If you are interested in building a custom home or cottage or renovating an existing one and you are on the Bruce Peninsula then you should check out our new website.
Great Lakes Custom Homes has a new website, it is still being tweaked and added to over the next couple of months, but it does explain the area that we service, what we do and has photos of past work that we have completed.
We build and renovate on the Bruce Peninsula with an eye to high quality and open transparency while we are building and renovating.
Check out the new website at https://greatlakescustomhomes.ca
Or email us at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Hire A Contractor That Will Give You A Proper Budget On Your New Cottage Build
If your looking to build a new cottage on the Bruce Peninsula and your only worry is to find a custom builder that you can afford then you are setting yourself up for trouble.
Construction costs are all pretty much the same until you get to the type of finishing's. That means that if you find a builder that is giving you a lower price then everyone else then there's probably a reason for it and none of them are good for you if you hire them;
Construction costs are all pretty much the same until you get to the type of finishing's. That means that if you find a builder that is giving you a lower price then everyone else then there's probably a reason for it and none of them are good for you if you hire them;
- They budget you a lower price because they don't really understand how much it costs to build a custom home.
- They don't expect to stick to the budget they are giving you. That's how they plan to make their money.
- Since they aren't good at budgeting they are already in financial trouble from other custom builds they've completed in the past.
- There's a good chance that they will never finish your custom home, because they won't be able to afford or it or you won't.
If you hire a builder that is in financial trouble then your running the risk that they don't pay the subcontractors and they lean the house.
So when you are looking for a builder to construct your new cottage your first question shouldn't be about the price it actually should be one of the last questions you ask.
If you budget is so tight for your cottage that you are worried about being able to finish it then you shouldn't be building a cottage or the cottage that you have in mind. The worst case scenario is that you run out or money building it and it never gets finished.
If a builder is giving you a price that is to good to be true, then IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Walk away, either wait till you can afford someone with a proper budget or downgrade the cottage until you can afford it.
When people email or call me I try not to talk about price with them, I talk about everything else first, price should be the last thing we talk about.
If you want to talk about building a custom cottage on the Bruce Peninsula and you want someone that is good at pricing your home then email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Gas Fireplaces In Your Cottage
Since this has been one of the wettest spring/summers in a long time up in the Bruce Peninsula, you might be getting a little tired of feeling damp at your cottage all the time.
But what do you do? It's to hot to turn the furnace on (if your cottage has one) and its to warm out for a wood fireplace to burn properly to dry out the building.
You could place dehumidifiers everywhere to dry the place out but they'll only work when all the doors and windows are kept shut and then your going to have to spend a small fortune on electricity to run the air conditioner.
One of the simplest and easy ways to dry the air out in the cottage and take the chill out of the air regardless of the temperature outside is to have a gas fireplace installed.
Most places in the Bruce Peninsula do not have access to natural gas so you will have to go with a propane gas fireplace.
There are several different companies that supply and install propane to the Bruce Peninsula so you will have your choice of what company you will want to deliver your propane.
Propane is stored onsite in metal containers, the size of the container will depend on the amount of propane that you and the company that you buy it from figure that you will use in a certain time frame.
If you use your cottage all year then they will install a larger storage tank, if you only use it part of the year then you can get away with a smaller storage tank.
Gas fireplaces come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes to fit anyone's tastes and needs. Gas fireplaces are all run on thermostats now, so it doesn't matter if the temperature is 10 degrees or 20 degrees they will heat and dry the room removing the damp air and making the cottage feel more comfortable. Once the desired temperature has been reached they will automatically turn themselves off.
Gas fireplaces will easily heat an entire cottage, duct work can be installed to move warm air around to different parts of the house that wouldn't get a normal flow of heat from the fireplace.
The price of gas fireplaces ranges as much as the size and shape of them, there are smaller inexpensive fireplaces and there are large luxurious fireplaces, it all depends on your budget.
A gas fireplace can be the anchor around a larger renovation to completely transform the look and feel of your cottage. Or it can be just an add on to another wise finished room.
If you want to discuss this type of renovation to your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
But what do you do? It's to hot to turn the furnace on (if your cottage has one) and its to warm out for a wood fireplace to burn properly to dry out the building.
You could place dehumidifiers everywhere to dry the place out but they'll only work when all the doors and windows are kept shut and then your going to have to spend a small fortune on electricity to run the air conditioner.
One of the simplest and easy ways to dry the air out in the cottage and take the chill out of the air regardless of the temperature outside is to have a gas fireplace installed.
