- 11 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:01Quaint fishing villages, panoramic ocean views,
00:06surf, sand, waves, and tides.
00:08For people all around the world,
00:11the coastal dream is just a move away.
00:19I guess we're here. We're doing this.
00:21Oh, this is great.
00:22Well, we're just, I mean, you know that I'm just thrilled to have you here, right?
00:25You know, I just, oh, I've told all my friends.
00:28They're all excited for us, and they're all excited for you fellas.
00:32Oh, thanks.
00:32I mean, we've been here for 20 years,
00:34and it's a really nice place to live.
00:38I'm Leah. I'm Abe.
00:40We've been together 16 years,
00:42and we've been in Ottawa, right downtown in the city,
00:45and we're looking for a big change to move back to the ocean
00:48and closer to my family.
00:49We have a dog, Garbanzo.
00:51In the city, it's hard to get him to walk.
00:53He does cement legs, just doesn't like to walk downtown,
00:56but when we're here, he's just this free dog running all over the place.
01:01I love the water. I want to swim every day.
01:04I want to be in a boat every day. I want to kayak every day.
01:07It's something also appealing about being around the water,
01:09is that there's lots of activities we can do.
01:11I want to move to St. Andrews, New Brunswick,
01:13because this is where my family is for many, many generations.
01:16This is where my heart is.
01:18Right now, we're both looking for new jobs.
01:20We both don't like where we are and need a change.
01:22Yeah, I've been working for the federal government of Canada for 15 years,
01:26different departments, different places,
01:28and just kind of ready for something different,
01:30ready to find a different job that's a little bit more relaxed,
01:34maybe a little bit less office.
01:35And I've been working in health planning.
01:37For me, I think the push was during COVID, I worked on COVID,
01:40and it was a really tough time in my life.
01:44I think it really burnt me out.
01:45Well, every time we come to St. Andrews, we try to figure out a way to stay.
01:50So we have, I think, how many businesses have we explored?
01:53When a business is up for sale, we go and check it out and try to see,
01:57is this viable? Is this something we could do?
01:59Do we have the skill set? We've checked out pizza shops and B&Bs,
02:04but still looking, haven't found the right fit yet.
02:07It's really important that in this move, in this change in our life,
02:10we actually find a way to make a living as well.
02:13It's not just a dream home, it's also potentially a dream business.
02:17So I think now's the time to look, find a business, quit the jobs,
02:21pack up the dog and make the move.
02:23So in a new property, I definitely want it to be close to water.
02:27We know that any potential business opportunity is going to be driven
02:30by people coming to the ocean.
02:32This move means we both are going to quit our comfortable jobs.
02:36There has to be a business aspect.
02:37Right now in Ottawa, we have three bed, two bath.
02:41We'd like something like that.
02:42We could go down to maybe one bathroom.
02:44We do a lot of cooking. We'd love to have a nice kitchen.
02:48It would really entice us if we could have something
02:51that would offer places for people to stay.
02:53Yeah, give them a reason to come and visit us.
02:55So we need to find a property and a business together.
02:58Our budget, I think, is around $2 million,
03:00hoping we can get a good price for our house in Ottawa.
03:03Yeah, and I think if we found a business that we felt like
03:05it could be really successful,
03:07then we could maybe flex our budget a little bit higher.
03:11I don't think we can necessarily replace two salaries,
03:14but something. We just need some way of generating income.
03:17Let's make sure that we can still pay the bills and not go bankrupt.
03:19It'll be fine. It'll be fine.
03:21It'll be fine. We'll make it work.
03:22It'll be fine. Yeah.
03:24Our realtor is Debbie, and she worked for years and years with my parents.
03:28I think Debbie knows the area really well.
03:30She seems to have a lot of knowledge.
03:32I think it's going to be interesting, maybe a little bit difficult,
03:35to find Abe and Leah property that they're going to be comfortable living in,
03:38as well as a profitable business.
03:41They're looking for something that's going to replace two government jobs.
03:44So I might have a challenge set out.
03:50We are in Bokebeck, New Brunswick,
03:52which is 25 minutes outside St. Andrews, New Brunswick.
