Its Time For The Cottage Spring Inspection

The snow has finally melted!

It might not be bikini weather yet up at the cottage but it is time to head up to the cottage and do your spring inspection.

What is a spring inspection you ask? Its the time that you drive up to the cottage to make sure that its still there, especially after this long drawn out winter!

The usual suspects that you find are damage to roofs, windows and siding/facia.

Now these area minor repairs a lot of the time that you can hire someone to do or you can try and handle on your own. But maybe its time that you take a serious look at that old cottage of yours and decide whether its time to do a larger renovation then just a constant minor repair every spring.

I'm talking about biting the bullet and springing for new windows, siding, soffit/facia. You don't have to get all of them, but if your getting tired of the constant repainting of the old siding or the windows that leak water and don't open, then maybe its worth the investment.

Not only will new windows/siding free up your time in the spring, it will also help your enjoyment of your cottage. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the lake, the trees and the animals outside through nice new energy efficient windows.

If your changing your windows/siding then you can for a little bit extra add some much needed foam insulation to the outside of your cottage. This insulation could give you an extra month at the cottage in the fall and a couple extra weeks in the spring, allowing you to be more comfortable and also lowering your energy costs throughout the cottage season.

So when you go up to your cottage for your spring inspection take a serious look at your cottage and decide if a larger upgrade is needed, something that will not only raise the value of your cottage but also raise the enjoyment of it.

Drop me an email if you would like to talk about some cottage repairs.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.

Government Rebates-Now's The Time To Renovate Your Cottage

Right now in Ontario there are very healthy rebates for renovating your home or cottage. There are rebates that are applied to the following;

• New windows
• Updating the heating system
• Increasing the insulation (the walls, ceilings)

The rebates are very healthy with thousands of dollars available for each area of the home or cottage.

Heating systems range from $2000.00 (for ductless heat pumps) to almost $20,000.00 (if you want to install geothermal heat pumps). That cuts the cost of a lot of those new heating systems almost in half.

There are rebates for window replacements and insulation upgrades as well.

If you have been waiting for the right time to renovate your cottage this it, it won't get any better then money wise then this!

These rebates might not last past the next provincial election so if you are thinking about fixing your old cottage up then you should start looking into it.

With these rebates you could take that old, poorly insulated, drafty cottage and turn it into something that is not only comfortable but well insulated and easily heated. This can also give you more time at your cottage as those cold spring days and those late fall ones are a lot more comfortable and easier to keep warm.

One of the big positives is that with the cottage real estate market being so hot you will get all the money back that you spend on it. So even as an investment renovating your cottage is a good idea.

If your thinking about renovating your cottage email me at greatlakescustomhomes@gmail.com and we can talk about what you need.

Rob Abbott
Great Lakes Custom Homes Inc.