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00:00With its mountainous beauty and lush landscape,
00:03the Canadian countryside is as beautiful as it is breathtaking.
00:09Many Canadians are discovering rural life and they're making the move.
00:14We are helping them find their perfect country house.
00:19I love how lush it is, like there's definitely a lot of greenery, kind of magical.
00:24It's amazing.
00:25I feel like I'm in Barbies Dreamhouse.
00:37I'm here in Elora, Ontario with Brooklyn and Leighton hoping to find them the perfect
00:41country home to start their life together.
00:43Let's see what we can find.
00:54Hello.
00:54Hello.
00:55Hi.
00:55So nice to see you.
00:56Nice to see you.
00:57Nice to see you.
00:57What a good day we have ahead of us.
00:59Like, honestly, we get to tour all these beautiful country properties in beautiful Elora.
01:03It's beautiful.
01:04We're super excited to see everything.
01:06I want to just ask you still about your wish list.
01:09So tell me a little bit about what it is particularly that you're looking for in a country home.
01:13Yeah.
01:13So currently we're renting.
01:14So this will be our first home.
01:16We're hoping to stay somewhere long term.
01:17So we're hoping for three or four bedrooms.
01:20We're looking for lots of space in terms of a rec room or a designated office space.
01:25All right.
01:25And you have a little fur baby that's not so little, right?
01:28So we need space for your dog, right?
01:31Yeah.
01:31Toby, our golden.
01:32He's one now.
01:33So he's getting bigger.
01:34He's looking forward to like having a backyard space and getting to run around a little bit.
01:42It's kind of a funny story.
01:44We actually met when we were kids.
01:45We met through some family friends, but we lost touch over the years and then we met up again in
01:50university and we've been together about 12 years now.
01:53Currently, we're renting nearby.
01:55We're kind of ready to actually buy and set down roots here.
01:59Allura is just a really, really quaint town.
02:00Like we fell in love with it the first time we kind of visited because we're like 10 minutes away.
02:05We've made this like kind of a stop for date nights and stuff like that.
02:08And we just really fell in love with the town right away.
02:10It has a very nice homey feel to it.
02:13It's far enough away that it still feels kind of quaint and peaceful that way.
02:17One of the things that we're really looking for is like three to four bedrooms, some sort of backyard for
02:23the dog.
02:24A place that we can grow into.
02:25We want to have a little bit of space.
02:27We do have a one year old golden retriever, Toby.
02:30He's our fur baby right now.
02:31And so our ideal spot would also be near like walking trails.
02:36Ideally, we'd like to be in the 900, maybe 950 range.
02:40Yep.
02:42We love this area.
02:43So we're really excited to find kind of our forever home.
02:45We're definitely looking forward to see all three houses and maybe we can find a winner.
02:54Elora is located 100 kilometers west of Toronto in southern Ontario.
02:59The town is known for its quaint historic architecture which gives a picturesque village atmosphere.
03:06Locals and visitors are treated to its vibrant art scene and character.
03:10Not to mention the gorgeous Grand River which runs right through the town.
03:14With so much to offer in Elora, it's no surprise to me that Brooklyn and Layton want to lay down
03:20their roots here.
03:25So here we are outside of house number one.
03:27It is brand new subdivision but I feel like sometimes the benefit to this is the fact that you get
03:32to put your own stamp on it.
03:33Especially being your first home.
03:35What are your first thoughts on the exterior of house number one?
03:38I really like the colors of it.
03:40Obviously like it would be better if it was a little bit, had a little bit of landscaping to it.
03:44Yeah that landscaping is not working.
03:46It's hard to visualize.
03:48That's the part you have to put your own stamp on it.
03:50I like the colors and how they kind of designed it that way.
03:53Even like with the neighbors it looked like it all flowed really nicely.
03:56I agree like the dirt's not ideal but at least that's like a short term issue.
04:01Are either of you like green thumbs handy that you'd be able to tackle some of this landscape?
04:05Yeah that's you.
04:06I'm not doing that.
04:06I like to pretend that I can but I wouldn't actually be able to do stuff like that.
04:10Well I'm willing to bet by the time you tackle this you're going to be very good at landscaping.
04:15Shall we head inside and have a look?
04:16Yeah sounds good.
04:29Well I actually like the size of this peninsula.
04:32The fact that you can sit three people here and then still have a dining table.
04:36That's really nice.
04:37What are your first thoughts on this kitchen?
04:39It's beautiful.
