings, beautiful clippings from house, from magazines and so forth, let's look at the site first and let that start to generate the form and the shape and see what makes sense.
• 36:28
  Some of the approaches that can work are taking a place, breaking it up into smaller parts, having a, a cottage that, steps down the slope, very West Coast kind of move.
• 36:38
  Iconic Canadian architects such as Arthur Erickson would do that.
• 36:41
  That's how you unlock the magic of some sites.
• 36:44
  I tend to break down cottages into parts, sometimes separated by breezeways.
• 36:48
  It brings the scale down.
• 36:50
  We can orient different parts of the build-- uh, of the cottage that then some parts towards the ideal view, some parts away from noisy neighbors, other ones further away from that wetland, and then that, that gets you some traction with the municipal planners.
• 37:03
  But those are the steps that you need to take, instead of committing to, This is what we want.
• 37:08
  We're going to fight tooth and nail for it." That's not the way to get the most out of your site.
• 37:12
  The way to do it is to recognize that there's a lot of factors, sometimes they're competing factors, and how do we get the right project fit for your site and your budget and your wishes?
• 37:24
  So here are some factors to consider.
• 37:26
  The zoning designation, the as-of-right permitted uses, like as of right, exactly what, what could you build?
• 37:32
  Because sometimes timing is important too.
• 37:34
  if we're into November now, and if you want to get started in the spring, you better call me quickly because we need to plan and design and put the projects in, get pricing, costing, and get things on a roll for you.
• 37:45
  If you have a more challenging site, are you willing to wait six months, 12 months, 18 months to get all your approvals?
• 37:52
  Are you willing to do the battle?
• 37:54
  It adds time.
• 37:55
  So we want to find out about permitted uses, the maximum building area, rules on the lot coverage, the setbacks, height restrictions, where they're taken from.
• 38:04
  restrictions on activity areas.
• 38:06
  Some municipalities won't even allow you to put in a dock or to have a terraced area by the water.
• 38:13
  I'm not sure why that would ever impact the visual quality from the lake or wildlife and so on.
• 38:19
  You know, they build decks and boardwalks through wetlands and conservation areas.
• 38:24
  They put them on helical piles, and it sits above the, the wetland.
• 38:28
  It's not really disturbing the wetland.
• 38:30
  Those are some of the solutions that we consider.
• 38:32
  Clearing trees.
• 38:34
  Are you in an area with ash borers or carpenter ants and are half the trees dead?
• 38:39
  There are big costs involved there.
• 38:41
  Do you have a site that has perched bedrock, like layers of bedrock?
• 38:47
  You can build on the rock or you can build on the ground, but you can't build on a mixture of it, so it's gotta be picked away.
• 38:52
  In some areas, one project we had on Pencil Lake, it looks like bedrock, but it's schist, so it's crumbly.
• 38:57
  That had to be removed, dug out, and then compacted engineered fill.
• 39:02
  It adds time and cost.
• 39:03
  And then finally, there are environmental constraints, meaning conservation authorities and also probably triggering studies, environmental impact studies, which must be done during amphibian season, breeding season, which is early spring, bird breeding season, which is later in the spring, bass breeding season, which is midsummer, early midsummer.
• 39:25
  Are you on next adjacent to a shoal?
• 39:27
  Is it deep water lake trout habitat?
• 39:29
  There are a bunch of factors and that require studies, and these are timed throughout the year.
• 39:34
  So on a particular property, we should look at the time frames when you could actually get approval.
• 39:38
  So on this property, it costs X amount of dollars.
• 39:41
  Here's how quickly you can get it and get your dream.
• 39:43
  It's a closer match.
• 39:44
  This one costs twenty percent less, but it's that much harder to get the approvals, and this is the time frame.
• 39:50
  So you have to decide whether that makes sense for you Septic requirements.
• 39:53
  On a property with an old style septic, which would be illegal these days, do you have the room to rebuild a, a, a new septic?
• 40:02
  Chances are you may have to use a, uh, a compact aerated system that are available now, and we do this on a lot of cottages, most of the cottages probably, but they still take up space.
• 40:13
  So if you want to have increased the footprint by 20%, plus you need a correspondingly larger septic system, plus you want to have a place to park your four ATVs or your boats or whatever it is, this starts to become an intricate puzzle on the site.
• 40:31
  Plus, it's got to come into compliance.
• 40:32
  Plus, we need to talk to the planner and see what they would support and what they wouldn't support and whether there's a strong design rationale for it.
• 40:39
  It gets a little complex One, uh, other item is, uh, are short-term rentals permitted?
• 40:45
  So if you are wanting to rent out your property, gotta find out whether they're, that's permitted on the lake, and then also just within the microculture of people on the lake.
• 40:54
  Certain places are more established for that sort of thing.
• 40:57
  Other places, you really might be imposing on people if you create this Airbnb mini hotel in this quiet little community.
• 41:06
  Just putting it out there, there's a fit for everyone, but please don't be the ones that create this monster modern Airbnb hotel on the little traditional point.
• 41:17
  Just find the fit that makes sense for you.
• 41:19
  You'll be happier, the neighbors will be happier, and it will retain the, the quality of the lake, the, the character of the lake If you need to re- uh, add bedrooms, if you need the boathouse, if you need to expand the lake, if you need to res- place the entire structure You need to have those in your conditions.
• 41:36
  If you don't know all that before you make your offer and before you get a sign back from the vendor, the current owner through their real estate agent, you need to have that in conditions.
• 41:47
  Timeframes.
• 41:48
  When are you gonna buy?
• 41:49
  When are you gonna sell?
• 41:49
  What are the contingencies?
• 41:51
  What are the conditions before you can close on a property?
• 41:53
  You cannot base the purchase price on improvements that you haven't confirmed as being feasible.
• 41:59
  Property that I've been looking at, again Interesting site with a lot of character, one of a kind, lot of land improvement costs, steep slopes, septic.
• 42:09
  It gets complex, adds to the cost, adds to the time.
• 42:13
  At a certain point, even I have to determine how much is it worth putting into this particular train, this thought, this idea, and is there a better location for this, this goal?
• 42:25
  So As your architect and your potential construction manager, because this is what I do.
• 42:32
  I design with you.
• 42:32
  I design with a site, difficult sites, all these diamonds in the rough.
• 42:36
  This is exactly what, what I do I would rather know in advance and have you ask the questions about these limitations and constraints before you close on a property and then try to make it-- try to do the workaround.
• 42:49
  So yes, I have a lot of experience in getting the, the difficult, almost impossible approvals.
• 42:55
  However, do yourselves a favor and let's do the legwork first so that we know what's most feasible for you and what to expect.
• 43:04
  I'm James Pitropov.
• 43:05
  I'm a registered architect, plus I'm a construction manager.
• 43:08
  I build the unbuildable.
• 43:10
  I want to get you into the right zone there, and then we'll polish that rough diamond or the diamond in the rough.
• 43:16
  Thanks again.
• 43:16
  Give me a call.
• 43:17
  All my information is on both websites, lakesidearchitecture.ca and lakesidecm for the construction management.
• 43:25
  Amazing projects.
• 43:26
  Maybe one of them will be inspiration for you.
• 43:28
  Thank you for your time today, and stay tuned for the next On The Lake with James Pitropov.