Photograph: Courtesy of Brian Hoar Inc.

Selecting A Lot: This is the first installment in a nine-part series that we believe is a one-of-a-kind, fascinating and eye-opening journey to planning and building a custom cottage, or home, in Muskoka. This total series package is one you will not want to miss. It’s a keeper!
Co-written by Brian Hoar, a well-known and respected custom home builder in Muskoka, this series will unfold over the next eight issues of Cottage Home and Property Showcase.

An irreplaceable resource today and tomorrow, it will impart valuable, timeless information and details that, left to chance, could ultimately lead to disaster!
You will be escorted through the various decision-making processes from selecting a lot to interior design and moving day.
Building one’s custom home should be an exciting, creative and positive experience. For many, it is the culmination of years of planning and a lifelong dream. With due diligence, the right chemistry and trust in professionals, there is no reason to doubt a successful outcome.
It should be understood, however, by anyone contemplating building their dream home that to do it successfully, will take more of their time than they've ever imagined. We’re talking about the truly custom home, be it at the lakeside, or that special setting in the country.

Successful planning and execution will involve experienced professionals, hundreds of decisions, good communication skills, site visits, and trust and patience.
But it need not be overwhelming. Muskoka is home to so many experienced builders and crafts people with the right skills and the ability to help – they are out there.
The single most important piece of advice is to select these people with great care and ensure each is the right match for you and your particular needs.
Do your homework. Check out their current project. Talk to the homeowners and ask the questions that count. Are they happy with the way the building program is being run? Is it on time? How about quality of workmanship and attention to detail?
Ask about ongoing communications and what's known as “value added” suggestions that only come with real experience and skill related to the job at hand.
Make sure the people you ultimately select have experience in similar-sized projects with comparable complexity. Can they work to the quality and the finishes you are expecting? It will be a very long, miserable, unsatisfactory, frustrating and expensive experience for all concerned, if they don’t.

Lots are often purchased for their location and view with the plan to replace existing buildings with a new customized dream home. Photograph: Courtesy of Brian Hoar Inc.

Where does the process begin?
All homes must begin with the land and many of your future home’s design considerations will be influenced or restricted by it. Clearly, the land part of the equation is going to be the first major decision in the process. It will become the setting for the dream.
Municipally approved subdivisions with roads, created lots, services and favourable zoning already put into place by the developers, have much to offer. The selection process becomes more simplified and will focus on location, lot size, exposure, privacy and price point.
The technical issues of lot coverage, setbacks, services and restrictions will have already been addressed and further explanation, or clarification, should be easily attainable from the developer’s sales staff or real estate professional.
Site plans will be registered at the local municipal office and should provide all the information you need for an informed decision.
“Buyers in their mid-fifties and up, for the most part, like the idea of being close to services such as water and sewer, hospitals and shopping,” states Darryl McCullough, associate broker Royal LePage. “Those looking to build or buy in Muskoka have many options.”

Jeff Buddo, sales representative, Chestnut Park, searches for property for his clients based on their criteria. The view is often the selling point (opposite). Photograph: Mary Lee Zimmer

With subdivisions, much of the legwork has already been done and upon submission of the appropriate construction drawings, the building permit becomes pretty much a formality and construction can begin. This is as easy as it gets. Mission one accomplished.
Most custom homes, however, for one reason or another, are not built in the subdivision setting. Needs, or wants, are not matched and the dream lies elsewhere. The challenges are now more complicated, certainly, but not daunting for those prepared to search further afield, apply themselves and do the research.
Whether the elusive perfect property is in the country, lakeside or amongst the hardwood or pine, many but not all, of the considerations will be the same. Country living has always had its own challenges, but it can also compensate with a huge sense of accomplishment for people who overcome and never take things for granted.
“Typically the prime waterfront properties are not available today,” says Jeff Buddo, sales representative Chestnut Park, “unless a family of long standing in Muskoka decides to sell off grandpa’s 3,000 feet of frontage. The best properties were selected by people who were here 50 years ago.

Jeff Buddo, sales representative, Chestnut Park, searches for property for his clients based on their criteria. The view is often the selling point (opposite). Photograph: Mary Lee Zimmer

“I sit down with clients usually in a social setting to have the initial discussion. I ask what attributes they’re looking for in a property such as privacy, which lake and which part of the lake they prefer. I ask the exposure they’re looking for – morning, evening or all day sun. Lots can be flat, gently sloping, rugged or similar to Georgian Bay – steep with lots of rock. The final part of the discussion, after defining the attributes they’re looking for, is cost.
“Attributes add costs. It's all about what my client wants and it becomes my job to try to find it,” says Buddo.
It is not at all unusual for a lot to be purchased with the intent of tearing down the existing buildings in order to rebuild. “For yesterday’s cottagers, these buildings had value,” explains Peter Degraaf, sales representative, ReMax Lake Country Realty. “Today’s buyers want basements, furnaces and insulation – they’re looking for a home on the lake, not a cottage. They want the cosmetic appeal of a cottage with the functionality of a year-round residence. They can look at the lot and see past what it is now to what it can be.
“The lot chosen must be able to sustain its value,” continues Degraaf. “It must be able to carry the investment. Today’s buyer with financial strength is looking to the future. Good topography, water quality, size and depth of the lake all enter into the equation of property value.

