WHAT SETS US APART FROM THE AVERAGE RENTAL COTTAGE – FOOD FOR THOUGHT
SAY NO TO BOOKING FEES – DEAL DIRECTLY WITH OWNER
Most of the benefits that come from renting with us are not immediately
evident to the average renter and are seldom even considered by those
looking for a cottage to spend their precious hard-earned holidays.
Hardly anyone could even imagine that the level of service that we offer
is even possible to find anywhere.
Usually there are only two choices; to rent a private cottage from an
absentee landlord OR to rent from a resort.
If you rent from a resort, the landlord will probably be around and
probably will be living on the same property watching everything that
you do. In this case the landlord may be able to help you with problems
but you will have to take your turn because he has a row of other
renter’s to look after as well and you pay the price by having to share
your outside space and waterfront and facilities with other renters as
well as having to share their noise.
WE OFFER THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
WE ARE HERE IF YOU NEED SOMETHING BUT OTHERWISE WE ARE NOT IN YOUR SPACE
1 Renting from an absentee landlord leaves you completely on your own
if you have any kind of a problem or if something stops working or if
you have a question or need help with something. Did you know that in
cottage country, if the power goes out, there is no running water and
you cannot flush your toilet? If you have some kind of a mechanical
problem on a holiday weekend, (or any weekend) it is just about
impossible to find a service person to remedy the problem for at least
several days or longer – quite possibly until after your holiday is over.
2 Because we live on the same lake year round, we are close at hand
if you need ANYTHING. That could be something major like installing a
new hot water heater (we have a new one on hand still in the box just in
case and other spare appliances large and small) or something minor like
borrowing the proverbial cup of sugar. Because I have personally built
all of our structures from the ground up, (actually from below the
ground because I dug the holes down to bedrock and built the footings
myself too) I know how every little thing works and how to keep it
working and I own all the tools and have hundreds of spare parts so as
to avoid any inconvenience to our tenants.
3 If the power should go out, we are here to start the generator
within minutes and get everything back to normal.
4 If you don’t have a licence to operate a motor boat, we will
provide a temporary one for you.
5 We personally look after the cleaning between visitors so you
arrive to a facility that is up to our demanding standards every time.
This includes cleaning all the boats and picking up every cigarette butt
and gum wrapper from the entire property.
6 We also maintain the hot tub to make sure the water is clean and
the chemicals are balanced.
7 We personally remove your trash EVERY NIGHT and take it to the dump
so it is not attracting animals that will happily spread it around the
property.
8 We provide a complementary and informative tour of the lake so you
know where to find the good fishing spots, the jumping rocks, the
walking trail to one of several lakes that surround us, where there are
zero cottages and great swimming where you can usually have the whole
lake to yourselves. We also give the history of the lake where there
was once a bustling lumber town between 1850 and 1929.
9 Happynest is wheelchair accessible with ramps to the building and
wheelchair paths to the dock and we can even offer a roll in shower
(part of our hot tub room) and we have an adapted Hoyer Lift to help
people into our Glastron Bow Rider if needed so everyone can enjoy the
complementary tour of the lake or be part of the cheering section for
tubing and water-skiing. We can also loan various assistive devices if
needed like a spare wheelchair or in-out bath seat or commode chair.
10 If you bring your own boat, we help you to launch it, and show you
where to watch for underwater hazards and guide you back to your
cottage. The lake is mostly about 20 metres deep and the hazards are
few but it only takes one to ruin your propeller and spoil your vacation.
11 We believe that with a lake that is so awesome, that it is a shame
not to have boats on hand in order to enjoy exploring it. To this end,
we include a motor boat, provide boat licences, and different other
watercraft like canoes, kayaks and paddle boats depending on which
property you decide to rent from us. If you go to some lake where you
have to rent boats separately, (if they are even available) you can
expect to pay over $500.00 per week for a fishing boat and $210.00 per
week for a self propelled boat. Renting a boat for water-skiing will be
about $2500.00 or more per week. So where we include a motor boat,
canoe and paddle boat that is a $920.00 value that is included in our
prices.
12 Because we live on the same lake, we can offer water-skiing and
tubing as an optional extra. We can take 10 people in the boat at the
same time so that the cheering section is always on hand and it is a
very entertaining activity for all present and a great photo opportunity.
13 Professional ski schools charge about $300.00 per hour to teach
water-skiing and we offer lessons for a fraction of that.
14 Another thing that is seldom considered by renters is: “What is the
lake like?” Our lake has 160 K.M. of shoreline with less than one
cottage per K.M. on average and the quality of the water is second to
none other in all of Ontario. Compared to lakes where there is a
cottage every 50 or 100 feet, this means that we have 90% less boat
traffic, 90% less noise and 90% fewer people fishing and NO POLLUTION .
The lake is controlled by a dam so the level remains consistent and the
water is always moving and it is basically a lake full of rain water
that drains from hundreds of square miles of protected forest that
surrounds us so it is clean and very soft. NO SWIMMERS ITCH HERE!!!
15 Happynest is on a cove so there are never any boats whizzing past
your dock. You might see them out in the lake but you will seldom hear
them.
16 Also, when you rent a cottage, who ever stops to wonder what the
neighbours will be like. It is a given that there will generally be
more noise from a rental cottage than one that is used by the owners.
Renters tend to bring a lot of city noises with them and private owners
tend to place more value on being able to appreciate the sounds of
nature – birds chirping, chip monks chattering, gentle breezes blowing
etc. It is worse if the neighbouring cottages are only 50 feet away but
all the lots here are 1.3 acres in size and have lots of shade trees.
Private cottages usually sit empty half of the time too and rental
places tend to be busy all the time. None of the properties that we
offer have any other rental properties nearby.
17 We do not run a resort. There are no booking fees. The buck stops
here. When you write to us, you get a prompt and personalized reply
that answers all your questions thoroughly and because we have three
separate private properties to tell you about, we have something for
everyone. We just need to know your what you require, for how many
people and when.
18 Looking after our visitors is our main focus in life. We do not
leave the work to an agency or a cleaning service and THERE ARE NO
BOOKING FEES. You are dealing directly with the owner and if you have
any special requirements, we make every effort to accommodate you on an
individual basis. We have been doing this for 42 years and almost
always, we know what you will need before you do and we provide that
without being asked.
19 We meet you when you arrive and show you inside and give you a tour
of the building so you know how everything works and answer any
questions you may have and let you know how to contact us.
20 In winter, we clear the skating rink, keep the driveway cleared with
our own equipment, have the fireplace roaring and the building toasty
warm for when you arrive.
21 These are all subtle things that are usually only noticed by renters
who have already been here to experience the differences for themselves
and even then it could be only at a subconscious level but never the
less it inspires hundreds of them to write their enthusiastic
testimonials and thank you notes like they have been doing for 42 years now.
22 There is no way that any absentee landlord can possibly offer all
that we do to ensure a consistently fulfilling holiday experience for
everyone in your group from 2 to 92.
I thought it was time to write down WHAT SETS US APART FROM THE
MAJORITY OF OTHER PLACES ON OFFER in case anyone would care to look at
the big picture before they commit their vacation dollars.
Let me know if you would care to learn more about how these ideas can
enhance your vacation experience and how your individual needs can be met .
Happy Holidays,
Bob Laing
bob@cottage.ca