June 2015 RSS Feed

Here’s a roundup of all that’s going on in Muskoka / Lake Of Bays on Canada Day, take a cruise on the boat from your luxury waterfront cottage in Muskoka and enjoy the festivities!

Lions Club Peameal On a Bun Breakfast
River Mill Park at 9:00 am

O Canada & Canada Day Cake
River Mill Park at 10:00 am
Mayor Scott Aitchison and dignitaries will cut the Canada Day cake. Family friendly activities including the Huntsville Fire Department Ladder Truck and the Fire Safety House, enjoy music from Muskoka Concert Band and sing O Canada. Canada flags, tattoos and pins.

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 232
Opening Ceremonies at 11:00 am
Festivities all day long! Hot dogs and hamburgers, face painting, games for the children, band from 3:00 pm to 6:00…

Prepare Your Cottage To Sell
In Muskoka real estate where there are often more sellers than buyers, it’s only common sense to prepare your cottage to look its very best, giving you an edge over a market full of prime cottage spots in Muskoka / Lake Of Bays. With a little ingenuity you can make your cottage look amazing to prospective buyers first impression. First impressions set the tone for the buyers overall opinion, pretend you are a buyer looking at your cottage for the first time.

• Does the lawn need cutting, are some of plants and flowers looking tired or wilted?
• Keep the driveway, walkways and front porch clean.
• Enter the front door – keep jackets, footwear and any general everyday use items put away.
• What can you see from…

Renting your Lake Of Bays Cottage is a great way to pay down the mortgage, but renters can also cost you in energy usage. You may be burning out bulbs and paying more for electricity then you should due to incorrect bulbs being used and cottage renters are less concerned about saving you energy. I know it seems easier to just go to any store and pick up some cheap bulbs, but in the long run, you are losing money doing this.

Check what type of light bulb is in your fixture!
Turn the power off at the switch, and allow bulb to cool. Unscrew the bulb from the fixture. Along the top or the bottom (screw in base) of the bulb, there should be lettering, telling you what voltage (such as 120V) and wattage (such as 60w) your bulb is.

Cheap light…

With Muskoka and Lake Of Bays scenic lakes and Canadian Shield it has become the luxury cottage destination for the elite.

Reports show a low loonie is attracting buyers from all over the world – Muskoka properties are hitting record prices. Although its still much cheaper then the Hamptons and far more secluded for that perfect waterfront cottage getaway. Muskoka is currently attracting buyers from Asia, Europe and the United States. Normally the majority of buyers were from Toronto and the greater Southern Ontario area.

The Muskoka Airport is the only airport in the area that can handle private jets – owners then usually opt for driving to the cottage or taking a float plane in. Quite a few cottagers fly into Toronto’s island airport…

One of the most frequently asked questions by a homebuyer is, “How can I determine the age of the home I would like to purchase?” Unfortunately, this is one of the more difficult tasks a homebuyer has. Over the years, houses are given facelifts through renovation, repair and replacement which can often mask deterioration hidden beneath the surface. Over the years, we’ve worked with many home inspectors and they have some tricks for figuring out the age of a house.

In newer subdivisions dates can be picked up from manhole covers, sidewalks, and curbs. This will give you an idea of when the subdivision was built, but this obviously doesn’t work in older neighborhoods.

Thermal pane windows tend to have a metal strip which separates the two…

By Garry Shapiro BCL, LLB, MBA

The arrival of summertime means it is cottage season in Muskoka / Lake Of Bays. We can all imagine the picturesque Lake Of Bays. cottage with pristine water, crisp air, plenty of sunshine, surrounded by friends and family. Whether you own or dream of owning a cottage in Muskoka, it is important to understand the unique characteristics of owning rural properties.

The following are key legal considerations in purchasing or using a rural property such as a cottage:

ACCESS RIGHTS: Having a cottage in a remote area or on an island can be extremely rewarding, so long as you are able to access it by road or boat. Cottage owners should understand the nature of the roads leading to their property, including:
(a)…

Are you prepared for blackouts?
Due to increasing demand for energy, during the summer months we are more likely to experience black-outs, and we know in Muskoka / Lake Of Bays it’s pretty normal to lose power at your cottage. While most of these are for brief periods of time, there are times where it will be down for an hour or more. Don’t get caught in the dark at your waterfront cottage by following some of these tips.

Emergency lighting.
A path to safety (and alternate route) should be lit up for employees and / or customers by emergency lighting. Check your emergency equipment in order to ensure that they are working correctly. Replace burnt out or fading bulbs. If building your own home, why not invest in simple emergency lighting…

Keep your cool with energy costs – you want that luxury boat to cruise the lakes of Muskoka / Lake Of Bays. One way too have all the toys is to make sure your energy costs stay down. Heating and cooling your Muskoka / Lake Of Bays cottage accounts for about 60% of your energy costs! We have come up with some tips and tricks to help you keep your costs down so you don’t lose your cool.

Keeping it cool with fans.
AMuskoka / Lake Of Bays cottage can look and feel great by installing ceiling fans and use them to supplement or even as an alternative to air conditioning – ceiling fans generally use very little electricity compared to A/C units. Make sure your fan is blowing downwards in the summer. Invest in a quality ceiling fan. Many of the…

Life on the waterfront in Muskoka / Lake Of Bays is all about the colours. Choosing the right view is just as important as choosing the right colour of light inside your Muskoka / Lake Of Bays luxury cottage. It’s all about the blub!

When talking about white light sources (or about white paint) we use the descriptions “warm” and “cool.” White light with a yellowish tinge, reminiscent of candlelight and fireplaces, is called “warm white”. Incandescent lamps produce a warm white color. Bluish white, reminiscent of moonlight on cold snow, is considered “cool white”. Fluorescent lamps can produce warm white or cool white, or anywhere in-between, depending on the mix of phosphors used.

CORRELATED COLOR TEMPERATURE (CCT)

Correlated Color…

As with any other room in a cottage or home in Muskoka / Lake Of Bays, it’s best to first determine where you need light, and how much light you will need in each area. Before changing or adding light fixtures, always determine where and what type of light is needed. Then look for fixtures that give you the amount of light you need while still meeting your decorating needs.

Vanity Lighting
Depending on the size of your bathroom and your lighting needs, mulitple levels of lighting may suit your needs, ranging from single light to a multiple light. A variety of styles are available to suit your décor. Not only do you need to address the vanity lighting, but the general lighting of the bathroom so there is always enough light.

Pointing up.
…