Most places in the Bruce Peninsula do not have access to natural gas so you will have to go with a propane gas fireplace.
There are several different companies that supply and install propane to the Bruce Peninsula so you will have your choice of what company you will want to deliver your propane.
Propane is stored onsite in metal containers, the size of the container will depend on the amount of propane that you and the company that you buy it from figure that you will use in a certain time frame.
If you use your cottage all year then they will install a larger storage tank, if you only use it part of the year then you can get away with a smaller storage tank.
Gas fireplaces come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes to fit anyone's tastes and needs. Gas fireplaces are all run on thermostats now, so it doesn't matter if the temperature is 10 degrees or 20 degrees they will heat and dry the room removing the damp air and making the cottage feel more comfortable. Once the desired temperature has been reached they will automatically turn themselves off.
Gas fireplaces will easily heat an entire cottage, duct work can be installed to move warm air around to different parts of the house that wouldn't get a normal flow of heat from the fireplace.
The price of gas fireplaces ranges as much as the size and shape of them, there are smaller inexpensive fireplaces and there are large luxurious fireplaces, it all depends on your budget.
A gas fireplace can be the anchor around a larger renovation to completely transform the look and feel of your cottage. Or it can be just an add on to another wise finished room.
If you want to discuss this type of renovation to your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Solar Power At The Cottage
I here from a lot of people about how expensive their hydro bills are at the cottage, especially since they don't use a lot of hydro most of the year but they still get billed for it. Add in the fact that a lot of cottagers lose power at the cottage more then they like and for longer periods of time then the rest of the province.
Well there is an option, you can go off the grid with solar. Solar panels have never been cheaper then they are right now. You can easily take your cottage off the grid and never receive another hydro bill again.
The cost associated with going off the grid has about a 7 to 10 year pay back depending on the size and electrical load of your cottage.
The biggest cost associated to going off the grid is not really the actual solar panels, its the batteries you require to store and run the electrical in the house.
There are several ways to mitigate that problem, you can use propane for your heating and cooking and you can change all your lights to LED. You can actually switch all the appliances in the kitchen to propane if you require to save more electrical load.
One thing that comes with off the grid is that you need to think about everything you do in a day that uses electricity. You want to be able to enjoy the cottage but you don't want to run out of electricity half way through the day.
A lot of people that go off the grid at their camps and cottages install backup generator that runs off propane or gas. The reason for this is that if something was to go wrong with your battery bank or if you ended up with a lot more people at your cottage then you had stored electricity then you can use it to power up the home and not be without electricity.
There are specialists that design these systems, so that it will work the way its suppose to and you have the maximum battery capacity. If you are thinking about going off the grid and you need help email me and we'll see if I can help.
Greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Well there is an option, you can go off the grid with solar. Solar panels have never been cheaper then they are right now. You can easily take your cottage off the grid and never receive another hydro bill again.
The cost associated with going off the grid has about a 7 to 10 year pay back depending on the size and electrical load of your cottage.
The biggest cost associated to going off the grid is not really the actual solar panels, its the batteries you require to store and run the electrical in the house.
There are several ways to mitigate that problem, you can use propane for your heating and cooking and you can change all your lights to LED. You can actually switch all the appliances in the kitchen to propane if you require to save more electrical load.
One thing that comes with off the grid is that you need to think about everything you do in a day that uses electricity. You want to be able to enjoy the cottage but you don't want to run out of electricity half way through the day.
A lot of people that go off the grid at their camps and cottages install backup generator that runs off propane or gas. The reason for this is that if something was to go wrong with your battery bank or if you ended up with a lot more people at your cottage then you had stored electricity then you can use it to power up the home and not be without electricity.
There are specialists that design these systems, so that it will work the way its suppose to and you have the maximum battery capacity. If you are thinking about going off the grid and you need help email me and we'll see if I can help.
Greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Build A Custom Cottage It's Worth It
Looking to build a cottage on the Bruce Peninsula, then you should set your standards higher then just having a cottage built, you should think of your cottage as a new custom home and not a cottage.
What is the difference between just a cottage and a custom home? A cottage is somewhere to go to enjoy yourself during the warmer months of the year, some place to eat, drink and sleep. The focus is entirely on the outside, the lake and other summer/warm weather activities.
A custom home is a place that you can live in all year round, its a place that is more comfortable inside then whatever the weather is doing outside. It can accommodate many people and can be easily used by anybody that comes up to stay.
What you should think about when you want to build a new cottage is to have a custom home that is your cottage or a custom cottage.
