Looking to buy a cottage on the highly coveted Stony Lake in Kawartha Lakes, Ont.? We asked Ken Pipher, a sales representative and realtor with Mincom Kawartha Lakes Realty, for three tips on how to score the best deal. His suggestions work great on other lakes and in other cottage regions too!
1. Consider island cottages
They’re, on average, about $200,000 less costly. That said, don’t forget to include boat docking and parking costs into your budget, and consider the accessibility needs of the guests you expect to host.
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2. Prioritize needs vs. wants
Weed-free water, large private lots, and four-season structures with western exposure will push your budget higher; cottages further away from amenities, such as shopping and medical services, will be less expensive. Be realistic about what your must-haves are and what are “nice-to-haves.”
3. Research the numbers
The real numbers. There are some cottages on Stony that go for more than $5 million. One super-expensive cottage in a mix of much, much less expensive properties can, in a year, massively inflate the average overall selling price.
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