03:55It's a great area, lots of space and great oceanfront properties.
04:00But at the same time, you can be in downtown St. Andrews for all the amenities in 25 minutes.
04:07Good morning, Abe and Leah.
04:08Hey, Debbie.
04:09We've got a really cute house to look at this morning.
04:12It's currently being run as a Scandinavian spa.
04:14The owners live here in the house, which is amazing.
04:18Today I'm showing Abe and Leah a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom home
04:21with a great business already in place.
04:23The property sits on an ocean inlet,
04:25and the business is a beautiful Nordic-style spa with established clientele.
04:29It's comprised of a sauna, two hot tubs, cold plunges, several fire pits, and a space for yoga.
04:34So the big question, I guess, is what's it listed for?
04:37It's listed at 1.5.
04:38Oh, wow.
04:39That's great.
04:39That's in our budget.
04:40Under budget for you guys.
04:41Yeah, that gives us some space for investment to do different things.
04:44Let's go.
04:45Awesome.
04:46Thanks, Debbie.
04:46I'm excited to show you this kitchen.
04:49It's been all redone.
04:50Wow.
04:51They've done new appliances, fabulous countertops, and painted all the cupboards through.
04:57Kitchen's a little tight because we do like to have a bunch of friends over and all cook a meal
05:01together at the same time.
05:03So I'm trying to think about how that would work, but maybe we'd have to pull in some of the
05:07dining room space or something else.
05:08Yeah, it'd be a little hard to have a bunch of people cooking at the same time in here or
05:11have a large group in here for sure.
05:13Let's check out the living room.
05:14Okay.
05:15Well, nice start to the tour.
05:17Look at this with all the natural light.
05:19Oh.
05:20I love that you have cathedral ceilings, tons of windows, which actually are brand new.
05:25Oh, okay.
05:26And check out these views of the ocean.
05:29Oh, I love the nice little front porch too, looking around in the water.
05:32That looks great.
05:33But so, two bedrooms.
05:35We're looking for three bedrooms.
05:36I guess the third bedroom could be the loft.
05:39Well, it could be, but I was thinking that you could do your offices up there, but at the same
05:43time, there's an outbuilding and it's all equipped.
05:46Oh, okay.
05:46So you could put some beds out there.
05:48Okay, I like that idea.
05:49That'd be great because I do think that's a little steep as we get older.
05:52Okay, let's go check out the bathroom.
05:54Great.
05:54This is the main bathroom, so it has a fabulous walk-in shower.
05:58Not a ton of storage, but...
06:00Storage right outside.
06:01We've got lots of storage outside, so you can do a whole linen closet out here if you need to.
06:05Okay.
06:06And here's the primary bedroom.
06:08We have a king-size bed and double closet.
06:11Very nice.
06:11So his and hers.
06:12It's a good size.
06:13And I like the hardwood floors.
06:14I think that's a nice touch too.
06:15Yeah, it's beautiful.
06:16Yeah.
06:17So the powder room's in the other bedroom.
06:19It is.
06:20So perfect for guests when they're staying over, they have their own personal space.
06:23Yeah, it's a little small for a bathroom.
06:33Not the worst bathroom I've ever been in.
06:37It's a nice bathroom.
06:38Just a little...
06:39Yeah, it's fine.
06:40A little small.
06:40I think we could definitely live here, but I think we're really excited to see the business.
06:45Check out this cute little outbuilding.
06:48Oh, nice.
06:50Remember we were talking about a third bedroom?
06:52Yeah.
06:52I think this would be a great option for you.
06:54And what's behind these screens?
06:58Ooh, lots of spin bikes.
07:00Okay.
07:01So a couple other streams of revenue here for you would be to teach spin class.
07:06So they lead the spin classes here.
07:09They do.
07:09And they do the yoga retreats here.
07:11So spa, yoga retreat, cycling.
07:15We're not spin instructors or yoga instructors.
07:18Not yet.
07:19All right, well, I'm excited to see the rest of the property.
07:21Okay, let's go check out the spa circuit.
07:23Here we have the little spa bathroom.
07:25So there's a shower for your guests.
07:28We also have a wood-burning sauna, which is wonderful.
