Why Renting a Cottage is Better Than Owning One!

Why own when you can rent?

Owning a cottage is part of the Canadian dream.  There are plenty of reasons why - many of our fondest memories are from summers spent at the lake. Owning a cottage means you can head up for a last minute weekend away, have a place to house all your toys for the lake and invite friends and family up whenever you’d like.

On the flip side, however, there are plenty more reasons why renting is the way to go! 

The first, most obvious reason, is cost. Besides a mortgage payment, there are plenty of other costs to consider. Property taxes can be quite high in cottage country.  Docks, decks, and septic systems, among other things, need maintenance. Utilities and insurance are an additional cost.

Once you take all of these things into account, you’re looking at spending tens of thousands annually to own a cottage. Not to mention the initial hit of land transfer fees and the cost of furnishings and toys.

By renting, you can enjoy a week or two away at a fraction of the cost (and a fraction of the hassle and headache).

If your ideal cottage scenario includes a lot of relaxing, ownership puts a real damper on that.  It’s difficult to lounge around and sneak in a nap when there’s so much upkeep to be done.  Even if you pay someone to do the majority of the work, the little tasks have a way of interrupting your downtime.  With renting, your time at the cottage is truly a holiday!

Pressure to host too often/too much can be another downside of cottage ownership.  Friends and family are going to be awaiting their invitations to join you at your cottage. Hosting can be great and rewarding, but the constant flow of guests is exhausting. The question of who to invite up and when can be stressful as well.  When you rent, if you invite up friends or family, you are in it together.  

Considering that the cost of ownership is so high, you’d want to make it worthwhile by spending as much time as possible at your cottage.  Depending on what stage of life you’re in, it may not be possible to carve out more than two or three weeks through the summer to do so.  If that’s the case, renting would make more sense.

Finally, we live in a massive, beautiful nation. There is so much to see and do! There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to go to the same location for all of your holidays, but if exploring other places is something that appeals to you, owning a cottage ties you down and keeps you from experiencing all that Canada (and the World!) has to offer!

There you have it. The reasons why, for most of us, renting cottages is the way to go!

Packing for a Cottage Getaway

Preparing for some time away at the cottage?
There are a lot of things to consider bringing above and beyond clothing and personal hygiene products.
Some essentials to pack for your time away include:

1. Paperwork

It's a good idea to bring print outs of things like directions and rental information so that if you have issues with your cell phone battery, signal, data or an app being down, you have this important information on hand.

2.  First Aid Kit

This is an essential item to pack. Don't forget key items such as your family's health cards, pain relievers, bandages, sunscreen, insect repellent, after-sun lotion, and Polysporin.
Also, make note of the nearest hospitals and health care clinics.

3. Entertainment for Kids

Though there are tons of fun activities to be enjoyed together as a family, it's a good idea to pack some items to busy the little ones while the adults are preparing meals, etc.
Some suggestions: bubbles; a special and/or new toy; a simple craft that they can do with minimal help; a sensory bin (coloured rice is a hit in our family).

4.  Food

It's helpful to make a meal plan for your time at the cottage so that you only bring up what you're actually going to eat. You don't want to waste valuable space in the car!
Remember to bring along items like oils, spices, tea/coffee and, if you're planning on baking, things you'll need like baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, etc.
Pack perishable items in a cooler with plenty of ice packs as the drive up north can be long and hot!

5.  For eating/cleaning up

While cookware, utensils and dishes are provided, make sure to bring along items such as napkins, paper towels, extra garbage bags,  and child-friendly dishes if you have little ones. It's a good idea to bring some food wrap along as well, i.e. aluminum foil, cling wrap, Ziploc bags, etc.

6. Leisure items


Rental cottages often come stocked with entertainment options, but if there are any special board games or yard games, be sure to bring them along! An easy-read book is always a good idea, too.



7.  Electronics

Remember your chargers! Whether for your phone, tablet, camera - these items aren't of much use if the battery dies.

