A Muskoka $1MM+ Cottage
When I set out to write this particular article for the blog, my preliminary thought was that I would be giving you, advice on what you should expect to get when you spend a million dollars or more on a cottage. I anticipated telling you, that a Muskoka cottage for sale at million dollars and up value range would certainly be of a size and quality that could be defined. But that really is not the case.
The significant factors that drive the value of a Muskoka waterfront cottage are not the bricks and mortar at all. It is the land and Muskoka lake, that unchangeable component that determines the lion’s share of the value. With the right lake and a beautiful lot, you can make any cottage worth a million+ dollars. You can find a 3000 square foot, custom designed and built, waterfront cottage with granite countertops and fireplace. But if it is on a small lake, < 100 foot wide lot, steep to the water, in a narrow bay, and poor exposure, it may not be a million dollar cottage. In fact, it is highly unlikely it will ever be a million dollar cottage, as the land cannot be changed. Likewise if that same structure was located on one of the Muskoka big lakes or, on a 200+ foot frontage lot, moderately level, with south west exposure and long open island dotted view, it will be at least a million dollar cottage and likely much more!
Even this is over simplified. It is not just the geography of the lot, it is the size and location of the Muskoka lake, the proximity to activities and services and so much more. These factors all weigh in when determining value of waterfront property. In my experience, when dealing with discerning waterfront buyers, the lot and location certainly factor highly in their criteria. Privacy is of great importance to most buyers too. After all, this is going to be the place where families come to get away from it all, to distress and relax.
In all fairness, there are some consistent features that you can expect to find in Muskoka waterfront cottages that sell for over a million dollars on the smaller lakes. They are usually custom designed and have architectural features that give them some uniqueness. There will be at least 3 bedrooms including a large master bedroom with an en suite bathroom. They feature great rooms to entertain in and commonly have wonderful stone fireplaces, and walls of windows to enjoy the view from. Most will offer great decks, and docks and even boat houses. There will most often be a fantastic kitchen with granite and high end appliances. The exteriors will often feature landscaping, professionally designed, to be low maintenance and will use granite slabs, to create steps and patios around the lot. In some of the more expensive properties you can expect that they will be furnished with high end pieces that have been selected by an interior designer.
In closing, a million dollar cottage then can best be described as a million dollar lot, or on a million dollar lake. Remember you can hire a great builder, landscaper and interior designer to make any cottage spectacular. But a steep lot is always going to be steep and if it faces in the wrong direction there will never be a sunset or a sunrise over the lake …no matter how much you spend!