07:31So we have two hot tubs for your guests.
07:33Excellent.
07:34And we also have three cold plunge pools.
07:36I guess there's actually four cold plunge because there's three tubs.
07:39And then the ocean.
07:40And then the ocean.
07:41It's beautiful.
07:42It definitely is a really nice property.
07:44I like that it's already running.
07:45It's successful.
07:46It's known in the community.
07:47What would you like to see next?
07:49Maybe something that doesn't require specialized skill.
07:52Less yoga, more accommodation.
07:54Yeah.
07:55Also maybe something bigger.
07:56Is that what you're thinking?
07:57Yeah, something that is even more.
07:59I've got something in mind.
08:00So I'm looking forward to showing it to you tomorrow.
08:02Sounds great.
08:03Awesome.
08:03Thanks, Debbie.
08:05That's great.
08:06And before we go, can we try everything out?
08:08Absolutely.
08:14Today we're in downtown St. Andrews along the water, close to all the amenities that St. Andrews has to offer.
08:20Buyers love this area because we're close to all the pubs, restaurants and shops.
08:24Of course, we're also close to our wharf, which offers whale watching and deep sea fishing.
08:32Hey.
08:33Hey, Debbie.
08:34How are you guys doing?
08:35Did you have a good night last night?
08:36We did.
08:36Absolutely.
08:37Lots to think about.
08:38Yeah, absolutely.
08:39And when we left each other, you both indicated you're looking for something more established
08:44and lots of accommodations.
08:46So what do you think of this?
08:48Whoa, Debbie.
08:49Whoa.
08:50What is this?
08:51The second house I'm showing, Abe and Leah, is a resort property right along the main strip
08:55in the heart of town.
08:55The owner's quarters has two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
08:58There are nine buildings on the property with 24 units in total.
09:02This seaside resort is right on the water and has been a business staple in the community
09:05for over 50 years.
09:07We can accommodate 80 clients a night.
09:10Wow.
09:1080 people per night?
09:11Yes.
09:12Whoa.
09:12I know it's a bit.
09:13Well, we did ask for a lot more.
09:15So how much is this one listed for?
09:182.3 million, which I know is a little bit above your budget, but it's already established.
09:22You'll be booked straight through for the summer.
09:24It's a little bit above our budget.
09:26How do you feel about that?
09:27It's pricey.
09:28I guess I'm willing to go a little bit above if it's a bigger business.
09:32It was a couple that owned it for the last 30 years and their family before that.
09:37And they had a maintenance person and one gal helping with cleaning the rooms.
09:41Okay.
09:41So maybe we could do it.
09:43Yeah.
09:43It just still sounds like a lot.
09:45Should we check out the main residence where you'd be living?
09:48Sure.
09:48Okay.
09:48Sure.
09:49Absolutely.
09:49Give it a look.
09:52Lots of wood.
09:53Lots of wood, Debbie.
09:55I know, but it's such a great space.
09:57It's very expansive.
09:58Okay.
09:59And we've got a full bath here on the right-hand side that's been newly renovated and a primary
10:04bedroom here on the left.
10:05Let's check out the bedroom.
10:07Okay.
10:09Okay.
10:10So Debbie, this is a lot of wood.
10:13Like a lot.
10:14I know.
10:15You can always paint it.
10:16Look at that beautiful cabin tree.
10:18Moving from Ottawa, we don't have a ton of furniture that's really worth moving.
10:21And we wouldn't even have to do it.
10:23We could just use all that for our clothes.
10:24Yeah.
10:24It is really nice.
10:25You can tell they put a lot of work into it.
10:27The wood is throwing me off a little bit.
10:29Just how much there is.
10:31It really jumps out at you, but it's a lot of space.
10:34Let's check out the rest of the house.
10:35Okay.
10:36All right.
10:36I think this is a great space.
10:38It can be a reading nook, a home office.
10:40Again, it's a lot of wood, wood floors, wood cabinets, wood walls.
10:46All right.
10:46Let's check out the living room.
10:48Okay.
10:49I think this is a great space.
10:51We have windows on both sides.
10:52So even good cross breeze, good airflow.
