Lakefront

Lakes are the bodies of water that open up ocean views to those people living in landlocked towns or provinces. Lakes come in all shapes, sizes, and water qualities. This makes them widely different from one another but they do have some things in common. First: that they come from runoff in areas of higher elevation. Second: that they're in high demand as locations upon which to build new properties. The best part about a lakefront lot is that building on one often won't require any changes in your home designs, even if you designed them for a landlocked lot.

Lakes vs Oceans and Rivers

Lakes are the most versatile of water bodies that you can build near. It is difficult or impossible to get the ocean or a river to cooperate with your schemes for a new property, but lakes can be drained, enlarged by dams, or entirely created by man. Lake Scugog real estate has lake views not because there was always a lake there, but because the river was dammed by a mill owner in the neighboring town of Lindsay, causing the flooding of the low lying area between Lindsay and Scugog.

Pricing a Lakefront Home

Lake view homes tend to be the most expensive properties in a given town, both because of the scarcity and because of human beings' natural affinity for water. Adding to this is the fact that since settlements often begin nearest the lake, the lakefront property will also be in the most densely built up (and therefore expensive) part of town. Toronto waterfront condominiums follow this principle: not only do they have water views but they're also located right downtown. Prices for condos facing the lake may be almost twice as expensive as those facing away, and the farther from the lake the buildings are the cheaper their units tend to get.

Choosing a Lake View

Because lakes tend to vary so widely in their looks and composition, living by one lake will be different than living by any other lake. Buying a condo for Sale in Scarborough will give you views of Lake Ontario, which is so vast that it looks almost like an ocean. It's deep enough for shipping, has its own weather patterns, and is even full of salt water just like an ocean. Because of its central location, however, parts of it can be very polluted. The smaller Lake Banook in Dartmouth, NS, meanwhile, is fresh water and used for canoeing, rowing, and kayaking rather than dumping and shipping.

Building a Lakefront Home

When building or buying a lakefront home, there are certain precautions you should take against flooding, which can happen during large rain storms or periods of extreme spring melting. Don't keep anything valuable in the basement, and make sure to keep some sand bags handy in case you need to fortify your property. A sheaf of rope or flotation aid is also a good idea, in case you have to rescue anyone who has fallen into the water.