Simplifying life out at the cottage

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/05/2022 (949 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On the surface, life out at the cottage seems simple.

Look a little deeper, and it’s more complex than it appears.

Take property lines, for example.

In the city, property borders are usually defined by fences.

That isn’t necessarily the case out at the lake, says cottage country realtor Sherie Turek of Gateway Real Estate.

“With older properties, boundaries are often marked by bush lines that can get grown in over time. That can obscure where the true boundary line is,” she explains. “To avoid problems, it’s always a good idea to get a survey done.”

Even removing a tree or two isn’t that simple.

With that in mind, have a chat with the neighbours or people who’ve been around the area for a decade or three.

“Be a friendly neighbour,” advises Turek. “Talk with people and communicate openly. If the consensus is the trees you want to remove are your neighbour’s, hold off. Then get a survey done to make sure you don’t cut down trees that are on your neighbour’s property.”

The same approach needs to be taken when considering erosion or flood protection on the shoreline of what appears to 
be your property.

“Again, do your due diligence before acting, as that the land could be Crown land. So, while it looks like part of your property, it’s the Crown’s. That means you can’t destroy it or build on it. That land can be natural or beach front. When that’s the case, it’s public reserve or Crown land than you can’t block, barricade or build on.”

She adds that wells are also potential red flags.

“Make sure your well isn’t shared. Nothing may have been registered on the property title, so the pump on the other property might get turned off, leaving you with no water. You may have to dig your own well to make sure you can always get water, which is something we recommend,” Turek notes. “You also can’t put a septic tank or grey water pit near a lake or river.”

Once those matters have been properly dealt with, it’s then time to enjoy your cottage.

That means arming your second home with the proper technology that allows you to enjoy cottage life to the fullest.

“With older properties, boundaries are often marked by bush lines that can get grown in over time. That can obscure where the true boundary line is.”–Sherie Turek, Gateway Real Estate

Bruno Deleau, an audio/video consultant at Advance Electronics, says technological advances are helping simplify cottage life by keeping people connected while they’re out at the lake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5inhDsG7deU

(Video above provided in sponsorship by Advance Electronics)

“The future for internet is improving daily,” he says. “Starlink is starting to solve problems. As it becomes more accessible, people can monitor their cottages remotely—heating and cooling, security, lighting and window coverings.”

Existing cottages, says Deleau, can now be retrofitted to provide the connectivity that people require.

“The advent of better wireless devices and systems has really helped,” he says. “We audition and test systems and can recommend different product combinations to meet your needs.”

The upshot of all this?

A little due diligence and a focused dash of technology can allow cottagers to lead a simple, well-connected life!