10:55So everything's all on one floor, which is actually kind of appealing in a way.
10:58Let's check out the kitchen.
11:00Great.
11:00Okay.
11:00Important part of our house.
11:02I know you guys said you like to entertain.
11:05Wow.
11:06Okay.
11:07Bigger.
11:07That's a beautiful nook to relax in at the end of the day.
11:11That's an important part is the view out to the ocean.
11:13It's nice.
11:14This kitchen is a lot bigger than the one we saw yesterday.
11:16Yes.
11:16I really like that.
11:17Well, it was smaller, but I think this one isn't really our style.
11:21Just off the kitchen, there's another bedroom for your guests.
11:24Let's check out the bathroom.
11:25All right.
11:26Ooh, lots of wood, Debbie.
11:28Again, maybe not to our taste, but at least it's like a high quality product.
11:31I think it's time for you to check out all the cabins.
11:34Sounds great.
11:34Thanks, Debbie.
11:35Thanks, Debbie.
11:35Let's go.
11:45The business aspect of the property is daunting.
11:49This place is like a village.
11:51Look at all the buildings.
11:52Oh my God.
11:53It's a lot.
11:54This one's little.
11:56Oh, this is a sweet little one.
11:58Yeah.
11:58Just one bed to make, which is relatively easy.
12:01If they were all like this, I'd feel more comfortable.
12:06Oh, wow.
12:08Whew.
12:09Yeah.
12:09So this is the three bedroom, right?
12:10Okay.
12:10This one's the biggest one.
12:12This would be the most work for sure.
12:13Hmm.
12:14Smells nice in here.
12:15Like wood?
12:16Like wood.
12:18Oh, Debbie, there's a lot of cabins here.
12:23Small ones, big ones.
12:25And everyone has a water view just about.
12:27And so I think that's really nice for the cottages too.
12:30This is an incredible view.
12:31You can see why people come here.
12:33Great for beachcombing, taking your dog for a walk.
12:36Yeah.
12:36We're just not sure we can do 80 guests at a time with 24 units.
12:41I'm not sure I can fold laundry that quickly.
12:43So this is great.
12:44What I'm hearing is maybe dial it back a little bit on how many guests that you can accommodate.
12:48I think I have a property that you're going to both be interested in and I look forward to showing
12:51it to you tomorrow.
12:53Okay.
12:53Okay.
12:53Thanks, Debbie.
12:54Thanks, Debbie.
12:56Today, we're in a very prestigious neighborhood with lots of beautiful grounds and fabulous homes.
13:01We're a two minute walk from the St. Andrews Golf Course, which is a very sought after area.
13:05And we're just a 10 minute walk to all that the downtown has to offer.
13:10Good morning, Abe and Leah.
13:12Good morning, Debbie.
13:13Hey, Debbie.
13:14This is a mansion.
13:16This is a beautiful place.
13:17It is big.
13:18So is it currently being operated as a business?
13:22No, but it could be.
13:24Today, I'm bringing Abe and Leah to a massive estate they could potentially convert into an upscale bed and breakfast.
13:30The house I'm showing them has 10 bedrooms and a whopping 11 bathrooms.
13:34There's 11,000 square feet of living space.
13:37It sits on seven acres of property with views of the ocean.
13:40What's the list price on this, Debbie?
13:42It's pretty big.
13:43Are you ready?
13:432.6 million.
13:45Oh, Debbie.
13:46Smidgen over budget.
13:47We don't have to do anything.
13:49We'll come completely furnished.
13:51It's very impressive.
13:52Driving up, it looked really beautiful.
13:54I gotta say, it was pretty nice.
13:56Unlike yesterday with multiple buildings, all your guests would be staying under one roof.
14:00You could definitely host 10 to 15.
14:02You'd have your own wing, but they'd be staying here.
14:05We'd have our own wing?
14:06Absolutely.
14:07Fabulous.
14:07Let's go inside.
14:08Okay.
14:09Well, let's check it out.
14:10All right, great.
14:11Sounds good.
14:12Check out this entrance.
14:15Very unique, Debbie.
14:16It's grand.
14:18Yes.
14:19Yeah, this would be a great spot to welcome guests in.
