The skyrocketing cost of real estate in Toronto and Vancouver has reached a new fever pitch: last month saw the average price for a studio apartment in both cities climb to almost $450,000. For that, you’ll get a pint-sized bathroom and a super-cozy all-in-one kitchen-living-sleeping space. Or, if you take a look outside the city, you could get one these seemingly mansions in comparison:
You don’t have to be an oil tycoon to purchase this log home.
1. Upscale backcountry lodge in B.C.
Address: 4316 Horsefly-Quenell Lake Road
Were: Horsefly, British Columbia
Price: $455,000
Specs: 5 beds, 3 baths
Old backcountry hunting lodges and summer houses used to be the purview of families with names like Rockefeller and Vanderbilt, but this almost-35 acre slice of paradise is yours for the taking — oil tycoon or not. Perched on Horsefly River, the idyllic log home is ground zero for fishing, canoeing and birding come summer, skating and skidooing come winter. The five bedrooms and a wraparound deck are perfect for accommodating all the family who will want to come visit.
Two curtain window walls offer stunning views.
2. Forested cottage property with window walls
Address: 14 Alnwick Island
Where: 1000 Islands, Ontario
Price: $449,500
Specs: 3 bed, 1 bath
This 1000 Islands’ mid-century cottage is waiting for its coming-out party — just bring a coat of paint and your imagination. Floor to ceiling windows offer sweeping views of the International Bridge, while an outdoor deck serves up the perfect spot for morning contemplation of your almost one-acre treed lot replete with two deep-water docks.
This 100-year old home has a beautifully updated kitchen and three fireplaces.
3. Victorian home with newly renovated chef’s kitchen
Address: 128 Alexandra Avenue
Where: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Price: $465,000
Specs: 6 beds, 4 baths
This circa-1916 Victorian home, built almost 100 years after the first European settlers came to Bridgewater, bears witness to the town’s former forestry and railway magnates. Its stately frame — heavy on panelled wood, hardwood floors and fireplaces (three of them!) — dovetails with modern conveniences like a chef’s kitchen, double-car garage and oversized backyard pool.
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