Trading downtown Toronto for Creemore Village: Alex and Ian
Recently, I found a property for a friend and former colleague, Alex Kelly, her husband Ian Hogan, and their sleepy dog, Bridget. Young professionals living in downtown Toronto, Alex and Ian decided to bet on the COVID-19 pandemic and use it as an opportunity to make a big change in their lives.
Always working on creating their best life, this couple has had an interesting journey to Creemore. Alex runs her own consulting business after a public health career that saw her working across Canada with injury survivors, while Ian is a former national team athlete who used to travel the world, sailing competitively. Alex shares how everything unfolded, and what they’ve learned about country living in Creemore.
Why we chose to move to Creemore
We had long been toying with the idea of buying property. We had rented apartments, even owning a condo at one point in Toronto. Despite having a secure investment for real estate, the Toronto market was continuing to skyrocket at a pace that was totally unattainable, but we were content to wait for things to change. We had a great apartment in the heart of the city’s core, close to everything.
Then COVID-19 hit, and while it wasn’t the change we were hoping for, it mixed things up in our life enough that we knew we could make a move. Both my consulting agency, as well as Ian’s construction management job, went virtual, allowing us to work from home. With Toronto’s lockdowns, the romance of the downtown core was lost. Ian and I seized the flexibility and started to expand our search for a house that could support two home offices.
One day, I was driving to Toronto after visiting my parents in Thornbury, taking a route through Creemore. Blown away by the rolling hills, nice people, quaint town I knew I had to check out the real estate. Luckily, Val, an old friend and colleague, had moved to the area and had the inside scoop on the region. When Val texted back, saying that “moving up north was the best decision I’ve ever made,” we knew this could be the place for us.
Finding our spot
With Val’s help and experience, we started to comb through available listings. Val was incredible when it came to understanding our needs, decoding what we needed for work from home, and how our wishlist could translate into a reality. While searching for a house during COVID-19 made for a different experience, Val’s local knowledge and network gave us important background information on the digital listings. Ian and I weren’t in an immediate rush to find a place, which gave Val time and space to show us lots of options to help us understand the country life vibe. It was exciting to see how we could stretch our investment in the Creemore area– very different from the tight confines of the Toronto real estate search we had been on.
We ended up purchasing a corner lot on a quiet street in the village of Creemore, walking distance to everything we could need. With original structures dating back to 1808, our new home had great potential. Well loved by a family for nearly 20 years, it is a happy home with stunning gardens. There is more than enough space for us to live and work from home, as well as quick access to outdoors, family, and all the activities Creemore has to offer. From our house, it is only a 90 minute commute to Toronto, featuring scenic views and easy traffic. All the amenities we truly need are in town, with nearly everything else available within a 20-30 minute drive.
Settling in
We moved to Creemore at the end of September 2020, lining up a drywaller and painter to start immediately. Integrity Home Improvements took care of drywalling in closets as well as helping us open up and refinish walls, while Will Finish painted the entire interior, freshening up the entire house.
These two steps allowed us to reimagine the flow of the house, as well as the location of some of the principal rooms. Opening up some walls and ripping up carpet gave us a newfound appreciation for the construction of the home, and allowed us to address any quirks that lay beneath. We had new flooring put down in the living-dining space, creating a bright and crisp open concept room.
The house uses gas woodstoves to heat the lower level, so we took that as a sign to bring gas into the kitchen. We bought new appliances, including a gas range, prior to the move, and arranged for their delivery once the renovation dust had settled. While the kitchen was initially a renovation we were saving for later, the new appliances allowed us to rework the layout. One thing led to another, and soon we had painted all of the cabinets, trading most of the upper cabinets for open shelving. Fresh paint and new stainless steel appliances has turned the kitchen into a fantastic workhorse in the centre of the house.
We are delighted with the improvements we’ve made, while still retaining the house’s original four bedrooms. We use two bedrooms for our offices, reserving the third room upstairs for guests. During our renovations, we created an expansive master bedroom on the ground floor, separating our home life from our work life offices upstairs– the balance we were desperately looking for when we moved from the city.
When we embarked on this adventure, we were clear with Val that our budgets were set in stone. We wanted the move to Creemore to make sense, financially, so we were set on a budget that would allow us a favourable mortgage. Holding on to that allowed us to do sizeable updates to our home (with more in the works!), as well as relax and enjoy the country life even more.
What we love about Creemore and country living
We made a massive change when we moved to Creemore, and Ian and I wholeheartedly agree that it was the best decision we could have ever made. Despite rolling lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions, we have made an effort to meet people in Creemore while exploring local businesses.
This includes work break coffee from the Bank Cafe, take out from the Old Mill House Pub, office supplies from the Creemore Echo Newsstand, furniture finds from Miller Island, and becoming a member of the Creemore Library. Everyone we meet is warm and welcoming, helping us sort out this new lifestyle. We’ve certainly been frequently fliers at Home Hardware, and grateful to have Matt and Vas from Auto Solve take care of our car.
Moving to a new village in the midst of a pandemic isn’t easy, as many of the quaint features of the town aren’t accessible like they normally are, but everyone we have met ensures us that there is so much more to come. And we believe them, because they have already been so incredible. We already know more people in our new community than we did in our Toronto apartment building!
Making the move to country living
What we call, jokingly, the “hipster migration” isn’t unique- there has been a documented exit of downtown residents, fleeing to surrounding municipalities. Younger people are finding options for their first homes, investing in larger properties out of the urban core. Ian and I would recommend that you know where you are going, and have the knowledge to handle a house. We are grateful for all the people who have helped us figure out how to make the transition, and understand the nuances of country life.
We were able to make the jump because of a shift to work from home arrangements that were guaranteed beyond the length of the pandemic. Knowing this, we were confident in our move, but still validated that the commute isn’t untenable should we need to go to Toronto more regularly. For anyone else considering this country shift, ensure that your work arrangements will carry forward once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Finally, winter in the country has been unlike any other winter we’ve experienced. Part of living here means living outside in the winter, whether that is regular hikes, snowshoeing with friends, or skiing. Making an effort to get out, even on the coldest days of the year, to be in our new community has allowed us to meet so many new people. Being a part of the community has been one of the most enriching experiences of our move, and one that has eased the transition considerably. We have certainly been romanced by our little village of Creemore!