Canadians see cottages and cabins in a new light

For a long time, obtaining a summer home meant that a person had made it. But increasingly, a recreational property is becoming the first stop for those entering the market, according to a new study.

“People are looking at recreational properties through a different lens,” said Conrad Zurini, broker-owner of Remax Escarpment Realty and Remax Niagara Realty.

While prices saw some erosion from their 2022 peak, he says cabins and cottages remain a “mainstay” of Canadian living, and savvy buyers know it. 

“They feel that when the economy turns around, these types of properties will be the most sought-after.”

A recent Leger survey commissioned by Remax Canada found that 45 per cent of prospective Canadian buyers plan to purchase a recreational property as an entry point into the broader housing market. Among Canadians aged 18 to 34, that figure climbs to 54 per cent, a sign that younger buyers are thinking about homeownership in new ways.

Part of the appeal is income potential. Zurini points to short-term rentals as a major draw.

“Income and enjoyment, best of both worlds,” he said.

For renters priced out of urban ownership, the math can make sense. 

“People could be renting where they live every day, and investing in a recreational property,” he said.

A buyer’s market in much of the country

The report found that more than half of Canada’s 21 recreational markets are expected to remain buyer’s markets in 2026, with a national average price increase of just 1.5 per cent projected through the rest of the year. 

Buyer preferences are also shifting. Sixty-one per cent of Canadians say they’d prefer a recently renovated property, and 59 per cent want year-round access rather than a seasonal retreat. 

Zurini sees the same on the ground.

“It’s got to check a lot of boxes now,” he said.

Return-to-office mandates are adding another wrinkle, with 28 per cent of current recreational property owners saying those policies are prompting them to consider selling.

The costs that come with the cottage

Buyers, Zurini says, are approaching all of it with clear eyes. “Buyers are smarter than we think.” He describes a generation no longer following a predictable path to homeownership. “It’s not linear anymore. It’s zigging and zagging, and people looking at: ‘What’s my life going to look like in the next five, 10 years?'”

The one note of caution is cost beyond the purchase price. Maintenance remains a sticking point, with 40 per cent of Canadians saying upkeep costs would be unmanageable if they inherited a recreational property. Zurini adds that buyers in cottage country should budget carefully.

“When you’re in the outskirt areas, there’s a premium for contractors and materials.”

Still, the mood is optimistic. Canada’s recreational market may be the most strategically interesting it’s been in years, and a new generation of buyers is paying attention.

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