Home buyers: Robert and Debbie MacLean
Address: 2017 Inglewood Dr., Innisfil, near Barrie, Ont.
Home style: Three-bedroom bungalow
Size: 1,500 square feet, plus finished basement
Buying considerations: “We had a farm in Whitchurch-Stouffville for 36 years where we kept horses, including 10 years of breeding Thoroughbreds. That came with a lot of chores and seasonal challenges. We have a daughter and four grandchildren in Barrie, and, coupled with our other daughter’s move to Idaho, it seemed it was the logical time to open a new chapter in our retirement years. Our grandchildren being in Barrie helped us determine a location that was close, yet not too close, to them.
"We had lived in a condo in North York when we were first married, but had no desire to move to a condo again.
"We thought it would take some time to sell the farm, but three years ago, we hired a neighbour to re-parge our basement walls. He heard we were thinking of selling, and he came back with an offer later that day. Things seemed to magically fall into place. We didn’t have to stage the farmhouse or having people coming in during COVID.
"We worked with the real estate agents at justbungalows.com, as we didn’t want a two-storey house. We had both grown up with cottages and wanted to be near the water. This was the first house we looked at. We looked at two others, but liked this one the best. It had all the bells and whistles. Coming from a 1940s’ farmhouse to a fairly new house was nice.
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Design, features: "It’s a custom raised bungalow with vinyl board and batten siding, with stone accents. The basement is finished and has an extra bedroom, so we have room to host the whole family. Downstairs is also where the man-cave is. It has two bathrooms upstairs and one downstairs.
"It was built within the last 10 years so is a very tight, energy-efficient house with a lot of upgraded finishes, such as rounded drywall corners.
"At the farmhouse, we have a wood furnace. This house has a gas furnace and gas fireplace, and a Heat Recovery Ventilator. It has an insulated, double-car garage.
"We’re part of the Alcona Beach Club and pay $100 a year to belong. It has 700 feet of shoreline with two beaches and community events.
"We are only 200 or 300 feet from Lake Simcoe, so we have all the advantages of being near the water, without paying waterfront real estate prices. After dinner, we often take our coffee and sit on the dock or swim in summer.
Personal touches: "We’ve had do virtually nothing, as the floors were good and the paint was fresh. The appliances and light fixtures were top-notch, which is a huge upgrade from our farmhouse. We have put new carpet in the three main-floor bedrooms. The place also came with a hot tub that we enjoy every day.
Neighbourhood: 'Thanks to COVID, we developed new hobbies and interests, which include boating, bird-watching and biking. This area is great for all of those. We bought a boat and keep it in a private slip 10 minutes away. We use it every day during boating season and usually have out lunch on the water. When we have visitors, we’ll take them to Friday Harbour Resort, just 10 minutes away. It’s so impressive and we enjoy taking people there.
"We’re 15 minutes from the Barrie GO Station and my (Debbie’s) sister doesn’t drive, but comes to visit a lot as she can take the train. We can walk to the library, grocery store and hardware store.
"We have regular and e-bikes and do a lot of biking. We’ve done a fair chunk of the Simcoe County Trail and the TransCanada Trail.
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