14:21You could see us sort of receiving them here and great view out the front.
14:24Really nice.
14:25And is this hand painted right on the wall?
14:28It's hand painted wallpaper.
14:29Oh, nice.
14:30You have a powder room here on the left.
14:32All right.
14:33So let's check out the office next door.
14:36Doesn't this make a great den slash home office?
14:39Oh yeah, nice.
14:40Yeah, we could check in guests here, I think.
14:42Yeah, this would be a great spot to receive guests too.
14:45Set up a little computer and do your check-ins.
14:46It's pretty bright, light.
14:48I'm excited for you to check out the living room.
14:50Okay.
14:51Let's go.
14:52Look at all the natural light.
14:55Oh, wow.
14:55And when I say living room, this is just one of the living rooms.
14:59Oh, wow.
14:59Oh, this is delightful.
15:00Oh, wow.
15:00Beautiful.
15:00This would be the most formal living room.
15:02Okay, so not on the ocean, but that's a pretty dramatic view.
15:06Here you have dining for eight.
15:08But don't forget there's other dining areas in the house.
15:11So you could be dining outside.
15:12Yeah, because if we were full, right, 20 people, we'd need space for all 20 of them.
15:15Yeah, let's check out the kitchen.
15:16All right.
15:17All right.
15:18I love this great butler's pantry.
15:21Oh, yeah.
15:22Wonderful.
15:22And a fabulous traditional kitchen.
15:24Is this the only kitchen in this incredibly huge property?
15:27It is the only kitchen.
15:28Really?
15:28Yes.
15:29I gotta say, I was expecting something a lot bigger than this.
15:31This is smaller than I thought.
15:33I mean, it's really nice.
15:34Everything looks great.
15:35I think you'd have to do for the business something with caterers or something like that.
15:39Like, I don't think we could do 20 people in this kitchen.
15:42There is so much more house to see.
15:44Okay.
15:45There's another powder room here on the left.
15:47Okay.
15:48And I'm excited to show you these expansive views again.
15:53I'd want to sit here all afternoon and sip cocktails and look at the ocean.
15:57Absolutely.
15:57When you're thinking bed and breakfast, you need common areas for everybody to relax and hang out.
16:02And you also have this fabulous little reading nook over here.
16:05And did I mention that the house has an elevator?
16:07Oh.
16:08Oh, nice.
16:09I did tell you this house was huge, didn't I?
16:11So let's check out this.
16:13Your very own private wing.
16:15Wow.
16:16There's two bedrooms, one full bath, and also a den.
16:21Although it would also be a great money maker because it's one of the wings that's accessible.
16:25Wider doors and a roll-in shower.
16:27That's really important.
16:28So you can imagine a lot of our guests might have accessibility needs and that actually adds a lot to
16:33the place.
16:33Lots of value.
16:34Well, we gotta go take a look at the upstairs.
16:36Let's head up.
16:46This is fancy.
16:47It's fancy.
16:48It's incredible.
16:49I think this is a really fun space.
16:52You've got a sunroom here on your right, bathrooms, bedrooms, sitting rooms.
16:57Oh, wow.
16:57And a private wing for yourself.
16:59This is like the other option.
17:01We saw one downstairs, so this is the other option.
17:03This would give you a little bit more privacy.
17:05Yeah.
17:05Could the dog get up those stairs?
17:07Garby can also come up via elevator.
17:11This is a great living space.
17:13So this would be your personal living room.
17:14Wow.
17:15I know you're gonna love this bedroom, babe.
17:17This is really fancy.
17:18This would be a great spot for us.
17:20I think it's just like way too fancy.
17:22We'd have to put it on the table for the guests.
17:24Especially with the price tag, I think we'd really need to treat those high-end guests
17:29as well as we could and get that premium price.
17:31This is the primary en suite.
17:33Nice.
17:34We've got a personal water closet there.
17:35This is very luxurious, very nice.
17:39Too nice for us.
17:41I don't know.
17:42I think we deserve something really nice.
17:44I have something really special to show you.
17:46Okay.
17:46All right.
17:46Let's go down.
17:48Join me down here.
17:50Wow.
