What $445,000 buys on the water — including a ocean-side West Coast escape

1. Beautiful B.C. house overlooking the water

Address: 8721 West Coast Road
Where: Sooke, B.C. Price: $445,000 Specs: 1 bed, 1 bath Just an hour from downtown Victoria and minutes from foodie pilgrim hotspot Sooke Harbour House, this tiny home offers front-row seats to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Kitted out in Brazilian hardwood floors and granite fireplace, this home embodies laid-back west coast living in one co-operative share package.

2. Reno-ready motel-and-cabin income property with brick main manor

Address: 8 Rideau Ferry Road
Where: Lombardy, Ont. Price: $439,900 Specs: 4+ beds, 3 bath Not every home needs 20 parking stalls, but when that house is in Lombardy, formerly a way station on the path to Otter Creek, hotels and taverns (and hence wagon/parking accommodation) are just in your DNA. This circa-1900 brick manor recalls the area’s former roots as a prosperous mill town: high ceilings and stately hardwood floors have seen their fair share of balls and parlour visits. Fronting Lower Rideau Lake, this large lot with pool also features a store, six cabins and eight motel rooms all ripe for a reno for those travellers passing through.

3. Stunning New Brunswick home with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and cathedral ceilings

Address: 135 Powell Road
Where: Jardineville, N.B. Price: $445,000 Specs: 3 bed, 2 bath Sunday school reinvented: two waterfront acres perfectly preserve Canada’s history with a reimagined church house. Find a post-and-beam cathedral ceiling, bookcases made with the original church pews and stained glass windows all promising to deliver peace and serenity. A windowed gazebo lends unfettered views of the water.

More: How to transform your dingy garage into a slick storage area and workspace 15 ways to add spinach to dinner How an epic cross-Canada foodie voyage ended in this gorgeous new cookbook