Mar 13 2007
Construction in the cottage country regions of Muskoka, Haliburton Highlands, and Kawartha Lakes has reached an all time high due to the aging baby boomers preference towards luxurious country homes.
The current boom in cottage country home construction has a direct link to Canada's aging population. Between 1981 and 2005, the number of seniors in Canada rose from 2.4 million to 4.2 million, and according to a report by Statistics Canada, the aging of Canada's population will accelerate over the next twenty years, as baby boomers begin turning 65. In addition, Canada's senior population is projected to increase from 4.5 million to 9.8 million between 2006 and 2026.
Not only are there more seniors in Canada than ever before, as a group they are wealthier with more disposable income, are more active than past generations, and have a longer life expectancy rate. Provided these factors, today's seniors have higher expectations when it comes to how and where they will spend their retirement years.
Cottage country has already felt the impact of this demographic trend as the construction in Ontario's long-established cottage country regions of Muskoka, Haliburton Highlands, and Kawartha Lakes have reached an all time high. These summer resort communities have witnessed a large increase in permanent, year-round residents, and real estate prices, especially prime waterfront properties, have skyrocketed. This trend is due, in large part, to aging baby boomers choosing to relocate for their retirement years. Many are selling their expensive homes in the city in favour of a more relaxed and less frantic lifestyle with a country home in a tranquil rural setting, surrounded by nature.
According to Glenn Evans, owner of Cedar Winds Country Homes,a respected Haliburton builder, "the average person building a country home today has much greater expectations than in the past. Additionally, the size of home being built today is much larger." Of the many people retiring to cottage country, few find a home that's "perfect" for them as is. In order to secure a home that suits their lifestyle and offers all the amenities that they require, many choose to custom plan and build their cottage country retirement homes from scratch. Another popular trend is to turn an existing seasonal cottage property into a year-round dream home by having it extensively renovated and remodelled.
Evans continues by saying, "Almost all of my customers who are relocating to Haliburton from the city want a country home that has all the luxuries and amenities that they enjoyed in their city homes. They expect quality, and that's just what we give them."
The building trades in cottage country have never been busier. As more people move into the area eager to start building their new homes or to begin extensive renovations and remodelling projects, the call for experienced builders continues to grow. The construction boom benefits not only those in the building trades, but also related businesses such as lumber yards and building suppliers, landscapers, paint and decorating stores, as well as appliance and home furnishings stores. Local municipalities also reap the rewards through increased tax revenues.
With the number of Canadians aged 65 to 74 expected to double over the next twenty years, boom-times for the cottage country's construction industry as well as the demand for bigger and better homes can be expected to continue well into the next couple of decades.
Cedar Winds Country Homes offers three levels of assistance to help you build your dream and enhance your lifestyle including consultation, architectural design and construction drawing preparation, as well as project management.