Buying a cottage is different from buying a house in the city. The road might be private, the water might come from the lake, and the shoreline in front of the deck might not even belong to the property. None of that is a reason to worry. It just means asking a few more questions than usual, and asking them early.
Start with how you'll use it
The most useful question comes before any listing: how will you actually use the place? Summer weekends, the whole season, or eventually all year? The answer narrows everything else down.
A three-season cottage is built for spring to fall and closed up for winter. Water lines get drained, insulation is often light, and heat may be a wood stove or nothing at all. A winterized cottage is built to be used in January, with insulation, reliable heat and plumbing that won't freeze. If you picture yourself up here for a winter weekend, make sure the place can handle it, or plan for what it would take to get it there.
Pick the lake before the cottage
Every lake has its own personality. The big three, Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph, are what most people picture, but there are dozens of smaller lakes with quieter bays and a closer-knit feel. Some lakes are mostly road access, others are largely boat access, which changes everything from groceries to guests.
Spend time on the water before you decide. Drive the roads, take a boat out, and visit at different times of day. The lake and town guides are a good place to start, and the big three compared covers Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph side by side.
The eight questions
Every cottage comes with the same eight questions. They run from where you park to where you swim, and they're the ones worth asking on any place you look at.
- The road in. Is it a township road, a private road, or boat access only? Who plows it, and is there a road association or annual fee? Your lawyer can confirm the legal access.
- The septic. How old is the system, where is the bed, and is it sized for the number of bedrooms? Ask for pump-out records and any township permits on file.
- The building. Is it three-season or winterized? Does it sit on piers, a crawlspace or a full foundation? Look at the roof, the electrical panel and the heating.
- The water supply. Drilled well, dug well, or a line from the lake? Ask when the water was last tested, and test it again as part of your offer.
- The shoreline. Do you own to the water, or does the township still own the shore road allowance in front of the cottage? This one surprises a lot of buyers.
- The dock and boathouse. Crib, floating or pipe dock? Is there a permit on file for anything built over the water? The township and your lawyer can tell you.
- The water out front. How deep is it off the end of the dock, how weedy is the shallows, and how busy is the bay on a Saturday in July?
- Which way it faces. Morning sun or the sunset side? Visit at the time of day you will actually be sitting on the dock.
Who confirms what
A good agent helps you notice things and ask the right questions. The answers on a specific property come from the people whose job it is to confirm them:
- A home inspector with cottage experience for the structure, roof, electrical, plumbing and heating.
- A septic inspection and the pump-out history, plus any permits the township has on file.
- A water test from an accredited lab, for wells and lake-draw systems alike.
- Your lawyer for title, legal road access, rights-of-way and the shore road allowance.
- The township for building and dock permits, zoning and any restrictions on the lot.
- Your insurer and lender, early. Seasonal and water-access properties are sometimes treated differently, so it's worth asking before you fall in love with a place.
Making an offer
Once you've found the right place, the offer is where those questions turn into conditions: an inspection, a water test, a septic inspection and financing, with enough time to complete them. Cottage closings often line up with the seasons, so talk through timing early, especially if you want to be on the dock by the long weekend.
If you're just starting to look, or you're weighing a particular cottage, call Seth. He's happy to talk it through.