17:50This is quite the staircase.
17:53Check out the swim spa.
17:55Wow.
17:55Whoa.
17:56This is the biggest jacuzzi I've ever seen.
17:58I know.
17:59So it's a personal spa, it's a resistance pool, and it's also a relaxation hot tub.
18:03I know this is a huge decision to make.
18:05It is.
18:06Not only are you looking for some place to live, you're looking for a business to take
18:09you out of the big city life, let me know what you decide.
18:11Okay.
18:12Thanks so much, Debbie.
18:13Thanks, Debbie.
18:13Bye.
18:14Talk to you soon.
18:16I can see myself living here for sure.
18:18And then there's the big question of could you see it turning into a business?
18:21And I think there's so much potential here.
18:22I don't see why not.
18:23The primary bedroom is incredible.
18:25It's a beautiful space.
18:27The more I talk about it, the more I realize it's like a luxury guest experience,
18:30not a luxury Abe and Leah experience.
18:32But do we actually know how to run a high-end accommodations property?
18:37We're more campers.
18:38So we don't even have lived experience to help inform what this business could be.
18:43We'd have to get a lot of support, advice, help.
18:47Oh, wow.
18:48This is beautiful.
18:49Oh, wow.
18:50See, this is incredible.
18:52All right.
18:52Let's get down to brass tacks.
18:54So the first property was the Ocean Spa.
18:57Yeah.
18:58So right on the water.
19:00Yep.
19:00And 1.5 million, which is under our budget.
19:03So that was a nice factor there.
19:05I feel like we'd have to live with the two bedroom.
19:07That's the downside.
19:08Yeah.
19:08The kitchen was a bit small.
19:10The thing about that one I'm nervous about is neither of us are yoga instructors
19:14and neither of us are spinning instructors.
19:17Seaside Resort was nice.
19:19Quite the jump from Ocean Spa to Seaside Resort.
19:21Big jump in price and that's also a really big jump in size in terms of the operation.
19:26There was a lot of like knotty pine and wood.
19:29That was also two bedroom, right?
19:31It wasn't three bedroom, except for there's 24 other bedrooms on site in case someone visits us.
19:38But the question is, are we biting off more than we can chew?
19:41Makes me think about this property.
19:42It's a hillside mansion.
19:44Big stretch on our budget.
19:45Big stretch.
19:4720 potential guests at a time at this place.
19:50Yeah, 20 feels doable.
19:52Yeah.
19:52But it's all also theoretical.
19:54We can't check the balance sheets.
19:56We just have to guess about what we think it would be like with the guests and the pricing.
20:00Yeah.
20:00It's a lot of guessing.
20:02Okay, well, I think I've made my decision.
20:04I'm a bit nervous, but I know which one I want to take a chance on.
20:08So are we doing this?
20:09I think we should go for it.
20:13We did it!
20:14We did it!
20:15We bought the Seaside Beach Resort.
20:17Yup, quit our jobs, which felt awesome.
20:20Sold our house.
20:21We took the plunge.
20:21It was a scary choice.
20:23We felt pretty nervous about it, but we did it.
20:25Yup, still, I'd say still nervous about it.
20:28The list price was $2.3 million.
20:30We offered full amount and we got everything we asked for.
20:34We're getting comfortable with the amount of wood that's in the primary residence too,
20:37so that hasn't been as bad as we thought it would be.
20:40I love being this close to the ocean.
20:42I think that's probably the best part.
20:44And walking the dog on the beach every day.
20:46It's amazing.
20:46Our first guest was actually a young lady.
20:49That felt like the launch of our business.
20:50We were super excited, maybe overexcited.
20:52Maybe overexcited.
20:54But no, she had a great time and it felt really good to sort of get started.
20:57I think we've still got a lot to learn.
20:58We're still figuring things out.
20:59I've been watching online videos on how to fold fitted sheets, so I'm learning a lot.
21:03Ready for everything.
21:05So taking the plunge.
21:07And living our seaside dream.
21:08Whatever's strange means that you're ready to get started.
21:11The king seemed like this.
21:11Yeah, so we're too excited.
21:17Did it get you, Linda?
Comments