Location
“It's all in the location,” states Troy Middlebrooks, broker ReMax Lake Country Realty. “The location will dictate the home, or cottage, you'll be able to build. The real estate agent, builder and architect work together as a team to ensure the property ultimately selected will satisfy the expectations, needs and wants of the prospective homeowner.”
Ask yourself, given your unique set of circumstances: How far from town, shopping and neighbours do you really want to be? Do you have young children and prefer to be away from the waterfront or near shallow water with a sand beach?
Will you be as comfortable, and at one with yourself, when all the summer folk have gone home for the winter? Are you self-sufficient when the driveway is blocked with a fallen tree and the storm has taken out the hydro? If you like large boats or want to sail then you should look for deeper water.

Steve Curry, broker, ReMax Muskoka Realty, experienced with Muskoka’s unique terrain, restrictions and opportunities, studies map. Photograph: Mary Lee Zimmer

Access
How long will the driveway have to be into the property you’ve fallen in love with and will it become a major cost factor? Is it going to be steep and how practical is it going to be year round? Year round access affects insurance costs.
Snow plowing may only provide part of the solution. Sanding is important on icy hills and grades. Who is going to provide this service in a timely fashion? Remember: 4 x 4s and all-wheel drives are not much better than any other vehicle on ice and they sure don’t stop any quicker once they are out of control. Emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, service people and friends visiting are all deserving of consideration.

Services
One of the most serious considerations, especially for an undeveloped piece of property, is going to be the availability of hydro service. This may not be a significant cost if primary lines are nearby, but it can be a huge cost. Does the package include a new line from a .5 km away with tree cutting, hydro poles and transformers? Ditto for telephone service unless cellular service is an option.

Water must be available to develop the property. It may be pumped from the lake or river. It may be a drilled or dug well but it must be available all year round. What are others doing locally and at what cost? How good is the water? It must be safe and potable.
Sewage disposal, as in all rural locations, will consist of a septic tank and some kind of a filter or leaching bed. It may be high tech aerobic or bio-filter, but no matter what, it requires room on the property and some systems will require hydro to operate. The actual size, type and area of the system is going to be determined by the size of the building, the number of bathrooms etc. it must serve.

The WOW factor
This must be left ‘till last! The spectacular view, tranquil space, the beautiful trees or shoreline won’t mean much until it’s realistically determined to be accessible and the services required to build and sustain a new home can be practically brought in and maintained at an acceptable cost.

Nick Roche, Lee Roche and Kelly, warns that if the by-laws are not checked by your lawyer, before you purchase, you may be stuck owning a piece of property unsuitable for your plans. Photograph: Mary Lee Zimmer

Size and privacy
Is the property comfortably large enough for the home you have in mind – including the garage, parking, the guest cottage, the sewage disposal system and so on? Is it suitable to build the type of home you have in mind? Sloping lots don’t generally work for a bungalow with all the living space on one floor without extensive landscaping. Walkout lower levels work better in this situation. Can you be flexible in your design and work with the lot?
The best homes fit the lot and look as though they always belonged there, but it rarely happens by accident. So you’ve fallen in love with the view – now check out the exposure. Will you be able to take advantage of solar heat gain on those sunny winter days or would that envisioned expansive window wall facing north render the home hard to heat in February?

Privacy is big. “Many don’t want another cottage 50 feet away from their front deck and be able to over hear each others’ conversations,” explains Buddo. “Privacy is hard to get and expensive when you do. So, values are all over the map. It all goes back to the attributes.”
States McCullough: “Rather than evaluating the site and discussing a price, often the client and I look at the total cost. We review the goals and objectives for the new home and we come up with the end cost. Then the decision is made pertaining to the lot. It’s called the reversion technique. Clients can see the value and will pay “x” dollars to attain the desired end result.”
Planning and Zoning

Peter Degraaf, ReMax Lake Country Realty – at one time there were three seasons in Muskoka. Now there are four. Buyers want the option of year-round leisure. Selecting the appropriate lot, then, becomes all the more vital. Photograph: Mary Lee Zimmer

Height restrictions, setbacks and lot coverage are all questions you must have answers to and fully understand before you can make an informed decision to purchase. Legal and real estate guidance is a must at this stage.
“Before you sign a binding Agreement of Purchase and Sale, it’s wise to check with your lawyer,” begins Nick Roche, of Lee Roche and Kelly. “Furthermore, any agreement should be conditional on zoning approval.
“Explain to your lawyer what you intend to do with the property. For example, do you want to build a new building or add to the existing building?
“Your lawyer will then check on the size, or square footage, of a building that can be built on a given property; the number of buildings that can be built; the location of a building relative to the lot lines; and, in the case of demolition of an existing building, the size of the new building that can be built.”

Steve Curry, broker, ReMax Muskoka Realty Corp adds, “If it's a waterfront lot, check out the bylaws governing docks and boathouses. Enquire about guest cottages and bunkies, tree cutting and deer habitat.” Curry advises buyers checking the by-laws of the particular township ensures no surprises. “The ability to develop the lot the way they want is vital. For example, in some cases you would need a minimum frontage so that you can build your two-storey boathouse.”
Obtain a copy of the survey, find the lot lines and verify the size of the property. Don’t be afraid to ask an experienced builder to walk the land with you. His insights may be invaluable coming from a practical perspective and distanced from the emotions that may colour your own judgment.
Ready to make that all-important first decision? The one that sets the stage for the remainder of the project?
If you’ve done your homework you can do it with confidence and move to the next stage – selecting the architect!

Join us next month for Part Two in “Building your Custom Cottage” - Selecting the Architect - in the next issue of Cottage Home and Property Showcase published March 22.

Showcase is distributed with Muskoka Magazine as well as being available for free pick up in bright green boxes in high traffic locations and at realtors' offices throughout Muskoka.

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