A custom cottage is something that takes time and planning, but its a place that is designed for all the fun that comes with being at the cottage in the summer, all parties and the great memories. But a custom cottage is properly insulated and climate controlled so that sleeping at the cottage no matter where you are in the building is also an enjoyable experience.
A custom cottage has the modern conveniences that allow the dishes to be cleaned quicker, that a load of laundry can be done if required and that no matter if its cold or rainy out everybody can be warm and entertained inside.
A custom cottage is built in a way to help keep the energy bills down and to allow you to come up anytime of the year and enjoy the place.
One bonus for building a custom cottage that can be used all year around is that it allows you the option of renting the cottage out to people in parts of the year that you would never be using it, like in the winter to cross country skiers or snowmobilers.
Its good to think about saving money on energy and the availability to have rental income, a custom cottage will cost a little more then a regular cottage, one of the big differences between building a custom cottage and just a regular one is the real sale of a custom cottage is a lot higher.
Custom cottages retain their value and sell for a lot more then a normal run of the mill cottage, there's more and more people looking to buy already built cottages and a lot of people wan their cottage to be as much like their home in the city as possible.
If you are thinking of building a cottage email me and we can talk about you building a custom cottage, something that is a better investment and also something that your whole family will really enjoy!
greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
A custom home is a place that you can live in all year round, its a place that is more comfortable inside then whatever the weather is doing outside. It can accommodate many people and can be easily used by anybody that comes up to stay.
What you should think about when you want to build a new cottage is to have a custom home that is your cottage or a custom cottage.
A custom cottage is something that takes time and planning, but its a place that is designed for all the fun that comes with being at the cottage in the summer, all parties and the great memories. But a custom cottage is properly insulated and climate controlled so that sleeping at the cottage no matter where you are in the building is also an enjoyable experience.
A custom cottage has the modern conveniences that allow the dishes to be cleaned quicker, that a load of laundry can be done if required and that no matter if its cold or rainy out everybody can be warm and entertained inside.
A custom cottage is built in a way to help keep the energy bills down and to allow you to come up anytime of the year and enjoy the place.
One bonus for building a custom cottage that can be used all year around is that it allows you the option of renting the cottage out to people in parts of the year that you would never be using it, like in the winter to cross country skiers or snowmobilers.
Its good to think about saving money on energy and the availability to have rental income, a custom cottage will cost a little more then a regular cottage, one of the big differences between building a custom cottage and just a regular one is the real sale of a custom cottage is a lot higher.
Custom cottages retain their value and sell for a lot more then a normal run of the mill cottage, there's more and more people looking to buy already built cottages and a lot of people wan their cottage to be as much like their home in the city as possible.
If you are thinking of building a cottage email me and we can talk about you building a custom cottage, something that is a better investment and also something that your whole family will really enjoy!
greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Monday, April 24, 2017
New Insulation The Key To Keeping Your Cottage Warm
Do you have trouble heating your cottage when the wind starts to blow of the water?
This is a common problem with older cottages and on the Bruce Peninsula there are lots of older cottages.
If you own or have recently purchased an older cottage then you probably know what I'm talking about.
There are many reasons why this happens;
This is a common problem with older cottages and on the Bruce Peninsula there are lots of older cottages.
If you own or have recently purchased an older cottage then you probably know what I'm talking about.
There are many reasons why this happens;
- Lack of insulation. Or older insulation or non at all.
- Older windows. Pierson windows which are singe pane or cheaper vinyl windows all air to invade the house through the glass and around the window it self.
- Holes. With older cottages there actual holes from previous renovations, animals and general age and weather.
What you should be thinking about is if you are planning a renovation then you should set aside money to update the insulation and the windows in the cottage. This isn't as appealing as changing the flooring or updating the kitchen and bathrooms but it's probably more important then any of the other things that I have listed above.
Since insulation has to be installed either in the walls or on the outside of the walls under the siding then it needs to be done first and should not be done later.
Updating the insulation and windows has a very positive affect for the cottage with little to no downside other then the upfront cost.
- Insulating and window replacement will reduce the energy consumption that it takes to heat the and cool the cottage. That's good for an area that high electricity rates.
- Ups the resale value of the cottage. Nothing helps raise the value like new windows.
- Allows longer use of cottage. With new windows and insulation you can use the cottage earlier in the year and later into the fall.
