Building a Custom Home Within a Tight Timeline in the Muskokas
August 4, 2021
post and beam cottage

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Heidi Vesley had a vision for her family’s dream cottage. Located on the beautiful Muskoka Lakes in Ontario, Heidi and her husband had owned a recreational property for years and had plans to transform their old cottage into something new and spectacular. 

Vesley recalls,“we actually bought this property about 12 or 13 years ago.” But after years of enjoying the property, the old existing cottage needed a re-vamp. They were faced with the classic question – “should we renovate, or building something new?” 

Linwood Homes helped Heidi and her family create a custom dream cottage that perfectly complemented their existing lot. It was modified for their needs and Linwood Construction Services had it finished in time for a spring family wedding. 

linwood homes lochlin

Working With Linwood

A Winning Design 

“My husband actually found the model this home is based on, the Lochlin model, and I said it has everything I want, it looks perfect.” While browsing the Linwood website, Heidi and her husband fell in love with our classic Lochlin model. This home features open concept, post, and beam design and it’s ideal for families. 

Heidi continues – “we called Linwood and we were very fortunate, it had been the Princess Margaret Lottery home the year before. They were having a Christmas open house, the designers had designed it all up for Christmas and the public could go through. When I visited it I fell in love with it and we started working on it from there.” The Lochlin model was one of the Princess Margaret Lottery cottage prizes and has since become a stock plan in the Linwood library due to popular demand. 

post and beam cottage in ontario

Flexible Floor Plans 

The Vesley family had a few key must-haves for their dream cottage and Linwood’s customization options were a great way to make the Lochlin model their own.    

floor to ceiling windows

“The feature that I loved was the big window, there’s a beautiful view of the lake,” says Heidi as she turns to admire the spectacular view. In the heart of cottage country, floor-to-ceiling windows are an excellent way to maximize a view property, and post and beam design allows for the soaring ceilings required to make them possible. 

screen porch at cottage

Heidi continues, “the second thing [ I love ] is the screened-in porch because in Muskoka we have a lot of bugs and we didn’t have a screened In porch [in the previous cottage] and I find we use the screened-in porch all the time.” Sunrooms are ideal for year-round entertainment. In the winter months you can still enjoy the view from the comfort of the indoors, while in the summer, sunrooms are an excellent way to relax without the need to fend off pests. 

loft with vaulted ceiling

Lastly, Heidi shifts her gaze to the gorgeous vaulted ceilings as she says, “the third thing that I loved probably the most was the loft.”

post and beam cottage loft

A spectacular loft space situated on the upper floor of the cottage serves as a multi-purpose area for the family. It can be used as an office, extra sleeping quarters, or just a cozy nook to relax.  

A Set Timeline 

The cottage had long been a special place for the Vesley family and they had a very firm project timeline from start to finish. They planned to have a family wedding at the new cottage in the spring so our team got right to work in order to make that happen. 

cottage kitchen

A Winter Build

Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible to build your home during the winter, but it takes a lot of upfront planning and an organized team to make it happen. 

In this case, the construction crews had to build over the winter months to meet the spring deadline for the Vesley family. As Heidi says, “we got them to build it through the winter, through a very hard winter. I’d be driving by and. It’d be like -25 degrees and snowing and those guys were there working.” 

When you are working within a set timeline, sometimes a winter build is necessary, and it’s certainly something that can be accomplished with the right crew. 

Heidi goes on, “Linwoods service? It’s very good. When there were issues they were dealt with on a timely basis. We had a very specific timeline but it got done and it all got done on time. It was done for the wedding, that’s what I wanted.” 

Everything was finished and ready for an incredible family wedding in the spring. 

custom cottage lake muskoka

The Team You Can Trust 

Heidi touches on a very important aspect of custom construction and service in general as she says, “the big important thing is trying to get somebody you can trust because you really have to trust them, this isn’t what you do, I’m an accountant, I don’t build things. So getting the supplies that you need is a challenge and that was where I just relied on Linwood Construction Services.”

As a homeowner, you want the best for your custom project and you want to be sure it’s built to the highest standards. It’s very hard to determine who can do a good job when you don’t know the industry inside and out. Your new home is not a place you want someone cutting corners. 

With Linwood Homes, you get over 50 years of dependable, excellent service that comes from a strong and reliable business. Our team is right there with you every step of the way. 

cottage fireplace

Memories for Generations to Come 

Reflecting fondly on the memories of the build Heidi says, “for me, your fear is that it’s not going to be well done. We’re now a year in and the place is great.” 

The Vesley family cottage will be a retreat for generations to come. “When they had done it, they’d done it right and it was good quality and we are very happy.” 

porch with muskoka chairs

Start Your Project With Linwood Homes

If you are interested in designing your dream home, we are just a phone call away. Connect with our team in a free consultation to discuss your project needs and goals. We are excited to work with you and look forward to hearing from you soon. Contact us or call 1-888-546-9663 to get started. You can also join our community on social media, follow Linwood Homes on Facebook and Instagram to see project updates, Q&A sessions and more.

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