04:39I love how bright it is.
04:41Like there's so much cabinetry too.
04:43There's actually tons of space.
04:44Yeah I really really like how bright it is and I really like all the finishings.
04:48I also love the stainless steel appliances.
04:50That is the benefit of a newer house is that everything that you're getting is pretty much just yours to
04:55enjoy.
04:56It was actually blown away.
04:57Like it flowed really nicely.
04:59The finishes were great.
05:00The choices of the colors were all very aligned with our taste.
05:03I loved how bright and open it was.
05:06It'd like be a great place for entertaining.
05:08You can definitely cook and entertain at the same time.
05:12There's actually lots more to explore.
05:14There's a few amazing bedrooms and there's a great finished basement.
05:17But first of all I'd love for you to go upstairs and check out the principal's suite.
05:20And then I'll meet you in the basement.
05:22Yeah sounds good.
05:22Alright see ya.
05:40Oh wow yeah it's a really good sized bedroom.
05:42What do you think?
05:43Yeah this is huge.
05:45I really like the walk-in closet.
05:47Oh my god it's huge.
05:48Yeah.
05:49Same thing though.
05:50I like that everything's just like open and bright.
05:52The windows are huge.
05:53I'm actually a huge fan of that.
05:55Yeah we can definitely fit our king bed in here which is awesome.
05:57I really really like the ensuite.
05:59Yeah it's beautiful.
06:01Other rooms are a great size too.
06:02Like really I have no problem with like the interior.
06:05Yeah it has a lot of things on our wish list that's for sure.
06:08I do really wish that they had grass outside.
06:10Yeah.
06:11That's definitely a big knocker for me.
06:14It's also huge that they have a finished basement.
06:17Let's go check it out.
06:18Sounds good.
06:29Ooh finished basement.
06:31Ooh I saw a spark in your eyes.
06:34Immediate.
06:35Amazing.
06:35Amazing.
06:36And it's got high ceilings.
06:37And even the windows are actually a good size.
06:39And so you've got this kind of TV room.
06:42And then there's a bedroom and a bathroom too.
06:44So I think it's a really great flex space to do with what you want.
06:47If your friends come over and want to stay.
06:48They have guest quarters.
06:50So yeah.
06:50That's perfect.
06:51Yeah yeah.
06:52I really really like the downstairs area.
06:54It's like kind of like a, it's kind of like a me space.
06:56Watching your reaction you're like a kid on Christmas.
06:58Like your eyes lit up when you saw there's a finished basement.
07:00So I think that'd be a great space for you.
07:02And I was actually really impressed that they had that extra spare room
07:05and a full bathroom down there.
07:08How much do you think this house is?
07:10I'd say like somewhere around a million.
07:12Okay.
07:13I'd guess maybe like 975.
07:15Good guessing.
07:27How much do you think this house is?
07:29I'd say like somewhere around a million.
07:30Okay.
07:31I'd guess maybe like 975.
07:33Good guessing.
07:34Well this house is 950,000.
07:37Wow.
07:38Okay.
07:38A lot less than you thought actually.
07:41The price is pretty fantastic.
07:43That was a very pleasant surprise.
07:45It's very doable for us, frankly.
07:47Checked all the boxes.
07:48I really liked house number one.
07:49So it's going to be interesting to see what two and three look like.
07:51Yeah, it's going to be tough to beat.
07:54We're off to a really good start.
07:55Do you want to jump in the car and head to house number two?
07:57Sounds good.
07:58All right, let's go.
08:10Well, here we are at house number two.
08:12Super great curb appeal.
08:14We do have active construction going on nearby though.
08:16So I think we should just jump on inside.
08:18Yeah?
08:19Yeah, let's do it.
08:19Okay, let's go.
08:20Sounds good.
08:30Well, here we are in fancy kitchen number two.
08:34What do you think of this space?
08:35This is beautiful.
08:37Like this is dreamy.
08:38Like the backsplash, the colors, like they did a great job of this one.
08:43Very magazine worthy.
08:44Yeah, that's what it feels like.
08:45The brass seems to like work really well in here.
08:48It's beautiful.
08:49It's spacious.
08:50The colors are great.
08:52Like you can tell that they put a lot of thought into how they designed it.
08:55I'm obsessed with the kitchen.
08:56It's really nice.
08:58I just love how big and how much room there is.
09:02We're doing really well then.
09:03And we've only seen the first floor, which is really exciting.
09:06I see the rest.
09:06There's a lot in this house.