The wind blowing of the great lakes can be unrelenting, the only thing to do is to insulate against it. Stop the wind blowing through the cottage and change the windows and insulate.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Lots of Vacant Waterfront Lots Means Its Time To Build That Custom Cottage On The Bruce Peninsula
With the abundance of vacant water front lots that are for sale now on the Bruce Peninsula it has never been a better time to build yourself a new custom cottage.
If you are to look around the Bruce Peninsula you will find that any cottage or home that is on or near the water has risen in price every year for the past 4 years. The market is becoming expensive as the Bruce Peninsula becomes more popular with tourists and people from South Western Ontario.
The rental market for the Bruce Peninsula has exploded in the last several years, this has slowed the amount of people that were selling their cottages because now they can make money on them even when they are to busy to enjoy it themselves.
All of this is helping drive the resale housing market through the roof, it's getting to the point were it is actually better to buy a vacant waterfront lot and build a new cottage.
There are several things that help make it less expensive;
If you are to look around the Bruce Peninsula you will find that any cottage or home that is on or near the water has risen in price every year for the past 4 years. The market is becoming expensive as the Bruce Peninsula becomes more popular with tourists and people from South Western Ontario.
The rental market for the Bruce Peninsula has exploded in the last several years, this has slowed the amount of people that were selling their cottages because now they can make money on them even when they are to busy to enjoy it themselves.
All of this is helping drive the resale housing market through the roof, it's getting to the point were it is actually better to buy a vacant waterfront lot and build a new cottage.
There are several things that help make it less expensive;
- Bruce Peninsula has extremely low building fees compared to the rest of southern ontario.
- With a lot of waterfront lots basically sitting on the rock you don' t have to spend a lot of money on landscaping.
- The building standards for the Bruce Peninsula are from the Ontario Building Code, there really isn't anything added that will cost you money like what happens in a lot of communities in Southern Ontario.
What you will have to do is find a good quality contractor that can build you the new cottage that you want and also give you a proper budget before they do it. That is probably going to be the toughest thing that you will find, finding a contractor. There are very few good quality contractors on the Bruce and more people wanting to have cottages built every year.
When you do find that contractor you should hire them, because there aren't that many to choose from.
Great Lakes Custom Homes is one of those contractors that can take care of your cottage building needs.
Send me an email and let's see if we can help you; greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.
Friday, January 20, 2017
This Is The Time To Build That Cottage On The Bruce Peninsula
The Bruce Peninsula is a beautiful and wonderful place, it has some of the most unique natural features in all of Ontario.
More and more people are visiting the area and deciding that owning a cottage or retreat would be worth it. One problem, there is actually less waterfront cottages for sale then you would expect. Because of the limited amount of cottages that are for sale the price for waterfront cottages has dramatically risen in the last half decade.
What the Bruce Peninsula does have is an abundance of land, waterfront properties and non waterfront properties. The actual price of vacant land on the Bruce Peninsula is surprisingly low compared to anything that already has a building on it.
What this does is create a scenario where its actually smarter to build a new custom cottage instead of buying an older used cottage that requires a lot of renovations.
Building on the Bruce Peninsula is actually not that expensive, the building permit fees are some of the lowest that you will find in Southern Ontario. Add that to the low price of land and you have the bases for building a custom home that wouldn't break the bank.
Building a custom home or cottage on the water in the Bruce Peninsula is also a great investment, once you have built your waterfront custom home or cottage it is basically worth more then the cost you paid to have it built.
If you are thinking about having a custom home built then send me an email, I would love to help your dreams of cottage ownership come true.
I can be reached at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes
More and more people are visiting the area and deciding that owning a cottage or retreat would be worth it. One problem, there is actually less waterfront cottages for sale then you would expect. Because of the limited amount of cottages that are for sale the price for waterfront cottages has dramatically risen in the last half decade.
What the Bruce Peninsula does have is an abundance of land, waterfront properties and non waterfront properties. The actual price of vacant land on the Bruce Peninsula is surprisingly low compared to anything that already has a building on it.
What this does is create a scenario where its actually smarter to build a new custom cottage instead of buying an older used cottage that requires a lot of renovations.
Building on the Bruce Peninsula is actually not that expensive, the building permit fees are some of the lowest that you will find in Southern Ontario. Add that to the low price of land and you have the bases for building a custom home that wouldn't break the bank.
Building a custom home or cottage on the water in the Bruce Peninsula is also a great investment, once you have built your waterfront custom home or cottage it is basically worth more then the cost you paid to have it built.
If you are thinking about having a custom home built then send me an email, I would love to help your dreams of cottage ownership come true.
I can be reached at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com
Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)