We’ve never considered owning a cottage. It’s not that I wouldn’t want the chance to get away to cottage country, enjoy lazy days by the lake and have family vacations in a home-like setting. It’s just that I’ve always felt like owning a cottage was something only rich people could do. (Check out this article from the Toronto Star which talks about how cottage prices are on the rise, with your average property starting at over half a million dollars. Yeah, so not happening.)
Then I heard about Great Blue Resorts. Think small communities of modern cottages, hidden away in a quiet forested area. On top of the cottage lifestyle you’d expect, there’s also all of these resort-inspired amenities to enjoy, like sports courts, heated saltwater swimming pools, playground, a recreation pavilion, a kids club, social activities and more.
At Great Blue Resorts you can own a cottage for as low as $49,000, or for as little as a $10,000 down payment. All of the various cottage models they offer come fully furnished, including your appliances, air conditioning and a choice of decor. You pay one yearly fee that covers all the of the costs of maintaining a cottage including all utilities, land tax, grounds maintenance, garbage collection, security and on-site management. You never have to cut the grass, there’s a maintenance crew to take care of that!
But I think what I love most about the Great Blue Resorts cottage properties is the company’s cottage rental program. Owners can easily rent their cottage out on days they won’t be using it. You just let the resort know which days you want to rent out your cottage and the company handles all the details. For someone like me that gets paralyzed at the idea of dealing with potential renters in person, this sounds like a dream.
And yes, conversely this means that you can rent a spot at one of the eight Great Blue Resorts locations across Ontario. It’s the ultimate in try before you buy, you can rent a cottage and discover if the Great Blue lifestyle is the right fit for you. (Personally they had me at “free kids club”.)
COOL CONTEST ALERT
Make a donation to help support Camp Ooch, a summer camp for kids living with cancer, and be entered to win the ultimate Feast & Family Cottage Getaway. (The contest is open to Ontario only and you must be 25 years or older to enter.)
Head over to www.CampNotCancer.org and make a minimum $5 donation for your chance to win a 7-day family getaway in cottage country at any of the eight Great Blue Resorts in Ontario, plus a $200 resort gift card and an unlimited sit down family feast at Pickle Barrel. When you make a donation you’ll also receive a discount code for a 10% savings on any Great Blue Resorts getaway. Donate $100 or more and instead get a code good for 15% off!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Great Blue Resorts. As always my words and opinions are my own.
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