What to know
- Toronto real estate broker Danielle Beitz splits her time between her condo in the city and her cottage in Parry Sound.
- She says cottage living offers a different pace of life, with opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities and nature while maintaining access to Toronto’s cultural scene.
- Beitz says cottage properties could offer an alternative for buyers navigating expensive housing markets, with some opportunities in the $500,000 to $700,000 range.
- Buying a larger property with family or friends could also help buyers share costs and enjoy cottage living together.
- Before purchasing, buyers should consider commute times, budget, location and the amenities and activities they want nearby.
Have you ever spent time in a cottage over the summer and wish you had the refuge while not having to give up the city life? One Ontario realtor has found a way to have both, and is inviting others to try it out.
Real estate broker Danielle Beitz has always been a city girl, and used to think the cottage country was all about corn roasts and seadoos. But after a new relationship took her to the north of Ontario, she found herself proved wrong and enchanted by the cottage lifestyle.
“When I drove up for the first time with my son, he was a little boy. He was about five then, and coming into this unknown world. As it unfolded, it wasn’t just about corn roasts… and it’s just beautiful,” she told Now Toronto.
As a real-estate agent serving both Toronto and Parry Sound, Muskoka Lakes, and Georgian Bay areas, Beitz is constantly moving between her condo down in the city and her cottage in Parry Sound.
Although this lifestyle involves constant long car rides and transitioning, she says it has also allowed her to have the best of both worlds.
“I get all of my energy down in Toronto, and then I come up to Parry Sound, where I’m located, and that’s where I relax. Then all of those ideas I have, they just kind of all come to fruition. It’s a pretty nice balance,” she said.
“[It’s] the view up here, you’ve got Inner Lakes and Georgian Bay and forests, and so that’s what I would say is the best. It’s the energy, the relaxation, and scenery.”
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‘You just don’t know what you don’t know’
Although for many like Beitz the cottage life might at first seem monotonous or too rustic, the realtor guarantees there’s lots to do.
Although she says there are plenty of cultural activities or events to attend, the cottage lifestyle also offers opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities.
“I never imagined that I would be comfortable, and I guess because you just don’t know what you don’t know… It’s such a diverse area. You can snowmobile. You can [ride an] ATV (all-terrain vehicle). You can go on your bikes,” Beitz said.
“When I’m in the city, there are things that I can do there, and explore, and activities, but up here they’re just different. They’re a great contrast. When in the city, you still have all the arts and you have the activities, but up here it’s got a little more Mother Nature.”
A market opportunity
Buying a home in competitive markets like Toronto can be quite expensive, with the region’s average selling price at $1,024,108 in October, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB).
In addition to weighing costs, buyers are also considering other factors before diving in, including the effects of U.S.-imposed tariffs and Bank of Canada fluctuating interest rates.
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In such a challenging market that leaves little room for equity building and purchasing larger units, Beitz said there are also tangible advantages to considering the cottage life, which usually comes at a lower price range.
“We’re affected just the same as everyone else, but we’re also a niche market… Values have come down significantly in the last couple of years, they continue to slide, but the fall market is busy,” she said.
“We’re all hurting the same. You’re up in one area [or] you’re down. This is where the balance is. Maybe you just find that balance in the meantime, just to have a little bit of each. [It] doesn’t have to be a lot. You don’t have to spend $10 million. You [can] spend $500,000–$700,000.”
Living with family and friends
While a lot of buyers, especially older generations, are starting to look to cottages as their next purchase opportunities, Beitz said buying a larger home also opens the possibility to living with family and friends and cutting up costs that way.
In fact, RBC’s latest Home Ownership Poll, published last month, revealed that 53 per cent of those planning to buy their first home in the next two years said they’d consider multi-generational living. The number also represents 44 per cent of total respondents.
When it comes to current owners, 35 per cent said they would sell their current property to buy one with their children to help them break into the market.
“With a housing crisis and inflation, and everything, our world is where it’s at right now. Everyone’s kind of hunkering down together, and they’re living together and sharing space,” she said.
“Having a place like this where you can come together, and maybe it’s your family, maybe it’s your friends, and you join together and purchase something like this so you can enjoy the experience as well.”
What to consider before moving
If you’re considering making the change and maybe purchasing a cottage to escape to on the weekends or even to permanently move in, Beitz recommendation is simple: go out for a drive.
According to the realtor, the best way to know if the move will work and even what area could be ideal for you is to visit it, and then have a conversation with your broker.
“How long do you want to sit in the car, right? And that’s what I’ll ask when I’m working with a buyer, it’s ‘what is that time frame?’ So then… I draw that circle so [if] that’s the perimeter you need to be in and you want to be in, take a drive,” she said.
Buyers should also consider price points and even what kind of activities they would like to partake in when at the cottage, which could help determine whether they should get a boat house in the waterfront or in a thicker forest area.
“We’re not side by side townhouses. You’re gonna pick and choose what you definitely have to have, and then let your realtor know what your wishes are. And you’re probably gonna have to sacrifice a little bit unless you have a bottomless pocket,” she warned.