8. Pet items

If you're bringing furry friends along you'll need to bring some essential items:
food, bowls, treats, toys, leashes, poop bags, and a tick remover.
Also, check out our last blog post about travelling safely with pets!

Keep Your Pup Safe at the Cottage This Summer With These Tips!

Dogs are part of the family and time away at the cottage isn’t the same without them! 

There are some things to consider when bringing your furry loved ones along on your travels up North.  

Here are some tips to keep your dog safe!

When Travelling:

• Some pups are prone to car sickness; a small meal before leaving can help to alleviate symptoms
• Make sure to keep the temperature at a comfortable level and stop for frequent water and toilet breaks
• Keep your pet secured in the back of the vehicle, ideally with a seat-belt or in a crate

                                                           At the Cottage:

• Just as it is important to know the location of the nearest hospital for (human) emergencies, it is important to have contact information for the nearest veterinarian. Don’t rely on Google! Signal in cottage country can be spotty
• Put a temporary tag on your dog with the address of the cottage where you’re staying
• Medicate your dog to prevent heart worm, fleas, and ticks, etc.
• Inspect your pup’s coat for ticks daily, especially if they’ve been in the bush
• Keep your pets nearby and away from other wildlife and possible animal traps
• If going on a hike in the woods, consider a bear bell so your dog doesn’t surprise any bears -it could prevent an attack
• Take collars off when going for a swim - it can easily become entangled and cause drowning

On the Water:

• Let your dog have a chance to get comfortable with the boat before taking it out on the water
• Invest in a life jacket, even if you think your dog is a strong swimmer. It gives you something to grab onto to pull your pup out of the water - you don’t want to grab their collar

Happy travels!

How to Start a Fire in a Fireplace

There's nothing quite like the coziness and warmth from a crackling fire when it's freezing cold outside.  It is certainly a vital part to an enjoyable winter getaway! However, many of us have not learned how to start a fire efficiently as gas and electric fireplaces are increasing in popularity. You put some wood in the fireplace, light a match, and sit back and just watch it burn, right? Not so much. If you don’t know what you’re doing it can be a frustrating experience instead of a relaxing one. Cold weather can make it especially difficult so there are a couple of additional things to consider when starting fires in winter.

          

First, some things to keep in mind:

• If the fireplace has a damper, open it completely before beginning
• Clean out any ashes from previous fires - leave an inch or so for insulation if it's especially cold out
• Fire feeds off of air, so leave space around logs
• Use dry, seasoned wood
• Good kindling includes sticks and logs that have been split very small 
• Good tinder includes twigs, pieces of bark, pine cones and paper (not glossy)
• If starting with a very cold fireplace, the flue may need to be primed - roll up some newspaper, light the end and hold it near the open damper for a couple of minute

     Most people start a fire by laying down tinder, followed by kindling, and then finally layering logs on top.  Though this is the most popular method, it isn’t the best (by far)!

Here are a couple of methods that burn cleaner, produce less ash and soot, ensure a better air supply, require less tending to and make the firewood last longer, all while producing more heat! Give both of them a try and see which one suits you.

THE “UPSIDE DOWN” METHOD 

1. Lay two or three large logs down parallel to each other with a good distance between them 
2. Lay about four or five smaller logs on top of the larger logs, again leaving space between them 
3. Add another layer of even smaller logs (~ 6)
4. Finally, add a layer of tinder and then a layer of kindling
5. Light the tinder and enjoy a long lasting crackling fire as the embers drop down and feed the layers below!

“LOG CABIN” METHOD

1. Lay two logs parallel to each other about six inches apart,
2. Lay two logs on top and perpendicular to the first two
3. Add another layer or two of smaller logs if room allows
4. Heap kindling and tinder in the middle and light!

When your first load of wood has turned into charcoal, add more wood and enjoy!

(Remember to never leave a fire unattended, have a fire extinguisher handy, and communicate with children about the dangers of fire)