09:07There's four bedrooms.
09:09But I really actually want you to see the basement in this house,
09:12because you are so excited about basement number one.
09:14I feel like it's really important that you take a peek at this one.
09:16And then I'm going to meet you outside to see if we can explore a little bit on the landscaping
09:20front
09:21and see what we can do back there.
09:22Sounds good.
09:22Okay, so you head down.
09:23I'll meet you outside.
09:24Sounds good.
09:24All right.
09:38What do you think of this place?
09:40This is beautiful.
09:41Yeah, it's definitely a little bit out of a price range.
09:45But obviously, like this apartment, you could rent it out.
09:47It might offset it a little bit.
09:48You could definitely get a renter in here.
09:50Only thing is then you have someone sharing the property with you.
09:53And we never talked about that.
09:55Yeah, I definitely like the privacy factor of like not having a rental, but it would definitely offset the price
10:00considering how beautiful and grand it is upstairs.
10:03Yeah, what I like too, like this house and the last one, they're both turnkeys.
10:07Like we wouldn't have to do anything really.
10:08Like I understand neither really have the grass, but that's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.
10:14Overall, I'm very impressed.
10:15Yeah, I really like it.
10:18Maybe we can go find Amanda and see how much it is.
10:20Yeah, let's go find her.
10:27Yeah, that's certainly something right there.
10:29That's a basement that you could dream of, right?
10:31Yeah, that was incredible.
10:33It would be nice if you could rent out the apartment in the basement.
10:35You could totally rent it out.
10:36And in fact, I've heard you can rent it out for about $2,800 a month, which is, yeah, which
10:41is up there, right?
10:42So you've got a full suite down here, but also people use it maybe for in-laws or they use
10:46it if they have adult children.
10:47We've even got the construction going on.
10:49That's okay.
10:49It's going to be finished by the time you move in and you can work your magic out here for
10:52the landscape.
10:53But you've got the close proximity still to the farmer's market, close proximity to trails, four bedrooms, the fully finished
10:59basement.
11:00How much do you think this house is?
11:03It's got to be expensive, like.
11:051.4?
11:06Oh, that's a good guess.
11:08Yeah, I guess 1.5.
11:09Wow.
11:10Okay.
11:10Very good guesses.
11:11This house is 1.4.
11:13It's too bad you don't win it for guessing the right price.
11:16I don't know.
11:17I think the price will definitely be one of our biggest considerations in this place.
11:21Like, frankly, it's beautiful.
11:22Like, I don't think we have any issues with this space, but with the rental downstairs, it's not guaranteed.
11:26It's something, again, that we had never considered having people, like, living below us, essentially.
11:31It's definitely something that we can consider with the downstairs apartment.
11:36Feels like it might rain a little bit, so why don't we jump in the car and quickly head over
11:40to house number three.
11:41Yeah, sounds good.
11:41Okay, let's go.
11:58Today, I'm in Allura, Ontario, helping Brooklyn and Layton find their perfect first home together.
12:05So far, we've seen two potential options, both of which were brand new in up-and-coming subdivisions.
12:12I've decided to change things up a little for this last option, so I'm curious to see what our couple
12:17thinks about the possibility of a townhouse.
12:21Well, here we are at house number three, and we're being blessed with a little bit of showers for our
12:25house hunting, but that's okay.
12:26It's nice for all that landscaping, right?
12:28No problem.
12:29Yeah, true.
12:29So this one is a little bit different.
12:31It's a townhouse, as you can see.
12:33But I felt it was really important that you come and have a look at this property as well, because
12:37it's an amazing use of space in here.
12:39So I think you're going to be very surprised.
12:40Okay.
12:41You open to that?
12:42Absolutely.
12:43Let's go inside.
12:44We got construction anyway.
12:45It's nicer inside.
12:46Come on.
12:57Now, I'm so impressed by the size of this kitchen for a townhouse.
13:01What do you guys think?
13:02I agree.
13:03It's actually a lot bigger than I expected.
13:05I thought it would be a lot smaller, but this is actually very spacious.
13:09It's hard to picture because there's no furniture in here, obviously, but, like, obviously, that makes everything kind of, like,
13:14a little bit more entertaining and a little bit more interested because you can piece together whatever you want and
13:19make it your own.
13:20I think they did a really good job actually utilizing the space for what it's worth.
13:24I would probably try and put a pantry in the kitchen, but I really like the floors and I really
13:28like the hardwood.
13:29Very smart design choices.
