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It has been a glorious fall week full of sunny days and cool nights. It is the best time of the year for me. I am not a fan of the cold or the heat so spring and fall tend to be what I enjoy the most. I love being outside and taking walks and sitting in the warm (not stifling hot sun).
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I think this would be the perfect weather to keep enjoying a cottage. A cottage does not have to be just for the summer months. It can be enjoyed all year round if you have one at Lakes of Wasaga. The resort offers charming 2 and 3-bedroom chalets which can accommodate up to 8 guests and 2-bedroom cottages with room for 6 guests. This Resort provides cottages and year-round retirement residence on leased lands. Essentially, with land leasing, you own your home and lease the land that it’s on. Purchasing a summer home or choosing where you would like to spend your retirement years can be daunting, especially with the current housing market. In these days of economic uncertainty, a home ownership option is making its way to the forefront of real estate choices: land leasing. Land leasing is a different way of purchasing a cottage, with more flexibility
We had the opportunity have a weekend stay at a Lakes of Wasaga Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities in Wasaga Beach. I wanted to share the whole experience with you because most of the time we think of summer cottages as place that you can go to for a season maybe two if you are lucky but the cottages of Lakes of Wasaga are open year-round.
That is a very big deal because you are close to the largest fresh water beach in the world located on Georgian Bay in Ontario and 30 minutes away from our best skiing resort Blue Mountain. Let me take you around so you can see the beauty of Lake of Wasaga.
Driving into the Parkbridge Life Resort in Wasaga Beach you pass by the main public beach but you are still close enough to all the amenities. There is a Smart Center just a few blocks away with a Walmart, a Tim Horton’s, a dollar store and a few family restaurants. We made the decision to go up very quickly so there were a few things that we forgot (like my son’s bathing suit…oops). No problem a quick stop at Walmart and we picked up some groceries, a few staples that were missing in the cottage and, of course, a new pair of swim trunks. Convenient location: Check.
We arrived late a night but there was still a security guard waiting to hand over the keys to the cottage and to guide us to our final destination. This is a gated community so you need pass or keypad access to the residential area. As we drove to the cottage, the one thing that we noticed was that the cottages were very close together. I wasn’t sure I was going to like the proximity of the neighbours but in the end, we did not feel like we lost any privacy.
When we arrived we had fresh linens for each of the beds waiting for us. You can bring your own or rent a set for $14 a bed. We had a two bedroom unit with an additional pull-out bed in the living room (that we took advantage of). We had bunk beds in one room and a queen bed in another room. We all had to share a bathroom but I am happy to say there was a washer and dryer on the premises. Ample sleeping options: Check.
The kitchen had stove, oven, microwave a full fridge and a dishwasher (bonus). In the cupboards were basic pots, pans, dishes, glassware, cutlery and cooking utensils. There a few things missing (like a can opener, a cheese grater and a baking sheet) but those were easy enough to get. As a matter of fact, we just left the ones we bought for the next set of visitors. You do have to bring your own groceries and condiments (we also had to buy dish soap). Fully equipped kitchen and bathroom: Check.
As part of our welcome package there was a map to the area and a calendar of events for the next couple of days. These events are all included in the stay so be sure and take advantage of them. There was corn husking and a corn roast the day we were there and I have to say that is the BEST CORN that I have ever tasted… I mean ever. It was nice to see a group of couples that were catching up. They obviously knew each other well and were joking and laughing about all sorts of antics that had gone on during the summer. I loved that sense of community. Many have had places here for years and it shows in the upkeep of the cottages.
You can find cottages that are one or two stories high. There are ones with very mature and well manicured gardens and there were others that were more simple but still very well maintained. There was something for everyone I felt. You can rent a cottage by the week starting from $850 to $1,650. This may seem a tiny bit pricey but I think you’ll see the recreational and service amenities are an added bonus. At Lakes of Wasaga they include:
- beach volleyball court
- Tennis Courts
- Banquet Hall (that can be rented out for special occasions
- arcade & ping pong table
- 2 heated family pools
- and an additional adult only pool
- picnic area
- playground
- horseshoe and bocce ball area
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- an ice rink for the winter
- a basketball and ball hockey rink for the summer
- Walking Trails to Wasaga Beach
I find the idea of leasing land while owning the building a good value proposition. Ownership of a cottage would be less then if you bought a property outright. The added benefit is that there is a collective to pay for the snow cleaning, resort maintenance fees, landscaping and amenities. I don’t have my own pool but then again, I don’t have to do any of the work to keep it. I have access to shared facilities (recreational area, arcades, communal spaces) but I also don’t have to do the maintenance. You can make your cottage your own with pretty fencing, container plants and metal sculptures. It is all part of bigger picture. Maintenance Free: Check
Overall the stay at Lakes of Wasaga was an enjoyable one. The kids had plenty to do, I felt they were safe when they were not in my sight. The cottage was spacious enough for a family of 4 but I would suggest a three bedroom one for larger families. The best part was that it was close to the fun of Wasaga Beach. You certainly were`t roughing it here. If you want a better breakdown on the cost of leasing you can go over to Thriftymomma`s Tip blog for her review and breakdown. In Ontario Parkbridge operate 21 resort properties. There are 9 in the Kawarthas, 5 in Georgian Bay and 7 in Southern Ontario Region. You have great choices in anyone of these resort properties. For more information you can find Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities website for a location near you and you can also find them on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Disclosure: I received a weekend stay at Lakes of Wasaga. My opinions are my own and I have to say, I enjoyed my stay very much.
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