13:31Like, it feels bigger than I think I expected from a townhouse.
13:34Pretty impressed walking in.
13:37This one has some nice architectural details in the form of the ceiling as well.
13:41Yeah, I really love it.
13:42I think it looks really interesting.
13:44I don't think I've ever seen that before.
13:47We still have three bedrooms upstairs, so I think what I'll do now is send you guys upstairs to check
13:52out the principal suite, and it's got a great en suite as well, so check that out and then we'll
13:56reconvene after that.
13:57Sounds good.
13:58Straight upstairs.
14:13Okay.
14:14So definitely a little bit smaller.
14:15Yeah.
14:15I really like the hardwood stairs.
14:19I don't think getting a king bed in here is a concern, but it's definitely, like, the space is a
14:23lot smaller.
14:24Yeah.
14:24It's a beautiful space, but definitely you can feel that it's a lot smaller than the other two.
14:28Yeah.
14:28Like, it just doesn't have as much of the flow.
14:31Primary suite was really, really nice.
14:33The bathroom's nice, and same thing, it's just a little bit smaller than the other two houses.
14:37That's definitely something that I'm kind of stopped thinking about.
14:40Yeah.
14:41Of the three, this is probably the most within our budget or the most economical, but it's going to be
14:46a matter of, like, what we're giving up.
14:48I would be interested to see what the backyard looks like, like, see if there is any space for Toby,
14:51so let's go check that out.
14:53Yeah.
14:53Sounds good.
15:04Hello.
15:05Hello.
15:06All right.
15:07What did you think of the master suite?
15:09It was nice.
15:10Like, they did a nice job of it, but it's a lot smaller.
15:13Yeah.
15:13It definitely lacks, like, I think, some of the space that we need.
15:16The backyard isn't really giving me the whole wow factor.
15:19It's not a whole lot of backyard.
15:21It's not huge.
15:21It's not huge, but it is a degree of private.
15:23They've done some really nice job with the landscaping, and again, you don't have to maintain anything beyond the fence.
15:28So I feel like you could do some nice patio furniture, maybe, like, a little fire kind of idea, gas
15:33fire idea.
15:35So now that you've toured this, what do you think the cost is of this house?
15:40$850?
15:40Mm-hmm.
15:41Okay.
15:41I'm going to say $780.
15:44Oh, wow.
15:44Lower.
15:45Ooh.
15:45Okay.
15:46The price of this house is $815,000.
15:49Oh, wow.
15:49Okay.
15:49Kind of in between our guesses.
15:50Right in the middle.
15:51Yeah.
15:51Right between the guesses.
15:54The price was definitely a good perk for it.
15:56Like, I was very impressed, like, with the price.
15:58I thought it was more expensive than it actually was.
16:00So that definitely factors in.
16:02I think it gives us a lot to think about.
16:03It leaves us a little bit room on our budget to actually kind of really add on to stuff, like,
16:08later on in the future.
16:10All three houses are beautiful.
16:11They all have really great advantages.
16:13Some cons here and there that we're definitely going to have to think about.
16:16When we sit down and talk about it and weigh the pros and cons, we'll be able to come up
16:20with a decision.
16:21At this point, it's up to you guys to maybe sit down, relax in a cafe or something, and talk
16:26about all these choices.
16:28And then I'm going to connect with you later to see which house you chose.
16:30Sounds good.
16:31Yeah, we definitely have lots to talk about.
16:44While I give Brooklyn and Layton time to discuss the three potential houses we looked at, I'm taking some time
16:50to explore Ellora.
16:52I stopped in at the Lost and Found Cafe to chat with Emma and to take in the town's cozy
16:57atmosphere.
16:59There is so much energy in here when you come in, so much positive energy.
17:04Oh, thank you.
17:05And I heard rumours that this place is lined up out the door every Saturday.
17:08It is.
17:08It's definitely the spot to be on a Saturday morning.
17:11Good for you.
17:12Now, how long have you actually lived in Ellora?
17:14So, I grew up here my entire life, moved away when I was in my 20s like most 20-year
17:19-olds do,
17:19and came back when I was 30 to settle down to open a business and raise a family.
17:25It's such a vibrant community.
17:26All the amenities right at our fingertips.
17:29You can go hiking, kayaking, canoeing, tubing, all of the restaurants, boutique shops.
17:34It truly has everything you need.
17:37Why do you think people move to Ellora?
17:39Honestly, everything in this small town.
17:41You're 90 minutes away from the city, so you can just get city life as quick as you'd like.
17:46All of these restaurants, shops, schools, culture.
17:50Yeah.
17:50Culture in Ellora is phenomenal.
17:51It's a lot.
17:52You can feel it.
17:55As far as the cafe goes, you actually recently expanded.
17:59You're so popular.
18:00I did.
18:00So, tell me a little bit about that.
18:01Yeah.
18:01So, I opened it in January of 2021.
18:04For my whole life, I wanted to own a coffee shop to be that heart, to be that community spot.
18:09We were open for about four years and then got the opportunity to expand over onto this side as well.
18:15So, just a little bit more elbow room for everyone now.
18:18We have such a nice, extensive menu and all of these, like, I feel like local foods and farm-to
18:23-table kind of solutions as well.
18:25Absolutely.
18:25So, I'm really anxious to actually sit down and try some of this.
18:28So, maybe that's my next step now.
18:30I really appreciate you talking to me.
18:32I love your story.
18:33So nice.
18:33Thank you so much.
18:34It was lovely to meet you.
18:35Lovely to meet you.
18:49Well, guys, we had some interesting conversation.
18:52I wish I was a fly on the wall listening to it, to be honest.
18:56Yeah, over dinner, a glass of wine, we had some really good discussions about it.
19:01Let's think back about the houses so that we can remember all the pros and cons about them.
19:05Basically, there's not many cons, I would say, but let's think back on house number one.
19:10House number one had really nice curb appeal, but it was missing the landscaping.
19:13Yeah.
19:14It's definitely something that I'm not super interested in doing, but, I mean, it seemed like that was kind of
19:19something that I would have to do almost no matter what.
19:21Once we do it, it'll be done.
19:22Yeah, exactly.
19:23Exactly.
19:24I feel like it was the perfect size.
19:26Like, it was spacious in all the living space.
19:28The rooms were a really great size.
19:30Yeah.
19:30We really loved that master bedroom and ensuite especially.
19:34And, of course, you really loved the basement.
19:36The finished basement's definitely a big perk.
19:38I also feel like if we decided to grow the family, it'd be a great size to grow into as
19:42well.
19:42Yeah.
19:43I could see that for you guys for sure.
19:45House number two.
19:47That was fancy.
19:48That was bougie.
19:49That was a lot of house, you know?
19:51I think, like, it was really grand and it was awesome and it was, like, super open and inviting.
19:55But, like, the one thing that I really couldn't get behind was the basement apartment.
20:00I don't think, like, right now we're at a complete time where we're kind of willing to have the tenant
20:05below us.
20:06Like, I think we kind of like the privacy right now.
20:08That's a fair point.
20:09Beautiful, but I think you were hoping to have, like, a space that you could actually hang out with.
20:13Yes, that's true.
20:14That might be a big thing to give up.
20:16So, house number three.
20:18This was totally different.
20:19This was a good-sized townhouse.
20:21I think the townhouse actually was a pleasant surprise.
20:24Frankly, we didn't really, like, have it on our radar.
20:26But I will say I was very impressed.
20:28They did a good job of, like, the design, the space.
20:30I really loved that ceiling detail.
20:32I think that was really cool.
20:34It really just came down to space for that one and the backyard.
20:37So, those were kind of our struggles with house number three.
20:40House number three was the first one we kind of crossed off our list.
20:42And, again, it was beautiful.
20:44It was just that space and backyard.
20:46So, now we have house number one, house number two.
20:49Which house did you choose?
20:51After all, a whole lot of deliberation, we decided to go with house number one.
20:56Oh, that makes perfect sense.
20:57Okay, that's good.
20:58I was kind of thinking I was going to guess that for you.
21:01Absolutely.
21:01Yeah, exactly.
21:02I thought, like, honestly, like a clean slate.
21:04Like, it looked like it.
21:05There was lots we could do to put our personal touch on it.
21:07That's amazing.
21:08I'm so happy for you guys.
21:09This has been such a fun adventure and so inspiring.
21:12And I would love to see pictures down the line of how you end up furnishing it and making it
21:16your own, okay?
21:16Absolutely.
21:17It's a good idea from you, even.
21:18So, we'll definitely be sending pictures.
21:24I'm proud to announce that after we caught up,
21:26Brooklyn and Layton got back in touch with me to let me know that they have successfully purchased house number
21:31one.
21:32I wish you two good luck with the landscaping and wish you all the best for your first property together.
21:38music
21:39.
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